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APPENDIX B.
Definitions of Subject Characteristics
CONTENTS
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS B-2
Ability to Speak English (See Language Spoken at Home and Ability
to Speak English)
Actual Hours Worked Last Week (See Employment Status)
Age B-2
American Indian Tribe (See Race)
Ancestry B-2
Carpooling (See Journey to Work)
Children Ever Born (See Fertility)
Citizenship B-4
Civilian Labor Force (See Employment Status)
Class of Worker (See Industry, Occupation, and Class of Worker)
Disability (See Mobility Limitation Status, see Self-Care Limitation
Status, see Work Disability Status)
Earnings in 1989 (See Income in 1989)
Educational Attainment B-4
Employment Status B-5
Families (See Household Type and Relationship)
Family Composition (See Household Type and Relationship)
Family Income in 1989 (See Income in 1989)
Family Size (See Household Type and Relationship)
Family Type (See Household Type and Relationship)
Farm Population (See Farm Residence under Housing Characteristics)
Fertility B-7
Foreign-Born Persons (See Place of Birth)
Foster Children (See Household Type and Relationship)
Group Quarters B-7
Hispanic Origin B-12
Household (See Household Type and Relationship)
Household Income in 1989 (See Income in 1989)
Household Language (See Language Spoken At Home and Ability
to Speak English)
Household Size (See Household Type and Relationship)
Household Type and Relationship B-13
Householder (See Household Type and Relationship)
Income Deficit (See Income in 1989)
Income in 1989 B-15
Income Type in 1989 (See Income in 1989)
Industry, Occupation, and Class of Worker B-19
Institutionalized Persons (See Group Quarters)
Journey to Work B-21
Labor Force Status (See Employment Status)
Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English B-23
Linguistic Isolation (See Language Spoken at Home and Ability
to Speak English)
Marital Status B-25
Married Couples (See Marital Status)
Means of Transportation to Work (See Journey to Work)
Migration (See Residence in 1985)
Mobility Limitation Status B-26
Nativity (See Place of Birth)
Noninstitutionalized Group Quarters (See Group Quarters)
Occupation (See Industry, Occupation, and Class of Worker)
Own Children (See Household Type and Relationship)
Per Capita Income (See Income in 1989)
Period of Military Service (See Veteran Status)
Persons in Family (See Household Type and Relationship)
Persons in Households (See Household Type and Relationship)
Place of Birth B-26
Place of Work (See Journey to Work)
Poverty Status in 1989 B-27
Presence of Children (See Household Type and Relationship)
Private Vehicle Occupancy (See Journey to Work)
Race B-28
Reference Week B-31
Related Children (See Household Type and Relationship)
Residence in 1985 B-32
School Enrollment and Labor Force Status B-33
School Enrollment and Type of School B-33
Self-Care Limitation Status B-34
Sex B-34
Spanish Origin (See Hispanic Origin)
Stepfamily (See Household Type and Relationship)
Subfamily (See Household Type and Relationship)
Time Leaving Home to Go to Work (See Journey to Work)
Travel Time to Work (See Journey to Work)
Type of School (See School Enrollment and Type of School)
Usual Hours Worked Per Week Worked in 1989 (See Work Status in 1989)
Veteran Status B-34
Weeks Worked in 1989 (Work Status in 1989)
Work Disability Status B-35
Work Status in 1989 B-35
Worker (See Employment Status, see Industry, Occupation, and Class
of Worker, see Journey to Work, see Work Status in 1989)
Workers in Family in 1989 (See Work Status in 1989)
Year of Entry B-36
Years of Military Service (See Veteran Status)
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS B-36
Acreage B-37
Age of Structure (See Year Structure Built)
Agricultural Sales B-38
Bedrooms B-38
Boarded-Up Status B-38
Business on Property B-38
Condominium Fee B-39
Condominium Status B-39
Congregate Housing (See Meals Included in Rent)
Contract Rent B-39
Crop Sales (See Agricultural Sales)
Duration of Vacancy B-40
Farm Residence B-40
Gross Rent B-40
Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in 1989 B-41
Homeowner Vacancy Rate (See Vacancy Status)
House Heating Fuel B-41
Housing Units (See Living Quarters)
Insurance for Fire, Hazard, and Flood B-41
Kitchen Facilities B-41
Living Quarters B-36
Meals Included in Rent B-41
Mobile Home Costs B-42
Months Vacant (See Duration of Vacancy)
Mortgage Payment B-42
Mortgage Status B-42
Occupied Housing Units (See Living Quarters)
Owner-Occupied Housing Units (See Tenure)
Persons in Unit B-43
Persons Per Room B-43
Plumbing Facilities B-43
Poverty Status of Households in 1989 B-43
Real Estate Taxes B-43
Rental Vacancy Rate (See Vacancy Status)
Renter-Occupied Housing Units (See Tenure)
Rooms B-44
Second or Junior Mortgage Payment B-44
Selected Monthly Owner Costs B-44
Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household
Income in 1989 B-45
Sewage Disposal B-45
Source of Water B-45
Telephone in Housing Unit B-45
Tenure B-46
Type of Structure (See Units in Structure)
Units in Structure B-46
Usual Home Elsewhere B-47
Utilities B-47
Vacancy Status B-47
Vacant Housing Units (See Living Quarters)
Value B-48
Vehicles Available B-48
Year Householder Moved Into Unit B-49
Year Structure Built B-49
DERIVED MEASURES B-49
Interpolation B-49
Mean B-49
Median B-49
Percentages, Rates, and Ratios B-50
Quartile B-50
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
AGE--The data on age were derived from answers to questionnaire
item 5, which was asked of all persons. The age classification is based
on the age of the person in complete years as of April 1, 1990. The age
response in question 5a was used normally to represent a person's age.
However, when the age response was unacceptable or unavailable, a
person's age was derived from an acceptable year-of-birth response in
question 5b.
Data on age are used to determine the applicability of other questions
for a person and to classify other characteristics in census
tabulations. Age data are needed to interpret most social and economic
characteristics used to plan and examine many programs and policies.
Therefore, age is tabulated by single years of age and by many
different groupings, such as 5-year age groups.
Some tabulations are shown by the age of the householder. These data
were derived from the age responses for each householder. (For more
information on householder, see the discussion under "Household Type
and Relationship.")
Median Age--This measure divides the age distribution into two equal parts:
one-half of the cases falling below the median value and one-half above
the value. Generally, median age is computed on the basis of more
detailed age intervals than are shown in some census publications;
thus, a median based on a less detailed distribution may differ
slightly from a corresponding median for the same population based on a
more detailed distribution. (For more information on medians, see the
discussion under "Derived Measures.")
Limitation of the Data--Counts in 1970 and 1980 for persons 100 years old
and over were substantially overstated. Improvements were made in the
questionnaire design, in the allocation procedures, and to the respondent
instruction guide to attempt to minimize this problem for the 1990 census.
Review of detailed 1990 census information indicated that respondents
tended to provide their age as of the date of completion of the
questionnaire, not their age as of April 1, 1990. In addition, there
may have been a tendency for respondents to round their age up if they
were close to having a birthday. It is likely that approximately 10
percent of persons in most age groups are actually 1 year younger. For
most single years of age, the misstatements are largely offsetting. The
problem is most pronounced at age 0 because persons lost to age 1 may not
have been fully offset by the inclusion of babies born after April 1, 1990,
and because there may have been more rounding up to age 1 to avoid
reporting age as 0 years. (Age in complete months was not collected for
infants under age 1.)
The reporting of age 1 year older than age on April 1, 1990, is likely
to have been greater in areas where the census data were collected
later in 1990. The magnitude of this problem was much less in the three
previous censuses where age was typically derived from respondent data
on year of birth and quarter of birth. (For more information on the
design of the age question, see the section below that discusses
"Comparability.")
Comparability--Age data have been collected in every census. For the first
time since 1950, the 1990 data are not available by quarter year of age.
This change was made so that coded information could be obtained for both
age and year of birth. In each census since 1940, the age of a person
was assigned when it was not reported. In censuses before 1940, with
the exception of 1880, persons of unknown age were shown as a separate
category. Since 1960, assignment of unknown age has been performed by a
general procedure described as "imputation." The specific
procedures for imputing age have been different in each census. (For
more information on imputation, see Appendix C, Accuracy of the Data.)
ANCESTRY--The data on ancestry were derived from answers to
questionnaire item 13, which was asked of a sample of persons. The
question was based on self-identification; the data on ancestry
represent self-classification by people according to the ancestry
group(s) with which they most closely identify. Ancestry refers to a
person's ethnic origin or descent, "roots," or heritage or the
place of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors
before their arrival in the United States. Some ethnic identities, such
as "Egyptian" or "Polish" can be traced to geographic areas
outside the United States, while other ethnicities such as
"Pennsylvania Dutch" or "Cajun" evolved in the United
States.
The intent of the ancestry question was not to measure the degree of
attachment the respondent had to a particular ethnicity. For example, a
response of "Irish" might reflect total involvement in an "Irish" community
or only a memory of ancestors several generations removed from the
individual.
The Census Bureau coded the responses through an automated review,
edit, and coding operation. The open-ended write-in ancestry item was coded
by subject-matter specialists into a numeric representation using a code
list containing over 1,000 categories. The 1990 code list reflects the
results of the Census Bureau's own research and consultations with many
ethnic experts. Many decisions were made to determine the classification of
responses. These decisions affected the grouping of the tabulated data. For
example, the "Assyrian" category includes both responses of "Assyrian"
and "Chaldean."
The ancestry question allowed respondents to report one or more
ancestry groups. While a large number of respondents listed a single
ancestry, the majority of answers included more than one ethnic entry.
Generally, only the first two responses reported were coded in 1990. If
a response was in terms of a dual ancestry, for example, Irish-English,
the person was assigned two codes, in this case one for Irish and
another for English.
However, in certain cases, multiple responses such as "French
Canadian," "Scotch-Irish," "Greek Cypriote," and "Black Dutch" were
assigned a single code reflecting their status as unique groups. If a
person reported one of these unique groups in addition to another group,
for example, "Scotch-Irish English," resulting in three terms, that person
received one code for the unique group ("Scotch-Irish") and another one for
the remaining group ("English"). If a person reported "English Irish
French," only English and Irish were coded. Certain combinations of
ancestries where the ancestry group is a part of another, such as "German-
Bavarian," the responses were coded as a single ancestry using the smaller
group ("Bavarian"). Also, responses such as "Polish-American" or
"Italian-American" were coded and tabulated as a single entry
("Polish" or "Italian").
The Census Bureau accepted "American" as a unique ethnicity if it
was given alone, with an ambiguous response, or with State names. If
the respondent listed any other ethnic identity such as "Italian
American," generally the "American" portion of the response
was not coded. However, distinct groups such as "American
Indian," "Mexican American," and "African American" were
coded and identified separately because they represented groups who
considered themselves different from those who reported as
"Indian," "Mexican," or "African," respectively.
