- Description
- Codes
- Comparability
- Universe
- Availability
- Questionnaire Text
- Flags
- Source Variables
- Editing Procedure
Description
GQ classifies all housing units as falling into one of three main categories: households, group quarters, or vacant units. It also identifies fragmentary sample units for 1850-1930 (see below). In all years, the data available about a person and their co-residents depend on whether the person lives in a household or in group quarters. Households are sampled as units, meaning that everyone in the household is included in the sample, and most household-level variables are available. People living in group quarters are generally sampled as individuals; other people in their unit may or may not be included in the sample, and there is no way of linking co-residents' records to one another. If, however, a sampled person in group quarters was living with relatives, the related group was sampled for 1850-1930. Most household-level variables are not available for group quarters or for vacant units.
Group quarters are largely institutions and other group living arrangements, such as rooming houses and military barracks. The definitions vary from year to year, but the pre-1940 samples have generally used a definition of group quarters that includes units with 10 or more individuals unrelated to the householder. See the comparability discussion below and "Sample Designs" for more details about changing definitions of group quarters. Group-quarters types are identified in further detail by GQTYPE and GQFUNDS.
Codes and Frequencies
An 'X' indicates the category is available for that sample
| Code | Label |
2023
acs
|
2022
acs
|
2021
acs
|
2016
acs
|
2011
acs
|
2006
acs
|
2000
1pct
|
1990
1pct
|
1980
1pct
|
1970
met2
|
1970
met1
|
1960
1pct
|
1950
1pct
|
1940
1pct
|
1930
1pct
|
1920
1pct
|
1910
1pct
|
1900
1pct
|
1880
1pct
|
1870
1pct
|
1860
1pct
|
1850
1%+
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Vacant unit | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | X | · |
| Households: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Households under 1970 definition | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 2 | Additional households under 1990 definition | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | · | · | · | · | · | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Group Quarters: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Institutions | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 4 | Other group quarters | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 5 | Additional households under 2000 definition | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| 6 | Fragment | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Can't find the category you are looking for? Try the Detailed codes
Comparability
There are three slightly different definitions of group quarters in the IPUMS. For the period 1940-1970 (excluding the 1940 100% dataset), group quarters are housing units with five or more individuals unrelated to the householder. Before 1940 and in 1980-1990, units with 10 or more individuals unrelated to the householder are considered group quarters. In the 2000 census, 2010 census, the ACS and the PRCS, no threshold was applied; for a household to be considered group quarters, it had to be on a list of group quarters that is continuously maintained by the Census Bureau. In earlier years, a similar list was used, with the unrelated-persons rule imposed as a safeguard.
The GQ variable identifies the following categories of housing units:
- Vacant units: These units are only identified in 1860-1870, 1970-2010, the ACS and the PRCS. The household-level variables for vacant units, and thus the household record for vacant units, are dropped from the data if the data are "rectangularized" (i.e., the household variables are reproduced on each person record) when extracted through the IPUMS system.
- Households: As noted above, households are sampled in their entirety. Their value in the variable GQ is 1 or 2, and their value in GQTYPE (detailed) is 000, 010, or 020. In most cases, a working definition of "household" as GQ = 1 or 2 is appropriate. Categories are not completely comparable across all years.
- Households with 0-4 persons unrelated to the head (GQ=1): In every year, these units are considered households rather than group quarters. These are the only units classified as households in 1940-1970; in these years, the PUMS coded units with five or more unrelated persons as group quarters.
- User Caution: Users who want a completely comparable definition of household across multiple years, including the 1940-1970 period, should select only households coded GQ=1; these are households rather than group quarters under the 1940-1970 definition. This definition may be appropriate for those studying family and household composition, especially with respect to non-relatives. Users should be aware, however, that this narrow definition may improperly classify as group quarters many large households with servants or boarders prior to 1940.
- Households with 5-9 persons unrelated to the head (GQ=2): In the 1850-1930 and 1980-2010 censuses, the ACS and the PRCS, these units were classified as households. In 1940-1970, the PUMS coded these units as group quarters, and they retain this classification in the IPUMS.
- Group quarters: Group quarters consist of both institutions and units housing either a primary family or a primary individual plus a given number of persons unrelated to the head. See GQTYPE for a more detailed discussion of the distinction between institutions and other group quarters.
