U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, series P60-231.
For more information:
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income.html
CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (MARCH ANNUAL DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY)
Approximately 62,500 housing units were eligible to receive the 1995 Annual Demographic Survey. The basic monthly CPS
sample of 60,000 housing units was supplemented by 2,500 housing units which had at least one Hispanic member the
previous November. In addition, members of the Armed Forces, which are excluded from the basic CPS labor force survey,
were part of the elibigle population in March. Because of the CPS sample rotation system, approximately one-half of the
sample had been interviewed the previous March.
Interviewers used lap-top computers to administer the interview, asking questions as they appear on the screen and directly
entering the responses obtained. With the exception of first and the fifth month-in-sample interviews, when an interviewer
usually visited the sample unit, over 90 percent of the interviews were conducted by telephone.
Completed interviews were electronically transmitted to a central processor where the responses were edited for consistency,
imputations were made for missing data, and various codes were added. Based on the probability of selection, a weight was
added to each supplement-responding household and person record so that estimates of the population by state, race, age,
sex, and Hispanic origin matched the population projections made by the Bureau of the Census. Since not every person who
provided labor force information completed the supplement and the supplement was asked of members of the Armed Forces,
the supplement weights vary from those used for labor force estimation.
DEFINITIONS
Family
The term “family” refers to a group of two or more people
related by birth, marriage, or adoption who reside together;
all such people are considered as members of one family.
For example, if the son of the person who maintains the
household and the son’s wife are members of the household, they
are treated as members of the parent’s family. Every family must
include a reference person (see definition of householder for
primary families); two or more people living in the same
household who are related to one another, but are not related to
the householder, form an “unrelated subfamily.” Beginning with
the 1980 CPS, unrelated subfamilies were excluded from the count
of families and unrelated subfamily members were excluded from
the count of family members.
Family households
Family households are households maintained by a family (as
defined above). Members of family households include any
unrelated people (unrelated subfamily members and/or secondary
individuals) who may be residing there. The number of family
households will not equal the number of families since families
living in group quarters are included in the count of families.
In addition, the count of family household members differs from
the count of family members in that the family household members
include all people living in the household, whereas family
members include only the householder and his/her relatives.
(See the definition of family).
Income
For each person in the Current Population Survey (CPS) sample
15 years old and over, questions were asked on the amount of
money income received in the preceding calendar year from each
of the following sources: 1) earnings from longest job (or self-
employment); 2) earnings from jobs other than longest job; 3)
unemployment compensation; 4) worker’s compensation; 5) Social
Security; 6) Supplemental Security income; 7) public assistance;
8) veterans’ payments; 9) survivor benefits; 10) disability
benefits; 11) pension or retirement income; 12) interest; 13)
dividends; 14) rents, royalties, and estates and trusts; 15)
educational assistance; 16) alimony; 17) child support; 18)
financial assistance from outside of the household, and other
periodic income. Capital gains and lump-sum or one-time payments
are excluded. For definitions of alternative measures of income
(definitions 1 through 15 shown in tables 10 through 12), see
introductory text.
It should be noted that although the income statistics refer to
receipts during the preceding calendar year, the demographic
characteristics such as age, labor force status, and family or
household composition are as of the survey date. The income of
the family/household does not include amounts received by people
who were members during all or part of the income year if these
people no longer resided in the family/household at the time of
interview. However, income data are collected for people who
are current residents but did not reside in the household during
the income year.
Data on consumer income collected in the CPS by the Bureau of the
Census cover money income received (exclusive of certain money
receipts such as capital gains) before payments for personal
income taxes, Social Security, union dues, Medicare deductions,
etc. Therefore, money income does not reflect the fact that some
families receive part of their income in the form of noncash
benefits such as food stamps, health benefits, noncash benefits
in the form of rent-free housing and goods produced and consumed
on the farm; or that non-cash benefits are also received by some
nonfarm residents which often take the form of the use of
business transportation and facilities, full or partial payments
by business for retirement programs, medical and educational
expenses, etc. These elements should be considered when
comparing income levels. Moreover, readers should be aware that
for many different reasons there is a tendency in household
surveys for respondents to underreport their income. From an
analysis of independently derived income estimates, it has been
determined that income earned from wages or salaries is much
better reported than other sources of income, and is nearly equal
to independent estimates of aggregate income.
Median income
Median income is the amount which divides the income distribution
into two equal groups, half having incomes above the median,
half having incomes below the median. The medians for households,
families, and unrelated individuals are based on all households,
families, and unrelated individuals. The medians for people are
based on people 15 years old and over with income.
Mean income
Mean income is the amount obtained by dividing the total
aggregate income of a group by the number of units in that
group. The means for households, families, and unrelated
individuals are based on all households, families, and unrelated
individuals. The means for people are based on people 15 years
old and over with income.
referenced on dataset section Notes (#2)
