Description

CITYPOP reports the population, in hundreds, for all identifiable cities.

For Decennial Census samples, CITYPOP reports the counts collected in that Decennial Census.

For the 2005 ACS sample, CITYPOP reports populations estimates derived for the 2005 ACS.

For ACS samples from 2006-2011, CITYPOP reports population estimates derived from the 2006 ACS.

For the 2012-onward ACS, CITYPOP reports population estimates derived from the ACS of that year.

CITYPOP is a 5-digit numeric variable that reports the population, in hundreds, for all identifiable cities. For instance, a city having a population of 1,234,500 will have a CITYPOP value of 12345. For all samples prior to 1940 and the 1940 100% dataset, CITYPOP reports the population for all incorporated municipalities. For the 1850-1880 100% data sets, 1940 to 2000 and in the American Community Survey samples of 2005-onward, CITYPOP reports the population for all cities and areas that can be identified in the variable CITY.

City populations are derived from the published American Community Survey Total Population tables accessed via the Census Bureau’s online data dissemination platform. The tables are downloaded at the Place summary level and matched with the IPUMS-constructed PUMA Match Summary by Large Place crosswalk (available on the CITY comparability tab) to match the city populations with the correct city codes.

CITYPOP specific variable codes for missing, edited, or unidentified observations, observations not applicable (N/A), observations not in universe (NIU), top and bottom value coding, etc. are provided below if applicable by Census year (and data sample if specified).

CITYPOP Specific Variable Codes
00000 = City not identified or unincorporated place
99999 = Missing

Comparability

For the 1850-1880 100% datasets, CITYPOP reports the population for all cities identified in the variable CITY. For all samples prior to 1940 and the 1940 100% dataset, CITYPOP reports the population for all incorporated municipalities. For 1940 1% to 2000 and in the American Community Survey samples of 2005-onward, CITYPOP reports the population for all cities and areas that can be identified in the variable CITY.

Beginning in 1940 1%, the number of identifiable cities is severely limited by confidentiality rules that were in effect when CITYPOP was constructed that suppress geographic identifiers for areas with less than 100,000 (or more) residents. For 1940 1%, population counts for all incorporated municipalities with more than 2,500 people can be found using the variable URBPOP. Also see the CITY variable description for further description and discussion of comparability issues.

In 1940 1% and 1950, several cities cannot be identified individually. The IPUMS assigns all households in the following cities the weighted average of the cities' populations in those years:

See the comparability discussion in CITY for more information about the identification of these cities. The weighted average is calculated by weighting the population of each individual city by its proportion of the total population of the combined central cities.

Universe

Availability

• 2023: ACS
• 2022: ACS
• 2021: ACS
• 2020: ACS
• 2019: ACS
• 2018: ACS
• 2017: ACS
• 2016: ACS
• 2015: ACS
• 2014: ACS
• 2013: ACS
• 2012: ACS
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: All samples
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2004: --
• 2003: --
• 2002: --
• 2001: --
• 2000: 5%; 1% old; 1% unwt; 1%
• 1990: 5% state; 1% metro; 1% unwt; 3% elderly
• 1980: 5% state; 1% metro; 1% urban
• 1970: --
• 1960: --
• 1950: 1%
• 1940: All samples
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples
• 1900: All samples
• 1880: All samples
• 1870: All samples
• 1860: All samples
• 1850: All samples

• 2023: --
• 2022: --
• 2021: --
• 2020: --
• 2019: --
• 2018: --
• 2017: --
• 2016: --
• 2015: --
• 2014: --
• 2013: --
• 2012: --
• 2011: --
• 2010: --
• 2009: --
• 2008: --
• 2007: --
• 2006: --
• 2005: --
• 2000: --
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.