In all tabulations, when respondents provided an unacceptable ethnic
identity (for example, an uncodeable or unintelligible response such as
"multi-national," "adopted," or "I have no idea"), the answer was included
in "Ancestry not reported."
The tabulations on ancestry are presented using two types of data
presentations--one used total persons as the base, and the other used
total responses as the base. The following are categories shown in the
two data presentations:
Presentation Based on Persons:
Single Ancestries Reported--Includes all persons who reported only one
ethnic group. Included in this category are persons with multiple-term
responses such as "Scotch-Irish" who are assigned a single code.
Multiple Ancestries Reported--Includes all persons who reported more than
one group and were assigned two ancestry codes.
Ancestry Unclassified--Includes all persons who provided a response that
could not be assigned an ancestry code because they provided nonsensical
entries or religious responses.
Presentations Based on Responses:
Total Ancestries Reported--Includes the total number of ancestries
reported and coded. If a person reported a multiple ancestry such as
"French Danish," that response was counted twice in the tabulations--once
in the "French" category and again in the "Danish" category. Thus, the
sum of the counts in this type of presentation is not the total
population but the total of all responses.
First Ancestry Reported--Includes the first response of all persons who
reported at least one codeable entry. For example, in this category, the
count for "Danish" would include all those who reported only Danish and
those who reported Danish first and then some other group.
Second Ancestry Reported--Includes the second response of all persons who
reported a multiple ancestry. Thus, the count for "Danish" in this
category includes all persons who reported Danish as the second response,
regardless of the first response provided.
The Census Bureau identified hundreds of ethnic groups in the 1990
census. However, it was impossible to show information for every group
in all census tabulations because of space constraints. Publications
such as the 1990 CP-2, Social and Economic Characteristics
and the 1990 CPH-3, Population and Housing Characteristics
for Census Tracts and Block Numbering Areas reports show a limited
number of groups based on the number reported and the advice received
from experts. A more complete distribution of groups is presented in
the 1990 Summary Tape File 4, supplementary reports, and a special
subject report on ancestry. In addition, groups identified specifically
in the questions on race and Hispanic origin (for example, Japanese,
Laotian, Mexican, Cuban, and Spaniard), in general, are not shown
separately in ancestry tabulations.
Limitation of the Data--Although some experts consider religious
affiliation a component of ethnic identity, the ancestry question was not
designed to collect any information concerning religion. The Bureau of the
Census is prohibited from collecting information on religion. Thus, if a
religion was given as an answer to the ancestry question, it was coded as
an "Other" response.
Comparability--A question on ancestry was first asked in
the 1980 census. Although there were no comparable data prior to the
1980 census, related information on ethnicity was collected through
questions on parental birthplace, own birthplace, and language which
were included in previous censuses. Unlike other census questions,
there was no imputation for nonresponse to the ancestry question.
In 1990, respondents were allowed to report more than one ancestry
group; however, only the first two ancestry groups identified were
coded. In 1980, the Census Bureau attempted to code a third ancestry
for selected triple-ancestry responses.
New categories such as "Arab" and "West Indian" were added to the 1990
question to meet important data needs. The "West Indian" category excluded
"Hispanic" groups such as "Puerto Rican" and "Cuban" that were identified
primarily through the question on Hispanic origin. In 1990, the ancestry
group, "American" is recognized and tabulated as a unique ethnicity. In
1980, "American" was tabulated but included under the category "Ancestry
not specified."
A major improvement in the 1990 census was the use of an automated
coding system for ancestry responses. The automated coding system used
in the 1990 census greatly reduced the potential for error associated
with a clerical review. Specialists with a thorough knowledge of the
subject matter reviewed, edited, coded, and resolved inconsistent or
incomplete responses.
CITIZENSHIP--The data on citizenship were derived from answers to
questionnaire item 9, which was asked of a sample of persons.
Citizen--Persons who indicated that they were native-born and foreign-born
persons who indicated that they have become naturalized. (For more
information on native and foreign born, see the discussion under "Place of
Birth.")
There are four categories of citizenship: (1) born in the United
States, (2) born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United
States, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, (3) born
abroad of American parents, and (4) citizen by naturalization.
Naturalized Citizen--Foreign-born persons who had completed the
naturalization process at the time of the census and upon whom the rights
of citizenship had been conferred.
Not a Citizen--Foreign-born persons who were not citizens, including
persons who had begun but not completed the naturalization process at the
time of the census.
Limitation of the Data--Evaluation studies completed after previous
censuses indicated that some persons may have reported themselves as
citizens although they had not yet attained the status.
Comparability--Similar questions on citizenship were asked in the censuses
of 1820, 1830, 1870, 1890 through 1950, 1970, and 1980. The 1980 question
was asked of a sample of the foreign-born population. In 1990, both native
and foreign-born persons who received the long-form questionnaire were
asked to respond to the citizenship question.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT--Data on educational attainment were derived from
answers to questionnaire item 12, which was asked of a sample of persons.
Data are tabulated as attainment for persons 15 years old and over. Persons
are classified according to the highest level of school completed or the
highest degree received. The question included instructions to report the
level of the previous grade attended or the highest degree received for
persons currently enrolled in school. The question included response
categories which allowed persons to report completing the 12th grade
without receiving a high school diploma, and which instructed respondents
to report as "high school graduate(s)"--persons who received either a high
school diploma or the equivalent, for example, passed the Test of General
Educational Development (G.E.D.), and did not attend college. (On the
Military Census Report questionnaire, the lowest response category was
"Less than 9th grade.")
Instructions included in the 1990 respondent instruction guide, which
was mailed with the census questionnaire, further specified that
schooling completed in foreign or ungraded school systems should be
reported as the equivalent level of schooling in the regular American
system; that vocational certificates or diplomas from vocational,
trade, or business schools or colleges were not to be reported unless
they were college level degrees; and that honorary degrees were not to
be reported. The instructions gave "medicine, dentistry,
chiropractic, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry,
veterinary medicine, law, and theology" as examples of professional
school degrees, and specifically excluded "barber school,
cosmetology, or other training for a specific trade" from the
professional school category. The order in which they were listed
suggested that doctorate degrees were "higher" than professional
school degrees, which were "higher" than master's degrees.
Persons who did not report educational attainment were assigned the
attainment of a person of the same age, race or Spanish origin, and sex
who resided in the same or a nearby area. Persons who filled more than
one circle were edited to the highest level or degree reported.
High School Graduate or Higher--Includes persons whose highest degree was a
high school diploma or its equivalent, persons who attended college or
professional school, and persons who received a college, university, or
professional degree. Persons who reported completing the 12th grade but not
receiving a diploma are not included.
Not Enrolled, Not High School Graduate--Includes persons of compulsory
school attendance age or above who were not enrolled in school and were not
high school graduates; these persons may be taken to be "high school
dropouts." There is no restriction on when they "dropped out" of school,
and they may have never attended high school.
In prior censuses, "Median school years completed" was used as
a summary measure of educational attainment. In 1990, the median can
only be calculated for groups of which less than half the members have
attended college. "Percent high school graduate or higher" and
"Percent bachelor's degree or higher" are summary measures which
can be calculated from the present data and offer quite readily
interpretable measures of differences between population subgroups. To
make comparisons over time, "Percent high school graduate or
higher" can be calculated and "Percent bachelor's degree or
higher" can be approximated with data from previous censuses.
Comparability--From 1840 to 1930, the census measured educational
attainment by means of a basic literacy question. In 1940, a single
question was asked on highest grade of school completed. In the censuses of
1950 through 1980, a two-part question asking highest grade of school
attended and whether that grade was finished was used to construct highest
grade or year of school completed. For persons who have not attended
college, the response categories in the 1990 educational attainment
question should produce data which are comparable to data on highest grade
completed from earlier censuses.
The response categories for persons who have attended college were
modified from earlier censuses because there was some ambiguity in
interpreting responses in terms of the number of years of college
completed. For instance, it was not clear whether "completed the
fourth year of college," "completed the senior year of
college," and "college graduate" were synonymous. Research
conducted shortly before the census suggests that these terms were more
distinct in 1990 than in earlier decades, and this change may have
threatened the ability to estimate the number of "college
graduates" from the number of persons reported as having completed
the fourth or a higher year of college. It was even more difficult to
make inferences about post-baccalaureate degrees and "Associate"
degrees from highest year of college completed. Thus, comparisons of
post-secondary educational attainment in this and earlier censuses
should be made with great caution.
In the 1960 and subsequent censuses, persons for whom educational
attainment was not reported were assigned the same attainment level as
a similar person whose residence was in the same or a nearby area. In
the 1940 and 1950 censuses, persons for whom educational attainment was
not reported were not allocated.
EMPLOYMENT STATUS--The data on employment status were derived from answers
to questionnaire items 21, 25, and 26, which were asked of a sample of
persons. The series of questions on employment status was asked of all
persons 15 years old and over and was designed to identify, in this
sequence: (1) persons who worked at any time during the reference week; (2)
persons who did not work during the reference week but who had jobs or
businesses from which they were temporarily absent (excluding layoff); (3)
persons on layoff; and (4) persons who did not work during the reference
week, but who were looking for work during the last four weeks and were
available for work during the reference week. (For more information, see
the discussion under "Reference Week.")
The employment status data shown in this and other 1990 census
tabulations relate to persons 16 years old and over. Some tabulations
showing employment status, however, include persons 15 years old. By
definition, these persons are classified as "Not in Labor
Force.". In the 1940, 1950, and 1960 censuses, employment status
data were presented for persons 14 years old and over. The change in
the universe was made in 1970 to agree with the official measurement of
the labor force as revised in January 1967 by the U.S. Department of
Labor. The 1970 census was the last to show employment data for persons
14 and 15 years old.
Employed--All civilians 16 years old and over who were either (1) "at
work"--those who did any work at all during the reference week as
paid employees, worked in their own business or profession, worked on
their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers on a
family farm or in a family business; or (2) were "with a job but not
at work"--those who did not work during the reference week but had
jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent due to
illness, bad weather, industrial dispute, vacation, or other personal
reasons. Excluded from the employed are persons whose only activity
consisted of work around the house or unpaid volunteer work for
religious, charitable, and similar organizations; also excluded are
persons on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
Unemployed--All civilians 16 years old and over are classified as
unemployed if they (1) were neither "at work" nor "with a job but not at
work" during the reference week, and (2) were looking for work
during the last 4 weeks, and (3) were available to accept a job. Also
included as unemployed are civilians who did not work at all during the
reference week and were waiting to be called back to a job from which
they had been laid off. Examples of job seeking activities are:
Registering at a public or private employment office
Meeting with prospective employers
Investigating possibilities for starting a professional
practice or opening a business
Placing or answering advertisements
Writing letters of application
Being on a union or professional register
Civilian Labor Force--Consists of persons classified as employed or
unemployed in accordance with the criteria described above.
