U.S. construction spending falls 1.9% in September, Census estimates
Spending ran at a $2,186.1 billion annual pace, 2.7% below a year earlier.
The headline number
The Census Bureau puts September 2026 construction spending at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,186.1 billion. That is 1.9 percent lower than its revised August figure of $2,227.4 billion, and 2.7 percent lower than the year-earlier rate of $2,245.8 billion.
Private and public work
Private construction ran at $1,639.3 billion, 2.4 percent lower than the prior month. Public construction came in at $546.8 billion, 0.1 percent lower than the prior month.
How to read it
Census publishes margins of error with each estimate, and the monthly changes are often within them, so the trend over several months matters more than one release. Prior months are revised as more data arrive.
Key facts
- September 2026 annual rate: $2,186.1 billion
- Revised August: $2,227.4 billion
- Year earlier: $2,245.8 billion
Data brief written from the official release listed below; changes are our calculations from the published figures.
Spot an error? Email corrections to construction@herecity.com.
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