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American Community Survey (ACS)

Subjects Included in the PUMS

The PUMS dataset includes variables for nearly every subject included in the survey, as well as many new variables that were derived after the fact from multiple survey responses (such as poverty status).

Since all ACS responses are strictly confidential, many variables in the PUMS files have been modified in order to protect the confidentiality of survey respondents. For instance, particularly high incomes are "top-coded", uncommon birthplace or ancestry responses are grouped into broader categories, and the PUMS files provide a very limited set of geographic variables.

In general, the housing record contains information about the housing unit and about the household as a unit. The person record contains information about individual household members. A listing of the subjects included in the PUMS, with an example of a variable included in each subject, is provided below.

For a complete listing of the variables available in the PUMS, see the PUMS Data Dictionaries.

Housing Record Subjects

Financial Characteristics
Example PUMS variable

Agricultural Sales/Commercial Use

AGS - Sales of agricultural products

Cost of Utilities/Fuels

GASP - Gas (monthly cost)

Fire, Hazard, and Flood Insurance

INSP - Fire/hazard/flood insurance (yearly amount)

Housing Costs

OCPIP - Selected monthly owner costs as a percentage of household income

Value of Home

VALP - Property value
Physical Characteristics

Rooms/Bedrooms

BDSP - Number of bedrooms

Computer Ownership & Internet Access

ACCESS - Access to the Internet

House Heating Fuel

HFL - House heating fuel

Kitchen & Plumbing Facilities

RWAT - Hot and cold running water

Lot Size

ACR - Lot size

Telephone Service Available

TEL - Telephone

Units in Structure

BLD - Units in structure

Year Structure Built

YBL -When structure first built
Household Characteristics

Food Stamps/SNAP

FS - Yearly food stamp/SNAP recipiency

Household & Family Type

MULTG - Multigenerational household

Household & Family Income

FINCP - Family income (past 12 months)

Households with Grandparent

NPP - Grandparent headed household with no parent present

Occupancy & Vacancy Status

VACS - Vacancy status

Vehicles Available

VEH - Vehicles (1 ton or less available)

Year Householder Moved Into Unit

MV - When moved into this house or apartment

Person Record Subjects

Demographic Characteristics
Example PUMS Variable

Age

AGEP - Age

Hispanic or Latino Origin

HISP - Recoded detailed Hispanic origin

Race

RAC1P - Recoded detailed race code

Relationship

RELP - Relationship

Sex

SEX - Sex
Social Characteristics

Ancestry

ANC1P - Recoded detailed ancestry - first entry

Citizenship Status

YOEP - Year of entry

Disability Status

DREM - Cognitive difficulty

Educational Attainment

SCHL - Educational attainment

Fertility

FER - Gave birth to child within the past 12 months

Field of Degree

FOD1P - Recoded field of degree - first entry

Grandparents as Caregivers

GCM - Length of time responsible for grandchildren

Language

LANP - Language spoken at home

Marital Status & History

MARHM - Married in the past 12 months

Migration/Residence 1 Year Ago

MIG - Mobility status (lived here 1 year ago)

Place of Birth

POBP - Place of birth

School Enrollment

SCH - School enrollment

Veteran Status

VPS - Veteran period of service
Economic Characteristics

Class of Worker

COW - Class of worker

Commuting to Work

JWTR - Means of transportation to work

Employment Status

ESP - Employment status of parents

Health Insurance Coverage

HINS2 - Insurance purchased directly from an insurance company

Hours & Weeks Worked

WKHP - Usual hours worked per week past 12 months

Income & Earnings

SEMP - Self-employment income (past 12 months)

Industry & Occupation

OCCP - Occupation recodes for 2012 and later based on 2010 OCC codes

Last Week Work Status

NWLK - Looking for work

Poverty

POVPIP - Income-to-poverty ratio recode

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