Experienced Unemployed--These are unemployed persons who have worked at any
time in the past.
Experienced Civilian Labor Force--Consists of the employed and the
experienced unemployed.
Labor Force--All persons classified in the civilian labor force plus
members of the U.S. Armed Forces (persons on active duty with the United
States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard).
Not in Labor Force--All persons 16 years old and over who are not
classified as members of the labor force. This category consists mainly of
students, housewives, retired workers, seasonal workers enumerated in an
off season who were not looking for work, institutionalized persons, and
persons doing only incidental unpaid family work (less than 15 hours
during the reference week).
Worker--This term appears in connection with several subjects: journey-to-
work items, class of worker, weeks worked in 1989, and number of workers in
family in 1989. Its meaning varies and, therefore, should be determined
in each case by referring to the definition of the subject in which it
appears.
Actual Hours Worked Last Week--All persons who reported working during the
reference week were asked to report in questionnaire item 21b the number of
hours that they worked. The statistics on hours worked pertain to the
number of hours actually worked at all jobs, and do not necessarily reflect
the number of hours typically or usually worked or the scheduled number of
hours. The concept of "actual hours" differs from that of "usual
hours" described below. The number of persons who worked only a
small number of hours is probably understated since such persons
sometimes consider themselves as not working. Respondents were asked to
include overtime or extra hours worked, but to exclude lunch hours,
sick leave, and vacation leave.
Limitation of the Data--The census may understate the number of employed
persons because persons who have irregular, casual, or unstructured jobs
sometimes report themselves as not working. The number of employed persons
"at work" is probably overstated in the census (and conversely, the
number of employed "with a job, but not at work" is understated)
since some persons on vacation or sick leave erroneously reported
themselves as working. This problem has no effect on the total number
of employed persons. The reference week for the employment data is not
the same for all persons. Since persons can change their employment
status from one week to another, the lack of a uniform reference week
may mean that the employment data do not reflect the reality of the
employment situation of any given week. (For more information, see the
discussion under "Reference Week.")
Comparability--The questionnaire items and employment status concepts for
the 1990 census are essentially the same as those used in the 1980 and 1970
censuses. However, these concepts differ in many respects from those
associated with the 1950 and 1960 censuses.
Since employment data from the census are obtained from respondents in
households, they differ from statistics based on reports from
individual business establishments, farm enterprises, and certain
government programs. Persons employed at more than one job are counted
only once in the census and are classified according to the job at
which they worked the greatest number of hours during the reference
week. In statistics based on reports from business and farm
establishments, persons who work for more than one establishment may be
counted more than once. Moreover, some tabulations may exclude private
household workers, unpaid family workers, and self-employed persons,
but may include workers less than 16 years of age.
An additional difference in the data arises from the fact that persons
who had a job but were not at work are included with the employed in
the census statistics, whereas many of these persons are likely to be
excluded from employment figures based on establishment payroll
reports. Furthermore, the employment status data in census tabulations
include persons on the basis of place of residence regardless of where
they work, whereas establishment data report persons at their place of
work regardless of where they live. This latter consideration is
particularly significant when comparing data for workers who commute
between areas.
Census data on actual hours worked during the reference week may differ
from data from other sources. The census measures hours actually
worked, whereas some surveys measure hours paid for by employers.
Comparability of census actual hours worked data may also be affected
by the nature of the reference week (see "Reference Week").
For several reasons, the unemployment figures of the Census Bureau are
not comparable with published figures on unemployment compensation
claims. For example, figures on unemployment compensation claims
exclude persons who have exhausted their benefit rights, new workers
who have not earned rights to unemployment insurance, and persons
losing jobs not covered by unemployment insurance systems (including
some workers in agriculture, domestic services, and religious
organizations, and self-employed and unpaid family workers). In
addition, the qualifications for drawing unemployment compensation
differ from the definition of unemployment used by the Census Bureau.
Persons working only a few hours during the week and persons with a job
but not at work are sometimes eligible for unemployment compensation
but are classified as "Employed" in the census. Differences in
the geographical distribution of unemployment data arise because the
place where claims are filed may not necessarily be the same as the
place of residence of the unemployed worker.
The figures on employment status from the decennial census are
generally comparable with similar data collected in the Current
Population Survey. However, some difference may exist because of
variations in enumeration and processing techniques.
FERTILITY--The data on fertility (also referred to as "children ever born")
were derived from answers to questionnaire item 20, which was asked of a
sample of women 15 years old and over regardless of marital status.
Stillbirths, stepchildren, and adopted children were excluded from the
number of children ever born. Ever-married women were instructed to include
all children born to them before and during their most recent marriage,
children no longer living, and children away from home, as well as children
who were still living in the home. Never-married women were instructed to
include all children born to them.
Data are most frequently presented in terms of the aggregate number of
children ever born to women in the specified category and in terms of
the rate per 1,000 women. For purposes of calculating the aggregate,
the open-ended response category, "12 or more" is assigned a value of 13.
Limitation of the Data--Although the data are assumed to be less complete
for out-of-wedlock births than for births occurring within marriage,
comparisons of 1980 census data on the fertility of single women with other
census sources and administrative records indicate that no significant
differences were found between different data sources; that is, 1980 census
data on children ever born to single women were complete with no
significant understatements of childbearing.
Comparability--The wording of the question on children ever born was the
same in 1990 as in 1980. In 1970, however, the question on children ever
born was asked of all ever-married women but only of never-married women
who received self-administered questionnaires. Therefore, rates and numbers
of children ever born to single women in 1970 may be understated. Data
presented for children ever born to ever-married women are comparable
for the 1990 census and all previous censuses containing this question.
GROUP QUARTERS--All persons not living in households are classified by the
Census Bureau as living in group quarters. Two general categories of
persons in group quarters are recognized:
(1) institutionalized persons and
(2) other persons in group quarters (also referred to as
"noninstitutional group quarters").
Institutionalized Persons--Includes persons under formally authorized,
supervised care or custody in institutions at the time of enumeration. Such
persons are classified as "patients or inmates" of an institution
regardless of the availability of nursing or medical care, the length of
stay, or the number of persons in the institution. Generally,
institutionalized persons are restricted to the institutional buildings and
grounds (or must have passes or escorts to leave) and thus have limited
interaction with the surrounding community. Also, they are generally under
the care of trained staff who have responsibility for their safekeeping and
supervision.
Type of Institution--The type of institution was determined as part of
census enumeration activities. For institutions which specialize in only
one specific type of service, all patients or inmates were given the same
classification. For institutions which had multiple types of major
services (usually general hospitals and Veterans' Administration
hospitals), patients were classified according to selected types of wards.
For example, in psychiatric wards of hospitals, patients were classified in
"mental (psychiatric) hospitals"; in hospital wards for persons with
chronic diseases, patients were classified in "hospitals for the
chronically ill." Each patient or inmate was classified in only one type of
institution. Institutions include the following types:
Correctional Institutions--Includes prisons, Federal
detention centers, military stockades and jails, police lockups,
halfway houses, local jails, and other confinement facilities,
including work farms.
Prisons--Where persons convicted of crimes serve their
sentences. In some census products, the prisons are classified by two
types of control:
(1) "Federal" (operated by the Bureau of Prisons of the Department
of Justice) and (2) "State." Residents who are criminally insane were
classified on the basis of where they resided at the time of
enumeration: (1) in institutions (or hospital wards) operated by
departments of correction or similar agencies; or
(2) in institutions operated by departments of mental health or
similar agencies.
Federal Detention Centers--Operated by the Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS) and the Bureau of Prisons. These
facilities include detention centers used by the Park Police; Bureau of
Indian Affairs Detention Centers; INS Centers, such as the INS Federal
Alien Detention Facility; INS Processing Centers; and INS Contract
Detention Centers used to detain aliens under exclusion or deportation
proceedings, as well as those aliens who have not been placed into
proceedings, such as custodial required departures; and INS Detention
Centers operated within local jails, and State and Federal prisons.
Military Stockades, Jails--Operated by military police
and used to hold persons awaiting trial or convicted of violating
military laws.
Local Jails and Other Confinement Facilities--Includes
facilities operated by counties and cities that primarily hold persons
beyond arraignment, usually for more than 48 hours. Also included in
this category are work farms used to hold persons awaiting trial or
serving time on relatively short sentences and jails run by private
businesses under contract for local governments (but not by
State governments).
Police Lockups--Temporary-holding facilities operated
by county and city police that hold persons for 48 hours or less only
if they have not been formally charged in court.
Halfway Houses--Operated for correctional purposes and include
probation and restitution centers, pre- release centers, and
community-residential centers.
Other Types of Correctional Institutions--Privately
operated correctional facilities and correctional facilities
specifically for alcohol/drug abuse.
Nursing Homes--Comprises a heterogeneous group of places. The majority
of patients are elderly, although persons who require nursing care
because of chronic physical conditions may be found in these homes
regardless of their age. Included in this category are skilled-nursing
facilities, intermediate-care facilities, long-term care rooms in wards
or buildings on the grounds of hospitals, or long-term care
rooms/nursing wings in congregate housing facilities.
Also included are nursing, convalescent, and rest homes, such as
soldiers', sailors', veterans', and fraternal or religious homes for
the aged, with or without nursing care. In some census products,
nursing homes are classified by type of ownership as "Federal,"
"State," "Private not-for-profit," and "Private for
profit."
Mental (Psychiatric) Hospitals--Includes hospitals or
wards for the criminally insane not operated by a prison, and
psychiatric wards of general hospitals and veterans' hospitals.
Patients receive supervised medical/nursing care from formally-trained
staff. In some census products, mental hospitals are classified by type
of ownership as "Federal," "State or local,"
"Private," and "Ownership not known."
Hospitals for Chronically Ill--Includes hospitals for
patients who require long-term care, including those in military
hospitals and wards for the chronically ill located on military bases;
or other hospitals or wards for the chronically ill, which include
tuberculosis hospitals or wards, wards in general and Veterans'
Administration hospitals for the chronically ill, neurological wards,
hospices, wards for patients with Hansen's Disease (leprosy) and other
incurable diseases, and other unspecified wards for the chronically
ill. Patients who had no usual home elsewhere were enumerated as part
of the institutional population in the wards of general and military
hospitals. Most hospital patients are at the hospital temporarily and
were enumerated at their usual place of residence. (For more
information, see "Wards in General and Military Hospitals for
Patients Who Have No Usual Home Elsewhere.")
Schools, Hospitals, or Wards for the Mentally Retarded--Includes those
institutions such as wards in hospitals for the mentally retarded, and
intermediate-care facilities for the mentally retarded that provide
supervised medical/nursing care from formally-trained staff. In some
census products, this category is classified by type of ownership as
"Federal," "State or local," "Private," and "Ownership not known."
