Description

PLUMBING indicates whether the housing unit contained complete plumbing facilities.
For the available 1960 through 1980 samples, it also indicates whether the unit had partial facilities. For 1980, it indicates whether these plumbing facilities were shared with other households.

For 1960 and 1970, "complete plumbing facilities" meant piped hot and cold water (running hot and cold water in 1960), a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower, all within the structure and used only by the occupants of that housing unit. The 1980 definition was the same, except the facilities had to be within the housing unit (as opposed to "structure" in 1960 and 1970), and units with complete plumbing shared with other households were identified separately. The definition in the 1990 U.S. census, the 2000 U.S. and Puerto Rican Censuses, the 2000-onward ACS and the 2005-onward PRCS were the same as for 1980, except there was no inquiry about whether the facilities were shared.

Users may also want to consult the variables TOILET and TOILET2, which indicate the presence of a flush toilet within the structure and the location and type of toilet facilities available for use by residents, respectively. Additionally, SHOWER provides information on the presence of a permanently installed bathtub or shower. TOILET, TOILET2, and SHOWER are available for the 1960 U.S. Census, the 1970 U.S. and Puerto Rican Censuses and the 1980-1990 Puerto Rican Censuses.

Comparability

This variable is generally comparable across years and samples, but comparability is marginally affected by a slight universe change for the 1970 samples compared to all other samples and differences in the availability of detail within response categories. Note that the 1960 5 percent sample contains more information than the 1960 1 percent because additional categories of plumbing were constructed from internal data. Additionally, starting in 2008, PLUMBING was built from the constituent variables SHOWER, TOILET, and HOTWATER. The additional detail creates some discontinuity, and users should not compare rates of complete plumbing facilities between 2007 and 2008.

Universe

Availability

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

• 2023: All samples
• 2022: PRCS
• 2021: PRCS
• 2020: --
• 2019: --
• 2018: --
• 2017: --
• 2016: --
• 2015: --
• 2014: --
• 2013: --
• 2012: --
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: PRCS; PRCS 3yr; PRCS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: All samples
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

PLUMBING (Plumbing facilities)
ACS Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ACS editing procedure:
If the report for having complete plumbing facilities (PLUMBING) is "Blank, Don't know, Refused, or Bad Value", PLUMBING will be allocated. The allocated value is the PLUMBING value from unit of the same type of building (UNITSSTR, which shows if a building is a mobile home, detached single family, or attached single family), ownership status (OWNERSHP), and in the same geographic unit (it is not specified what level of geography is used). When this happens, the flag will show that the value is allocated (QPLUMBIN).
Beginning in 2008, this variable was constructed from three separate variables: SHOWER TOILET and HOTWATER. If any of these variables is "Blank, Don't know, Refused, or Bad Value", it will be allocated. The allocated value is from unit of the same type of building (UNITSSTR), ownership status (OWNERSHP), and in the same geographic unit (it is not specified what level of geography is used). When this happens, the flag variables will show that the value is allocated (QSHOWER, QTOILET, QHOTWATE).
Beginning in 2014, the Puerto Rico sample added in a question about the type of hot water heater. If this variable is missing for a household in Puerto Rico, it will be allocated from another unit in Puetro Rico with the same type of building (UNITSSTR) and ownership status (OWNERSHP).
Internal ACS variable : PLM