Schools, Hospitals, or Wards for the Physically Handicapped--Includes
three types of institutions: institutions for the blind, those for the
deaf, and orthopedic wards and institutions for the physically
handicapped. Institutions for persons with speech problems are
classified with "institutions for the deaf." The category "orthopedic
wards and institutions for the physically handicapped" includes those
institutions providing relatively long-term care to accident victims,
and to persons with polio, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. In
some census products, this category is classified by type of ownership
as "Public," "Private," and "Ownership not known."
Hospitals, and Wards for Drug/Alcohol Abuse--Includes hospitals, and
hospital wards in psychiatric and general hospitals. These facilities
are equipped medically and designed for the diagnosis and treatment of
medical or psychiatric illnesses associated with alcohol or drug abuse.
Patients receive supervised medical care from formally-trained staff.
Wards in General and Military Hospitals for Patients Who
Have No Usual Home Elsewhere--Includes maternity, neonatal,
pediatric (including wards for boarder babies), military, and surgical
wards of hospitals, and wards for persons with infectious diseases.
Juvenile Institutions--Includes homes, schools, and other institutions
providing care for children (short- or long-term care). Juvenile
institutions include the following types:
Homes for Abused, Dependent, and Neglected Children--Includes
orphanages and other institutions which provide long-term care
(usually more than 30 days) for children. This category
is classified in some census products by type of ownership as
"Public" and "Private."
Residential Treatment Centers--Includes those institutions which
primarily serve children who, by clinical diagnosis, are moderately
or seriously disturbed emotionally. Also, these institutions provide
long-term treatment services, usually supervised or directed by a
psychiatrist.
Training Schools for Juvenile Delinquents--Includes residential
training schools or homes, and industrial schools, camps, or farms for
juvenile delinquents.
Public Training Schools for Juvenile Delinquents--Usually operated by
a State agency (for example, department of welfare, corrections, or a
youth authority). Some are operated by county and city governments.
These public training schools are specialized institutions serving
delinquent children, generally between the ages of 10 and 17 years
old, all of whom are committed by the courts.
Private Training Schools--Operated under private auspices. Some of the
children they serve are committed by the courts as delinquents. Others
are referred by parents or social agencies because of delinquent
behavior. One difference between private and public training schools
is that, by their administrative policy, private schools have control
over their selection and intake.
Detention Centers--Includes institutions providing short-term care (usually
30 days or less) primarily for delinquent children pending disposition of
their cases by a court. This category also covers diagnostic centers. In
practice, such institutions may be caring for both delinquent and neglected
children pending court disposition.
Other Persons in Group Quarters (also referred to as "noninstitutional
group quarters")--Includes all persons who live in group quarters other
than institutions. Persons who live in the following living quarters are
classified as "other persons in group quarters" when there are 10
or more unrelated persons living in the unit; otherwise, these living
quarters are classified as housing units.
Rooming Houses--Includes persons residing in rooming and boarding houses
and living in quarters with 10 or more unrelated persons.
Group Homes--Includes "community-based homes" that provide care and
supportive services. Such places include homes for the mentally ill,
mentally retarded, and physically handicapped; drug/alcohol halfway houses;
communes; and maternity homes for unwed mothers.
Homes for the Mentally Ill--Includes community-based homes that provide
care primarily for the mentally ill. In some data products, this category
is classified by type of ownership as "Federal," "State," "Private," and
"Ownership not known." Homes which combine treatment of the physically
handicapped with treatment of the mentally ill are counted as homes for the
mentally ill.
Homes for the Mentally Retarded--Includes community-based homes that
provide care primarily for the mentally retarded. Homes which combine
treatment of the physically handicapped with treatment of the mentally
retarded are counted as homes for the mentally retarded. This category is
classified by type of ownership in some census products, as "Federal,"
"State," "Private," or "Ownership not known."
Homes for the Physically Handicapped--Includes community-based homes for
the blind, for the deaf, and other community-based homes for the physically
handicapped. Persons with speech problems are classified with homes for the
deaf. In some census products, this category is classified by type of
ownership as "Public," "Private," or "Ownership not known."
Homes or Halfway Houses for Drug/Alcohol Abuse--Includes persons with no
usual home elsewhere in places that provide community-based care and
supportive services to persons suffering from a drug/alcohol addiction and
to recovering alcoholics and drug abusers. Places providing community-based
care for drug and alcohol abusers include group homes, detoxification
centers, quarterway houses (residential treatment facilities that work
closely with accredited hospitals), halfway houses, and recovery homes for
ambulatory, mentally competent recovering alcoholics and drug abusers
who may be re-entering the work force.
Maternity Homes for Unwed Mothers--Includes persons with no usual home
elsewhere in places that provide domestic care for unwed mothers and their
children. These homes may provide social services and post-natal care
within the facility, or may make arrangements for women to receive such
services in the community. Nursing services are usually available in the
facility.
Other Group Homes--Includes persons with no usual home elsewhere in
communes, foster care homes, and job corps centers with 10 or more
unrelated persons. These types of places provide communal living quarters,
generally for persons who have formed their own community in which they
have common interests and often share or own property jointly.
Religious Group Quarters--Includes, primarily, group quarters for nuns
teaching in parochial schools and for priests living in rectories. It also
includes other convents and monasteries, except those associated with a
general hospital or an institution.
College Quarters Off Campus--Includes privately-owned rooming and boarding
houses off campus, if the place is reserved exclusively for occupancy by
college students and if there are 10 or more unrelated persons. In census
products, persons in this category are classified as living in a college
dormitory.
Persons residing in certain other types of living arrangements are
classified as living in "noninstitutional group quarters" regardless of the
number of people sharing the unit. These include persons residing in the
following types of group quarters:
College Dormitories--Includes college students in
dormitories (provided the dormitory is restricted to students who do
not have their families living with them), fraternity and sorority
houses, and on-campus residential quarters used exclusively for those
in religious orders who are attending college. Students in
privately-owned rooming and boarding houses off campus are also
included, if the place is reserved exclusively for occupancy by
college-level students and if there are 10 or more unrelated persons.
Military Quarters--Includes military personnel living
in barracks and dormitories on base, in transient quarters on base for
temporary residents (both civilian and military), and on military
ships. However, patients in military hospitals receiving treatment for
chronic diseases or who had no usual home elsewhere, and persons being
held in military stockades were included as part of the institutional
population.
Agriculture Workers' Dormitories--Includes persons in
migratory farm workers' camps on farms, bunkhouses for ranch hands, and
other dormitories on farms, such as those on "tree farms."
Other Workers' Dormitories--Includes persons in logging
camps, construction workers' camps, firehouse dormitories, job-training
camps, energy enclaves (Alaska only), and nonfarm migratory workers'
camps (for example, workers in mineral and mining camps).
Emergency Shelters for Homeless Persons (with sleeping
facilities) and Visible in Street Locations--Includes persons
enumerated during the "Shelter-and-Street-Night" operation primarily on
March 20-21, 1990. Enumerators were instructed not to ask if a person
was "homeless." If a person was at one of the locations below on March
20-21, the person was counted as described below. (For more information
on the "Shelter-and-Street-Night" operation, see Appendix D, Collection
and Processing Procedures.) This category is divided into four
classifications:
Emergency Shelters for Homeless Persons (with sleeping
facilities)--Includes persons who stayed overnight on March 20,
1990, in permanent and temporary emergency housing, missions,
hotels/motels, and flophouses charging $12 or less (excluding taxes)
per night; Salvation Army shelters, hotels, and motels used
entirely for homeless persons regardless of the nightly rate
charged; rooms in hotels and motels used partially for the
homeless; and similar places known to have persons who have no usual
home elsewhere staying overnight. If not shown separately, shelters
and group homes that provide temporary sleeping facilities for
runaway, neglected, and homeless children are included in this
category in data products.
Shelters for Runaway, Neglected, and Homeless Children--Includes
shelters/group homes which provide temporary sleeping facilities for
juveniles.
Visible in Street Locations--Includes street blocks and open public
locations designated before March 20, 1990, by city and community officials
as places where the homeless congregate at night. All persons found at
predesignated street sites from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. and leaving abandoned or
boarded-up buildings from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. on March 21, 1990, were
enumerated during "street" enumeration, except persons in uniform such as
police and persons engaged in obvious money-making activities other than
begging or panhandling. Enumerators were instructed not to ask if a
person was "homeless."
This cannot be considered a complete count of all persons living on the
streets because those who were so well hidden that local people did not
know where to find them were likely to have been missed as were persons
moving about or in places not identified by local officials. It is also
possible that persons with homes could have been included in the count
of "visible in street locations" if they were present when the
enumerator did the enumeration of a particular block.
Predesignated street sites include street corners, parks, bridges,
persons emerging from abandoned and boarded-up buildings, noncommercial
campsites (tent cities), all-night movie theaters, all-night
restaurants, emergency hospital waiting rooms, train stations,
airports, bus depots, and subway stations.
Shelters for Abused Women (Shelters Against Domestic Violence or Family
Crisis Centers)--Includes community-based homes or shelters that provide
domiciliary care for women who have sought shelter from family violence and
who may have been physically abused. Most shelters also provide care for
children of abused women. These shelters may provide social services,
meals, psychiatric treatment, and counseling. In some census products,
"shelters for abused women" are included in the category "other
noninstitutional group quarters."
Dormitories for Nurses and Interns in General and Military
Hospitals--Includes group quarters for nurses and other staff
members. It excludes patients.
Crews of Maritime Vessels--Includes officers, crew members, and passengers
of maritime U.S. flag vessels. All ocean-going and Great Lakes ships are
included.
Staff Residents of Institutions--Includes staff residing in group quarters
on institutional grounds who provide formally-authorized, supervised care
or custody for the institutionalized population.
Other Nonhousehold Living Situations--Includes persons with no usual home
elsewhere enumerated during transient or "T-Night" enumeration at YMCA's,
YWCA's, youth hostels, commercial and government-run campgrounds,
campgrounds at racetracks, fairs, and carnivals, and similar transient
sites.
Living Quarters for Victims of Natural Disasters--Includes living quarters
for persons temporarily displaced by natural disasters.
Limitation of the Data--Two types of errors can occur in the classification
of "types of group quarters":
Misclassification of Group Quarters--During the 1990 Special Place
Prelist operation, the enumerator determined the type of group quarters
associated with each special place in their assignment. The enumerator
used the Alphabetical Group Quarters Code List and Index to the
Alphabetical Group Quarters Code List to assign a two-digit code
number followed by either an "I," for institutional, or an
"N," for noninstitutional to each group quarters. In 1990,
unacceptable group quarter codes were edited. (For more information on
editing of unacceptable data, see Appendix C, Accuracy of the Data.)
No Classification (unknowns)--The imputation rate for type of
institution was higher in 1980 (23.5 percent) than in 1970 (3.3
percent). Improvements were made to the 1990 Alphabetical Group
Quarters Code List; that is, the inclusion of more group quarters
categories and an "Index to the Alphabetical Group Quarters Code
List." (For more information on the allocation rates for Type of
Institution, see the allocation rates in 1990 CP-1, General
Population Characteristics.)
In previous censuses, allocation rates for demographic characteristics
(such as age, sex, race, and marital status) of the institutional
population were similar to those for the total population. The allocation
rates for sample characteristics such as school enrollment, highest grade
completed, income, and veteran status for the institutional and
noninstitutional group quarters population have been substantially higher
than the population in households at least as far back as the 1960 census.
The data, however, have historically presented a reasonable picture of the
institutional and noninstitutional group quarters population.
Shelter and Street Night (S-Night)--For the 1990 census "Shelter-and-
Street-Night" operation, persons well hidden, moving about, or in locations
enumerators did not visit were likely to be missed. The number of people
missed will never be known; thus, the 1990 census cannot be considered to
include a definitive count of America's total homeless population. It does,
however, give an idea of relative differences among areas of the country.
Other components were counted as part of regular census procedures.
The count of persons in shelters and visible on the street could have
been affected by many factors. How much the factors affected the count
can never be answered definitively, but some elements include:
How well enumerators were trained and how well they followed
procedures.
How well the list of shelter and street locations given to the
Census Bureau by the local government reflected the actual places that
homeless persons stay at night.
Cities were encouraged to open temporary shelters for census night,
and many did that and actively encouraged people to enter the shelters.
Thus, people who may have been on the street otherwise were in shelters
the night of March 20, so that the ratio of shelter-to-street
population could be different than usual.
The weather, which was unusually cold in some parts of the country,
could affect how likely people were to seek emergency shelter or to be
more hidden than usual if they stayed outdoors.
The media occasionally interfered with the ability to do the count.
How homeless people perceived the census and whether they wanted to
be counted or feared the census and hid from it.
The Census Bureau conducted two assessments of Shelter and Street
Night: (1) the quality of the lists of shelters used for the
Shelter-and-Street-Night operation, and (2) how well procedures were
followed by census- takers for the street count in parts of five cities
(Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and Phoenix). Information
about these two assessments is available from the Chief, Center for
Survey Methods Research, Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC 20233.
Comparability--For the 1990 census, the definition of institutionalized
persons was revised so that the definition of "care" only includes persons
under organized medical or formally-authorized, supervised care or
custody. As a result of this change to the institutional definition,
maternity homes are classified as noninstitutional rather than
institutional group quarters as in previous censuses. The following
types of other group quarters are classified as institutional rather
than noninstitutional group quarters: "halfway houses (operated for
correctional purposes)" and "wards in general and military
hospitals for patients who have no usual home elsewhere," which
includes maternity, neonatal, pediatric, military, and surgical wards
of hospitals, other-purpose wards of hospitals, and wards for
infectious diseases. These changes should not significantly affect the
comparability of data with earlier censuses because of the relatively
small number of persons involved.
As in 1980, 10 or more unrelated persons living together were
classified as living in noninstitutional group quarters. In 1970, the
criteria was six or more unrelated persons.
Several changes also have occurred in the identification of specific
types of group quarters. For the first time, the 1990 census identifies
separately the following types of correctional institutions: persons in
halfway houses (operated for correctional purposes), military stockades
and jails, and police lockups. In 1990, tuberculosis hospitals or wards
are included with hospitals for the chronically ill; in 1980, they were
shown separately. For 1990, the noninstitutional group quarters
category, "Group homes" is further classified as: group homes for
drug/alcohol abuse; maternity homes (for unwed mothers), group homes
for the mentally ill, group homes for the mentally retarded, and group
homes for the physically handicapped. Persons living in communes,
foster-care homes, and job corps centers are classified with "Other
group homes" only if 10 or more unrelated persons share the unit;
otherwise, they are classified as housing units.
In 1990, workers' dormitories were classified as group quarters
regardless of the number of persons sharing the dorm. In 1980, 10 or
more unrelated persons had to share the dorm for it to be classified as
a group quarters. In 1960, data on persons in military barracks were
shown only for men. In subsequent censuses, they include both men and
women.
In 1990 census data products, the phrase "inmates of institutions" was
changed to "institutionalized persons." Also, persons living in
noninstitutional group quarters were referred to as "other persons in group
quarters," and the phrase "staff residents" was used for staff living in
institutions.
In 1990, there are additional institutional categories and noninstitutional
group quarters categories compared with the 1980 census. The institutional
categories added include "hospitals and wards for drug/alcohol abuse" and
"military hospitals for the chronically ill." The noninstitutional group
quarters categories added include emergency shelters for homeless persons;
shelters for runaway, neglected, and homeless children; shelters for abused
women; and visible-in-street locations. Each of these noninstitutional
group quarters categories was enumerated on March 20-21, 1990, during the
"Shelter-and-Street-Night" operation. (For more information on
the "Shelter-and-Street-Night" operation, see Appendix D, Collection and
Processing Procedures.)
HISPANIC ORIGIN--The data on Spanish/Hispanic origin were derived from
answers to questionnaire item 7, which was asked of all persons. Persons of
Hispanic origin are those who classified themselves in one of the
specific Hispanic origin categories listed on the questionnaire--"Mexican,"
"Puerto Rican," or "Cuban"--as well as those who indicated that they were
of "other Spanish/Hispanic" origin. Persons of "Other Spanish/Hispanic"
origin are those whose origins are from Spain, the Spanish-speaking
countries of Central or South America, or the Dominican Republic, or they
are persons of Hispanic origin identifying themselves generally as Spanish,
Spanish-American, Hispanic, Hispano, Latino, and so on. Write-in responses
to the "other Spanish/Hispanic" category were coded only for sample data.
Origin can be viewed as the ancestry, nationality group, lineage, or
country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors
before their arrival in the United States. Persons of Hispanic origin
may be of any race.
Some tabulations are shown by the Hispanic origin of the householder.
In all cases where households, families, or occupied housing units are
classified by Hispanic origin, the Hispanic origin of the householder
is used. (See the discussion of householder under "Household Type
and Relationship.")
During direct interviews conducted by enumerators, if a person could
not provide a single origin response, he or she was asked to select,
based on self-identification, the group which best described his or her
origin or descent. If a person could not provide a single group, the
origin of the person's mother was used. If a single group could not be
provided for the person's mother, the first origin reported by the
person was used.
If any household member failed to respond to the Spanish/Hispanic
origin question, a response was assigned by the computer according to
the reported entries of other household members by using specific rules
of precedence of household relationship. In the processing of sample
questionnaires, responses to other questions on the questionnaire, such
as ancestry and place of birth, were used to assign an origin before
any reference was made to the origin reported by other household
members. If an origin was not entered for any household member, an
origin was assigned from another household according to the race of the
householder. This procedure is a variation of the general imputation
process described in Appendix C, Accuracy of the Data.
Comparability--There may be differences between the total Hispanic origin
population based on 100-percent tabulations and sample tabulations. Such
differences are the result of sampling variability, nonsampling error,
and more extensive edit procedures for the Spanish/Hispanic origin item
on the sample questionnaires. (For more information on sampling
variability and nonsampling error, see Appendix C, Accuracy of the
Data.)
The 1990 data on Hispanic origin are generally comparable with those
for the 1980 census. However, there are some differences in the format
of the Hispanic origin question between the two censuses. For 1990, the
word "descent" was deleted from the 1980 wording. In addition,
the term "Mexican-Amer." used in 1980 was shortened further to
"Mexican-Am." to reduce misreporting (of "American") in
this category detected in the 1980 census. Finally, the 1990 question
allowed those who reported as "other Spanish/Hispanic" to write
in their specific Hispanic origin group.
Misreporting in the "Mexican-Amer." category of the 1980 census
item on Spanish/Hispanic origin may affect the comparability of 1980
and 1990 census data for persons of Hispanic origin for certain areas
of the country. An evaluation of the 1980 census item on
Spanish/Hispanic origin indicated that there was misreporting in the
Mexican origin category by White and Black persons in certain areas.
The study results showed evidence that the misreporting occurred in the
South (excluding Texas), the Northeast (excluding the New York City
area), and a few States in the Midwest Region. Also, results based on
available data suggest that the impact of possible misreporting of
Mexican origin in the 1980 census was severe in those portions of the
above-mentioned regions where the Hispanic origin population was
generally sparse. However, national 1980 census data on the Mexican
origin population or total Hispanic origin population at the national
level was not seriously affected by the reporting problem. (For a more
detailed discussion of the evaluation of the 1980 census
Spanish/Hispanic origin item, see the 1980 census Supplementary
Reports.)
The 1990 and 1980 census data on the Hispanic population are not
directly comparable with 1970 Spanish origin data because of a number
of factors: (1) overall improvements in the 1980 and 1990 censuses, (2)
better coverage of the population, (3) improved question designs, and
(4) an effective public relations campaign by the Census Bureau with
the assistance of national and community ethnic groups.
Specific changes in question design between the 1980 and 1970 censuses
included the placement of the category "No, not Spanish/Hispanic"
as the first category in that question. (The corresponding category
appeared last in the 1970 question.) Also, the 1970 category
"Central or South American" was deleted because in 1970 some
respondents misinterpreted the category; furthermore, the designations
"Mexican-American" and "Chicano" were added to the Spanish/Hispanic origin
question in 1980. In the 1970 census, the question on Spanish origin was
asked of only a 5-percent sample of the population.
HOUSEHOLD TYPE AND RELATIONSHIP
Household--A household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit.
A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms,
or a single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended for occupancy)
as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which
the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the
building and which have direct access from the outside of the building or
through a common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person
living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of
related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements.
In 100-percent tabulations, the count of households or householders
always equals the count of occupied housing units. In sample tabulations,
the numbers may differ as a result of the weighting process.
Persons Per Household--A measure obtained by dividing the number of persons
in households by the number of households (or householders). In cases where
persons in households are cross-classified by race or Hispanic origin,
persons in the household are classified by the race or Hispanic origin of
the householder rather than the race or Hispanic origin of each individual.
Relationship to Householder
Householder--The data on relationship to householder were derived from
answers to questionnaire item 2, which was asked of all persons in housing
units. One person in each household is designated as the householder. In
most cases, this is the person, or one of the persons, in whose name the
home is owned, being bought, or rented and who is listed in column 1 of
the census questionnaire. If there is no such person in the household,
any adult household member 15 years old and over could be designated as
the householder.
Households are classified by type according to the sex of the
householder and the presence of relatives. Two types of householders
are distinguished: a family householder and a nonfamily householder. A
family householder is a householder living with one or more persons
related to him or her by birth, marriage, or adoption. The householder
and all persons in the household related to him or her are family
members. A nonfamily householder is a householder living alone or with
nonrelatives only.
Spouse--Includes a person married to and living with a householder. This
category includes persons in formal marriages, as well as persons in
common-law marriages.
The number of spouses is equal to the number of "married-couple families"
or "married-couple households" in 100-percent tabulations. The number of
spouses, however, is generally less than half of the number of "married
persons with spouse present" in sample tabulations, since more than one
married couple can live in a household, but only spouses of householders
are specifically identified as "spouse." For sample tabulations, the number
of "married persons with spouse present" includes married-couple
subfamilies and married-couple families.
Child--Includes a son or daughter by birth, a stepchild, or adopted child
of the householder, regardless of the child's age or marital status. The
category excludes sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and foster children.
Natural-Born or Adopted Son/Daughter--A son or daughter of the householder
by birth, regardless of the age of the child. Also, this category includes
sons or daughters of the householder by legal adoption, regardless of the
age of the child. If the stepson/stepdaughter of the householder has been
legally adopted by the householder, the child is still classified as a
stepchild.
Stepson/Stepdaughter--A son or daughter of the householder through marriage
but not by birth, regardless of the age of the child. If the
stepson/stepdaughter of the householder has been legally adopted by the
householder, the child is still classified as a stepchild.
Own Child--A never-married child under 18 years who is a son or daughter by
birth, a stepchild, or an adopted child of the householder. In certain
tabulations, own children are further classified as living with two parents
or with one parent only. Own children of the householder living with two
parents are by definition found only in married-couple families.
In a subfamily, an "own child" is a never-married child under 18
years of age who is a son, daughter, stepchild, or an adopted child of
a mother in a mother-child subfamily, a father in a father-child subfamily,
or either spouse in a married-couple subfamily.
"Related children" in a family include own children and all other persons
under 18 years of age in the household, regardless of marital status, who
are related to the householder, except the spouse of the householder.
Foster children are not included since they are not related to the
householder.
Other Relatives--In tabulations, includes any household member related to
the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption, but not included
specifically in another relationship category. In certain detailed
tabulations, the following categories may be shown:
Grandchild--The grandson or granddaughter of the householder.
Brother/Sister--The brother or sister of the householder, including
stepbrothers, stepsisters, and brothers and sisters by adoption. Brothers-
in-law and sisters-in-law are included in the "Other relative" category on
the questionnaire.
Parent--The father or mother of the householder, including a stepparent or
adoptive parent. Fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law are included in the
"Other relative" category on the questionnaire.
Other Relatives--Anyone not listed in a reported category above who is
related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption (brother-in-law,
grandparent, nephew, aunt, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, cousin, and so
forth).
Nonrelatives--Includes any household member, including foster children not
related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. The following
categories may be presented in more detailed tabulations:
Roomer, Boarder, or Foster Child--Roomer, boarder, lodger, and foster
children or foster adults of the householder.
Housemate or Roommate--A person who is not related to the householder
and who shares living quarters primarily in order to share expenses.
Unmarried Partner--A person who is not related to the householder, who
shares living quarters, and who has a close personal relationship with
the householder.
Other Nonrelatives--A person who is not related by birth, marriage, or
adoption to the householder and who is not described by the categories
given above.
When relationship is not reported for an individual, it is imputed
according to the responses for age, sex, and marital status for that
person while maintaining consistency with responses for other
individuals in the household. (For more information on imputation, see
Appendix C, Accuracy of the Data.)
Unrelated Individual--An unrelated individual is: (1) a householder living
alone or with nonrelatives only, (2) a household member who is not related
to the householder, or (3) a person living in group quarters who is not an
inmate of an institution.
Family Type--A family consists of a householder and one or more other
persons living in the same household who are related to the householder by
birth, marriage, or adoption. All persons in a household who are
related to the householder are regarded as members of his or her
family. A household can contain only one family for purposes of census
tabulations. Not all households contain families since a household may
comprise a group of unrelated persons or one person living alone.
Families are classified by type as either a "married-couple family" or
"other family" according to the sex of the householder and the presence of
relatives. The data on family type are based on answers to questions on sex
and relationship which were asked on a 100-percent basis.
Married-Couple Family--A family in which the householder and his or her
spouse are enumerated as members of the same household.
Other Family:
Male Householder, No Wife Present--A family with a male
householder and no spouse of householder present.
Female Householder, No Husband Present--A family with a
female householder and no spouse of householder present.
Persons Per Family--A measure obtained by dividing the number of persons in
families by the total number of families (or family householders). In cases
where the measure, "persons in family" or "persons per family" are
cross-tabulated by race or Hispanic origin, the race or Hispanic origin
refers to the householder rather than the race or Hispanic origin of
each individual.
Subfamily--A subfamily is a married couple (husband and wife enumerated as
members of the same household) with or without never-married children
under 18 years old, or one parent with one or more never-married
children under 18 years old, living in a household and related to, but
not including, either the householder or the householder's spouse. The
number of subfamilies is not included in the count of families, since
subfamily members are counted as part of the householder's family.
Subfamilies are defined during processing of sample data. In selected
tabulations, subfamilies are further classified by type: married-couple
subfamilies, with or without own children; mother-child subfamilies;
and father-child subfamilies.
Lone parents include people maintaining either one-parent families or one-
parent subfamilies. Married couples include husbands and wives in both
married-couple families and married-couple subfamilies.
Unmarried-Partner Household--An unmarried-partner household is a household
other than a "married-couple household" that includes a householder and an
"unmarried partner." An "unmarried partner" can be of the same sex or of
the opposite sex of the householder. An "unmarried partner" in an
"unmarried- partner household" is an adult who is unrelated to the
householder, but shares living quarters and has a close personal
relationship with the householder.
Unmarried-Couple Household--An unmarried-couple household is composed of
two unrelated adults of the opposite sex (one of whom is the householder)
who share a housing unit with or without the presence of children under 15
years old.
Foster Children--Foster children are nonrelatives of the householder and
are included in the category, "Roomer, boarder, or foster child" on the
questionnaire. Foster children are identified as persons under 18 years
old and living in households that have no nonrelatives 18 years old and
over (who might be parents of the nonrelatives under 18 years old).
Stepfamily--A stepfamily is a "married-couple family" with at least one
stepchild of the householder present, where the householder is the
husband.
Comparability--The 1990 definition of a household is the same as that used
in 1980. The 1980 relationship category "Son/daughter" has been replaced
by two categories, "Natural-born or adopted son/daughter" and "Stepson/
stepdaughter." "Grandchild" has been added as a separate category. The 1980
nonrelative categories: "Roomer, boarder" and "Partner, roommate" have been
replaced by the categories "Roomer, boarder, or foster child," "Housemate,
roommate," and "Unmarried partner." The 1980 nonrelative category "Paid
employee" has been dropped.
INCOME IN 1989--The data on income in 1989 were derived from answers to
questionnaire items 32 and 33. Information on money income received in
the calendar year 1989 was requested from persons 15 years old and
over. "Total income" is the algebraic sum of the amounts reported
separately for wage or salary income; net nonfarm self-employment
income; net farm self-employment income; interest, dividend, or net
rental or royalty income; Social Security or railroad retirement
income; public assistance or welfare income; retirement or disability
income; and all other income. "Earnings" is defined as the
algebraic sum of wage or salary income and net income from farm and
nonfarm self-employment. "Earnings" represent the amount of
income received regularly before deductions for personal income taxes,
Social Security, bond purchases, union dues, medicare deductions, etc.
Receipts from the following sources are not included as income: money
received from the sale of property (unless the recipient was engaged in
the business of selling such property); the value of income "in
kind" from food stamps, public housing subsidies, medical care,
employer contributions for persons, etc.; withdrawal of bank deposits;
money borrowed; tax refunds; exchange of money between relatives living
in the same household; gifts and lump-sum inheritances, insurance
payments, and other types of lump-sum receipts.
Income Type in 1989--The eight types of income reported in the census are
defined as follows:
Wage or Salary Income--Includes total money earnings
received for work performed as an employee during the calendar year
1989. It includes wages, salary, Armed Forces pay, commissions, tips,
piece-rate payments, and cash bonuses earned before deductions were made
for taxes, bonds, pensions, union dues, etc.
Nonfarm Self-Employment Income--Includes net money income (gross
receipts minus expenses) from one's own business, professional
enterprise, or partnership. Gross receipts include the value of all
goods sold and services rendered. Expenses includes costs of goods
purchased, rent, heat, light, power, depreciation charges, wages and
salaries paid, business taxes (not personal income taxes), etc.
Farm Self-Employment Income--Includes net money income (gross receipts
minus operating expenses) from the operation of a farm by a person on
his or her own account, as an owner, renter, or sharecropper. Gross
receipts include the value of all products sold, government farm
programs, money received from the rental of farm equipment to others,
and incidental receipts from the sale of wood, sand, gravel, etc.
Operating expenses include cost of feed, fertilizer, seed, and other
farming supplies, cash wages paid to farmhands, depreciation charges,
cash rent, interest on farm mortgages, farm building repairs, farm taxes
(not State and Federal personal income taxes), etc. The value of fuel,
food, or other farm products used for family living is not included as
part of net income.
Interest, Dividend, or Net Rental Income--Includes interest on savings
or bonds, dividends from stockholdings or membership in associations,
net income from rental of property to others and receipts from boarders
or lodgers, net royalties, and periodic payments from an estate or trust
fund.
Social Security Income--Includes Social Security pensions and survivors
benefits and permanent disability insurance payments made by the Social
Security Administration prior to deductions for medical insurance, and
railroad retirement insurance checks from the U.S. Government. Medicare
reimbursements are not included.
Public Assistance Income--Includes: (1) supplementary security income
payments made by Federal or State welfare agencies to low income persons
who are aged (65 years old or over), blind, or disabled; (2) aid to
families with dependent children, and (3) general assistance. Separate
payments received for hospital or other medical care (vendor payments)
are excluded from this item.
Retirement or Disability Income--Includes: (1) retirement pensions and
survivor benefits from a former employer, labor union, or Federal,
State, county, or other governmental agency; (2) disability income from
sources such as worker's compensation; companies or unions; Federal,
State, or local government; and the U.S. military; (3) periodic receipts
from annuities and insurance; and (4) regular income from IRA and KEOGH
plans.
All Other Income--Includes unemployment compensation, Veterans
Administration (VA) payments, alimony and child support,
contributions received periodically from persons not living in the
household, military family allotments, net gambling winnings, and other
kinds of periodic income other than earnings.
Income of Households--Includes the income of the householder and all other
persons 15 years old and over in the household, whether related to the
householder or not. Because many households consist of only one person,
average household income is usually less than average family income.
Income of Families and Persons--In compiling statistics on family income,
the incomes of all members 15 years old and over in each family are summed
and treated as a single amount. However, for persons 15 years old and over,
the total amounts of their own incomes are used. Although the income
statistics covered the calendar year 1989, the characteristics of persons
and the composition of families refer to the time of enumeration (April
1990). Thus, the income of the family does not include amounts received by
persons who were members of the family during all or part of the
calendar year 1989 if these persons no longer resided with the family
at the time of enumeration. Yet, family income amounts reported by
related persons who did not reside with the family during 1989 but who
were members of the family at the time of enumeration are included.
However, the composition of most families was the same during 1989 as
in April 1990.
Median Income--The median divides the income distribution into two equal
parts, one having incomes above the median and the other having incomes
below the median. For households and families, the median income is based
on the distribution of the total number of units including those with no
income. The median for persons is based on persons with income. The
median income values for all households, families, and persons are
computed on the basis of more detailed income intervals than shown in
most tabulations. Median household or family income figures of $50,000
or less are calculated using linear interpolation. For persons,
corresponding median values of $40,000 or less are also computed using
linear interpolation. All other median income amounts are derived
through Pareto interpolation. (For more information on medians and
interpolation, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.")
Mean Income--This is the amount obtained by dividing the total income of a
particular statistical universe by the number of units in that universe.
Thus, mean household income is obtained by dividing total household income
by the total number of households. For the various types of income the
means are based on households having those types of income. "Per capita
income" is the mean income computed for every man, woman, and child in a
particular group. It is derived by dividing the total income of a
particular group by the total population in that group.
Care should be exercised in using and interpreting mean income values
for small subgroups of the population. Because the mean is influenced
strongly by extreme values in the distribution, it is especially
susceptible to the effects of sampling variability, misreporting, and
processing errors. The median, which is not affected by extreme values,
is, therefore, a better measure than the mean when the population base
is small. The mean, nevertheless, is shown in some data products for
most small subgroups because, when weighted according to the number of
cases, the means can be added to obtained summary measures for areas
and groups other than those shown in census tabulations.
Limitation of the Data--Since questionnaire entries for income frequently
are based on memory and not on records, many persons tended to forget minor
or irregular sources of income and, therefore, underreport their income.
Underreporting tends to be more pronounced for income sources that are
not derived from earnings, such as Social Security, public assistance,
or from interest, dividends, and net rental income.
There are errors of reporting due to the misunderstanding of the income
questions such as reporting gross rather than net dollar amounts for
the two questions on net self-employment income, which resulted in an
overstatement of these items. Another common error is the reporting of
identical dollar amounts in two of the eight type of income items where
a respondent with only one source of income assumed that the second
amount should be entered to represent total income. Such instances of
overreporting had an impact on the level of mean nonfarm or farm
self-employment income and mean total income published for the various
geographical subdivisions of the State.
Extensive computer editing procedures were instituted in the data
processing operation to reduce some of these reporting errors and to
improve the accuracy of the income data. These procedures corrected
various reporting deficiencies and improved the consistency of reported
income items associated with work experience and information on
occupation and class of worker. For example, if persons reported they
were self-employed on their own farm, not incorporated, but had
reported wage and salary earnings only, the latter amount was shifted
to net farm self-employment income. Also, if any respondent reported total
income only, the amount was generally assigned to one of the type of income
items according to responses to the work experience and class-of-worker
questions. Another type of problem involved nonreporting of income
data. Where income information was not reported, procedures were
devised to impute appropriate values with either no income or positive
or negative dollar amounts for the missing entries. (For more
information on imputation, see Appendix C, Accuracy of the Data.)
In income tabulations for households and families, the lowest income
group (e.g., less than $5,000) includes units that were classified as
having no 1989 income. Many of these were living on income "in
kind," savings, or gifts, were newly created families, or families
in which the sole breadwinner had recently died or left the household.
However, many of the households and families who reported no income
probably had some money income which was not recorded in the census.
The income data presented in the tabulations covers money income only.
The fact that many farm families receive an important part of their
income in the form of "free" housing and goods produced and
consumed on the farm rather than in money should be taken into
consideration in comparing the income of farm and nonfarm residents.
Nonmoney income such as business expense accounts, use of business
transportation and facilities, or partial compensation by business for
medical and educational expenses was also received by some nonfarm
residents. Many low income families also receive income "in kind"
from public welfare programs. In comparing income data for 1989 with
earlier years, it should be noted that an increase or decrease in money
income does not necessarily represent a comparable change in real
income, unless adjustments for changes in prices are made.
Comparability--The income data collected in the 1980 and 1970 censuses are
similar to the 1990 census data, but there are variations in the detail of
the questions. In 1980, income information for 1979 was collected from
persons in approximately 19 percent of all housing units and group
quarters. Each person was required to report:
Wage or salary income
Net nonfarm self-employment income
Net farm self-employment income
Interest, dividend, or net rental or royalty income Social Security
income
Public assistance income
Income from all other sources
Between the 1980 and 1990 censuses, there were minor differences in
the processing of the data. In both censuses, all persons with missing
values in one or more of the detailed type of income items
and total income were designated as allocated. Each
missing entry was imputed either as a "no" or as a dollar amount.
If total income was reported and one or more of the type of
income fields was not answered, then the entry in total income
generally was assigned to one of the income types according to the
socioeconomic characteristics of the income recipient. This person was
designated as unallocated.
In 1980 and 1990, all nonrespondents with income not reported (whether
heads of households or other persons) were assigned the reported income
of persons with similar characteristics. (For more information on
imputation, see Appendix C, "Accuracy of the Data.")
There was a difference in the method of computer derivation of
aggregate income from individual amounts between the two census
processing operations. In the 1980 census, income amounts less than
$100,000 were coded in tens of dollars, and amounts of $100,000 or more
were coded in thousands of dollars; $5 was added to each amount coded
in tens of dollars and $500 to each amount coded in thousands of
dollars. Entries of $999,000 or more were treated as $999,500 and
losses of $9,999 or more were treated as minus $9,999. In the 1990
census, income amounts less than $999,999 were keyed in dollars.
Amounts of $999,999 or more were treated as $999,999 and losses of
$9,999 or more were treated as minus $9,999 in all of the computer
derivations of aggregate income.
In 1970, information on income in 1969 was obtained from all members in
every fifth housing unit and small group quarters (less than 15
persons) and every fifth person in all other group quarters. Each
person was required to report:
Wage or salary income
Net nonfarm self-employment income
Net farm self-employment income
Social Security or Railroad Retirement
Public assistance or welfare payments
Income from all other sources
If a person reported a dollar amount in wage or salary, net nonfarm
self-employment income, or net farm self-employment income, the person was
considered as unallocated only if no further dollar amounts were imputed
for any additional missing entries.
In 1960, data on income were obtained from all members in every fourth
housing unit and from every fourth person 14 years old and over living
in group quarters. Each person was required to report wage or salary
income, net self-employment income, and income other than earnings
received in 1959. An assumption was made in the editing process that no
other type of income was received by a person who reported the receipt
of either wage and salary income or self-employment but who had failed
to report the receipt of other money income.
For several reasons, the income data shown in census tabulations are
not directly comparable with those that may be obtained from
statistical summaries of income tax returns. Income, as defined for
Federal tax purposes, differs somewhat from the Census Bureau concept.
Moreover, the coverage of income tax statistics is different because of
the exemptions of persons having small amounts of income and the
inclusion of net capital gains in tax returns. Furthermore, members of
some families file separate returns and others file joint returns;
consequently, the income reporting unit is not consistently either a
family or a person.
The earnings data shown in census tabulations are not directly
comparable with earnings records of the Social Security Administration.
The earnings record data for 1989 excluded the earnings of most
civilian government employees, some employees of nonprofit
organizations, workers covered by the Railroad Retirement Act, and
persons not covered by the program because of insufficient earnings.
Furthermore, earnings received from any one employer in excess of
$48,000 in 1989 are not covered by earnings records. Finally, because
census data are obtained from household questionnaires, they may differ
from Social Security Administration earnings record data, which are
based upon employers' reports and the Federal income tax returns of
self-employed persons.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce
publishes annual data on aggregate and per-capita personal income
received by the population for States, metropolitan areas, and selected
counties. Aggregate income estimates based on the income statistics
shown in census products usually would be less than those shown in the
BEA income series for several reasons. The Census Bureau data are
obtained directly from households, whereas the BEA income series is
estimated largely on the basis of data from administrative records of
business and governmental sources. Moreover, the definitions of income
are different. The BEA income series includes some items not included
in the income data shown in census publications, such as income "in
kind," income received by nonprofit institutions, the value of
services of banks and other financial intermediaries rendered to
persons without the assessment of specific charges, Medicare payments,
and the income of persons who died or emigrated prior to April 1, 1990.
On the other hand, the census income data include contributions for
support received from persons not residing in the same household and
employer contributions for social insurance.
INDUSTRY, OCCUPATION, AND CLASS OF WORKER--The data on industry,
occupation, and class of worker were derived from answers to questionnaire
items 28, 29, and 30 respectively. These questions were asked of a sample
of persons. Information on industry relates to the kind of business
conducted by a person's employing organization; occupation describes the
kind of work the person does on the job.
For employed persons, the data refer to the person's job during the
reference week. For those who worked at two or more jobs, the data
refer to the job at which the person worked the greatest number of
hours. For unemployed persons, the data refer to their last job. The
industry and occupation statistics are derived from the detailed
classification systems developed for the 1990 census as described
below. The Classified Index of Industries and Occupations
provided additional information on the industry and occupation
classification systems.
Respondents provided the data for the tabulations by writing on the
questionnaires descriptions of their industry and occupation. These
descriptions were keyed and passed through automated coding software
which assigned a portion of the written entries to categories in the
classification system. The automated system assigned codes to 59
percent of the industry entries and 38 percent of the occupation
entries.
Those cases not coded by the computer were referred to clerical staff
in the Census Bureau's Kansas City processing office for coding. The
clerical staff converted the written questionnaire descriptions to
codes by comparing these descriptions to entries in the
Alphabetical Index of Industries and Occupations. For the
industry code, these coders also referred to an Employer Name List
(formerly called Company Name List). This list, prepared from the
Standard Statistical Establishment List developed by the Census Bureau
for the economic censuses and surveys, contained the names of business
establishments and their Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes
converted to population census equivalents. This list facilitated
coding and maintained industrial classification comparability.
Industry--The industry classification system developed for the 1990 census
consists of 235 categories for employed persons, classified into 13
major industry groups. Since 1940, the industrial classification has
been based on the Standard Industrial Classification Manual (SIC). The
1990 census classification was developed from the 1987 SIC published by
the Office of Management and Budget Executive Office of the President.
The SIC was designed primarily to classify establishments by the type
of industrial activity in which they were engaged. However, census
data, which were collected from households, differ in detail and nature
from those obtained from establishment surveys. Therefore, the census
classification systems, while defined in SIC terms, cannot reflect the
full detail in all categories. There are several levels of industrial
classification found in census products. For example, the 1990 CP-2,
Social and Economic Characteristics report includes 41
unique industrial categories, while the 1990 Summary Tape File 4 (STF
4) presents 72 categories.
Occupation--The occupational classification system developed for the 1990
census consists of 500 specific occupational categories for employed
persons arranged into 6 summary and 13 major occupational groups. This
classification was developed to be consistent with the Standard
Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual: 1980, published by the Office
of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards, U.S. Department of
Commerce. Tabulations with occupation as the primary characteristic
present several levels of occupational detail. The most detailed
tabulations are shown in a special 1990 subject report and tape files
on occupation. These products contain all 500 occupational categories
plus industry or class of worker subgroupings of occupational
categories.
Some occupation groups are related closely to certain industries.
Operators of transportation equipment, farm operators and workers, and
private household workers account for major portions of their
respective industries of transportation, agriculture, and private
households. However, the industry categories include persons in other
occupations. For example, persons employed in agriculture include truck
drivers and bookkeepers; persons employed in the transportation
industry include mechanics, freight handlers, and payroll clerks; and
persons employed in the private household industry include occupations
such as chauffeur, gardener, and secretary.
Class of Worker--The data on class of worker were derived from answers to
questionnaire item 30. The information on class of worker refers to the
same job as a respondent's industry and occupation and categorizes
persons according to the type of ownership of the employing
organization. The class of worker categories are defined as follows:
Private Wage and Salary Workers--Includes persons who worked for wages,
salary, commission, tips, pay-in-kind, or piece rates for a private for
profit employer or a private not-for-profit, tax-exempt or charitable
organization. Self-employed persons whose business was incorporated are
included with private wage and salary workers because they are paid
employees of their own companies. Some tabulations present data
separately for these subcategories: "For profit," "Not for profit," and
"Own business incorporated."
Employees of foreign governments, the United Nations, or other formal
international organizations were classified as "Private-not-for-profit."
Government Workers--Includes persons who were employees of any local,
State, or Federal governmental unit, regardless of the activity of the
particular agency. For some tabulations, the data were presented
separately for the three levels of government.
Self-Employed Workers--Includes persons who worked for profit or fees in
their own unincorporated business, profession, or trade, or who operated
a farm.
Unpaid Family Workers--Includes persons who worked 15 hours or more
without pay in a business or on a farm operated by a relative.
Salaried/Self-Employed--In tabulations that categorize persons as either
salaried or self-employed, the salaried category includes private and
government wage and salary workers; self-employed includes self-employed
persons and unpaid family workers.
The industry category, "Public administration," is limited to regular
government functions such as legislative, judicial, administrative, and
regulatory activities of governments. Other government organizations
such as schools, hospitals, liquor stores, and bus lines are classified
by industry according to the activity in which they are engaged. On the
other hand, the class of worker government categories include all
government workers.
Occasionally respondents supplied industry, occupation, or class of
worker descriptions which were not sufficiently specific for precise
classification or did not report on these items at all. Some of these
cases were corrected through the field editing process and during the
coding and tabulation operations. In the coding operation, certain
types of incomplete entries were corrected using the Alphabetical
Index of Industries and Occupations. For example, it was possible
in certain situations to assign an industry code based on the
occupation reported.
Following the coding operations, there was a computer edit and an
allocation process. The edit first determined whether a respondent was
in the universe which required an industry and occupation code. The
codes for the three items (industry, occupation, and class of worker)
were checked to ensure they were valid and were edited for their
relation to each other. Invalid and inconsistent codes were either
blanked or changed to a consistent code.
If one or more of the three codes were blank after the edit, a code was
assigned from a "similar" person based on other items such as
age, sex, education, farm or nonfarm residence, and weeks worked. If
all the labor force and income data also were blank, all these economic
items were assigned from one other person who provided all the
necessary data.
Comparability--Comparability of industry and occupation data was affected
by a number of factors, primarily the systems used to classify the
questionnaire responses. For both the industry and occupation
classification systems, the basic structures were generally the same from
1940 to 1970, but changes in the individual categories limited
comparability of the data from one census to another. These changes were
needed to recognize the "birth" of new industries and occupations, the
"death" of others, and the growth and decline in existing industries and
occupations, as well as, the desire of analysts and other users for
more detail in the presentation of the data. Probably the greatest
cause of incomparability is the movement of a segment of a category to
a different category in the next census. Changes in the nature of jobs
and respondent terminology, and refinement of category composition made
these movements necessary.
In the 1990 census, the industry classification had minor revisions to
reflect recent changes to the SIC. The 1990 occupational classification
system is essentially the same as that for the 1980 census. However,
the conversion of the census classification to the SOC in 1980 meant
that the 1990 classification system was less comparable to the
classifications used prior to the 1980 census.
Other factors that affected data comparability included the universe to
which the data referred (in 1970, the age cutoff for labor force was
changed from 14 years to 16 years); how the industry and occupation
questions were worded on the questionnaire (for example, important
changes were made in 1970); improvements in the coding procedures (the
Employer Name List technique was introduced in 1960); and how the
"not reported" cases are handled. Prior to 1970, they were placed
in the residual categories, "Industry not reported" and
"Occupation not reported." In 1970, an allocation process was
introduced that assigned these cases to major groups. In 1990, as in
1980, the "Not reported" cases were assigned to individual
categories. Therefore, the 1980 and 1990 data for individual categories
included some numbers of persons who were tabulated in a "Not
reported" category in previous censuses.
The following publications contain information on the various factors
affecting comparability and are particularly useful for understanding
differences in the occupation and industry information from earlier
censuses: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Changes Between the 1950 and
1960 Occupation and Industry Classifications With Detailed Adjustments
of 1950 Data to the 1960 Classifications, Technical Paper No. 18,
1968; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1970 Occupation and Industry
Classification Systems in Terms of their 1960 Occupation and Industry
Elements, Technical Paper No. 26, 1972; and U.S. Bureau of the
Census, The Relationship Between the 1970 and 1980 Industry and
Occupation Classification Systems, Technical Paper No. 59, 1988.
For citations for earlier census years, see the 1980 Census of
Population report, PC80-1-D, Detailed Population
Characteristics.
The 1990 census introduced an additional class of worker category for
"private not-for-profit" employers. This category is a subset of
the 1980 category "employee of private employer" so there is no
comparable data before 1990. Also in 1990, employees of foreign
governments, the United Nations, etc., are classified as "private
not-for-profit," rather than Federal Government as in 1970 and 1980. While
in theory, there was a change in comparability, in practice, the small
number of U.S. residents working for foreign governments made this
change negligible.
Comparability between the statistics on industry and occupation from
the 1990 census and statistics from other sources is affected by many
of the factors described in the section on "Employment Status."
These factors are primarily geographic differences between residence
and place of work, different dates of reference, and differences in
counts because of dual job holding. Industry data from population
censuses cover all industries and all kinds of workers, whereas, data
from establishments often excluded private household workers,
government workers, and the self-employed. Also, the replies from
household respondents may have differed in detail and nature from those
obtained from establishments.
Occupation data from the census and data from government licensing
agencies, professional associations, trade unions, etc., may not be as
comparable as expected. Organizational listings often include persons
not in the labor force or persons devoting all or most of their time to
another occupation; or the same person may be included in two or more
different listings. In addition, relatively few organizations, except
for those requiring licensing, attained complete coverage of membership
in a particular occupational field.
JOURNEY TO WORK
Place of Work--The data on place of work were derived from answers to
questionnaire item 22, which was asked of persons who indicated in question
21 that they worked at some time during the reference week. (For more
information, see discussion under "Reference Week.")
Data were tabulated for workers 16 years and over; that is, members of
the Armed Forces and civilians who were at work during the reference
week. Data on place of work refer to the geographic location at which
workers carried out their occupational activities during the reference
week. The exact address (number and street) of the place of work was
asked, as well as the place (city, town, or post office); whether or
not the place of work was inside or outside the limits of that city or
town; and the county, State, and ZIP Code. If the person's employer
operated in more than one location, the exact address of the location
or branch where the respondent worked was requested. When the number
and street name were unknown, a description of the location, such as
the building name or nearest street or intersection, was to be entered.
Persons who worked at more than one location during the reference week
were asked to report the one at which they worked the greatest number
of hours. Persons who regularly worked in several locations each day
during the reference week were requested to give the address at which
they began work each day. For cases in which daily work did not begin
at a central place each day, the person was asked to provide as much
information as possible to describe the area in which he or she worked
most during the reference week.
In some tabulations, place-of-work locations may be defined as "in
area of residence" and "outside area of residence." The area
of residence may vary from table to table or even within a table, and
refers to the particular area or areas shown. For example, in a table
that provides data for counties, "in area of residence" refers to
persons who worked in the same county in which they lived, while
"outside area of residence" refers to persons whose workplace was
located in a county different from the one in which they lived.
Similarly, in a table that provides data for several types of areas,
such as the State and its individual metropolitan areas (MA's),
counties, and places, the place-of-work data will be variable and is
determined by the geographic level (State, MA, county, or place) shown in
each section of the tabulation.
In tabulations that present data for States, workplaces for the
residents of the State may include, in addition to the State itself,
each contiguous State. The category, "in noncontiguous State or
abroad," includes persons who worked in a State that did not border
their State of residence as well as persons who worked outside the
United States.
In tabulations that present data for an MSA/PMSA, place-of-work
locations are specified to show the main destinations of workers living
in the MSA/PMSA. (For more information on metropolitan areas (MA's),
see Appendix A, Area Classifications.) All place-of-work locations are
identified with respect to the boundaries of the MSA/PMSA as "inside
MSA/PMSA" or "outside MSA/PMSA." Locations within the MSA/PMSA
are further divided into each central city, and each county or county
balance. Selected large incorporated places also may be specified as
places of work.
Within New England MSA/PMSA's, the places of work presented generally
are cities and towns. Locations outside the MSA/PMSA are specified if
they are important commuting destinations for residents of the
MSA/PMSA, and may include adjoining MSA/PMSA's and their central
cities, their component counties, large incorporated places, or
counties, cities, or other geographic areas outside any MA. In
tabulations for MSA/PMSA's in New England; Honolulu, Hawaii; and
certain other MA's, some place-of-work locations are identified as "areas"
(e.g., Area 1, Area 5, Area 12, etc.). Such areas consist of groups of
towns, cities, census designated places (Honolulu MSA only), or counties
that have been identified as unique place-of-work destinations. When an
adjoining MSA/PMSA or MSA/PMSA remainder is s |