- User Note: The Census Bureau did not collect information on the type of group quarters in the 1910 census. This is reflected in the 1910 complete count file, where all group-quarters units have been assigned a GQ code of 4 (other group quarters). Values for GQ, GQTYPE, and GQFUNDS in the 1910 1% and 1.4% samples have been imputed.
- User Caution: For all samples except the 2000 census, 2010 census, the ACS, and the PRCS, households containing 10 or more individuals unrelated to the household head were considered by the Census Bureau to be group quarters. In the 2000 census, 2010 census, and all ACS and PRCS samples, this condition did not apply, and housing units were classified as group quarters only if they belonged to a list of such units. Examination of the data for the 2000 census reveals that most units with 10 or more unrelated individuals should probably be considered group quarters even though they appear as households in the original Census Bureau data. The IPUMS has placed them in a distinct group quarters category (GQ = 5). Note that this applies to the 2000-2005 ACS samples and the PRCS as well: although the Census Bureau did not intend to include group-quarters cases in the sample, it is likely that their list of "group quarters" was incomplete and that some group-quarters units were included in the sample of households. While the IPUMS has retained all information contained in the public Census Bureau release, users who do not want these cases in their analyses should be sure to remove them manually.
- Fragments: In 1850-1930, GQ also identifies fragments. Fragments are individuals or groups of individuals who were enumerated separately from their household or group quarters. Most often this occurred when, at the end of a district, an enumerator added the names of individuals who had been missed. For these individuals, the unit's status as household versus group quarters cannot be classified.
User Note:
The 1850-1930, 1960, and 1970 samples include non-inmates living in institutions in the "institution" GQ (and GQTYPE) category (code 3). In other years, such persons are coded to non-institutional group quarters (code 4).
Universe
- All households and group quarters
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: All samples
- 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: All samples
- 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: 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: All samples
- 2009: All samples
- 2008: All samples
- 2007: All samples
- 2006: All samples
- 2005: All samples
- 2000: All samples
- 1990: All samples
- 1980: All samples
- 1970: All samples
- 1930: All samples
- 1920: All samples
- 1910: All samples
Questionnaire Text
[ ] A one-family house detached from any other house
[ ] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[ ] A building with 2 apartments
[ ] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[ ] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[ ] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[ ] A building with 20-49 apartments
[ ] A building with 50 or more apartments
[ ] Boat, RV, van, etc.
[ ] A one-family house detached from any other house
[ ] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[ ] A building with 2 apartments
[ ] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[ ] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[ ] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[ ] A building with 20-49 apartments
[ ] A building with 50 or more apartments
[ ] Boat, RV, van, etc.
[ ] A one-family house detached from any other house
[ ] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[ ] A building with 2 apartments
[ ] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[ ] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[ ] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[ ] A building with 20-49 apartments
[ ] A building with 50 or more apartments
[ ] Boat, RV, van, etc.
[ ] A one-family house detached from any other house
[ ] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[ ] A building with 2 apartments
[ ] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[ ] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[ ] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[ ] A building with 20-49 apartments
[ ] A building with 50 or more apartments
[ ] Boat, RV, van, etc.
Count both occupied and vacant apartments in the house or building. Do not count stores or office space.
Detached means there is open space on all sides, or the house is joined only to a shed or garage. Attached means that the house is joined to another house or building by at least one wall that goes from ground to roof. An example of A one-family house attached to one or more houses is a house in a row of houses attached to one another, sometimes referred to as a townhouse.
A mobile home that has had one or more rooms added or built onto it should be considered as A one-family house detached from any other house. If only a porch or shed has been added to a mobile home, it should be considered as a mobile home.
Towable RVs, such as travel trailers or fifth-wheel trailers, should be considered as A mobile home. Self-propelling RVs or motorhomes should be considered as a Boat, RV, van, etc.
[ ] A one-family house detached from any other house
[ ] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[ ] A building with 2 apartments
[ ] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[ ] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[ ] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[ ] A building with 20-49 apartments
[ ] A building with 50 or more apartments
[ ] Boat, RV, van, etc.
Count both occupied and vacant apartments in the house or building. Do not count stores or office space.
Detached means there is open space on all sides, or the house is joined only to a shed or garage. Attached means that the house is joined to another house or building by at least one wall that goes from ground to roof. An example of A one-family house attached to one or more houses is a house in a row of houses attached to one another, sometimes referred to as a townhouse.
A mobile home that has had one or more rooms added or built onto it should be considered as A one-family house detached from any other house. If only a porch or shed has been added to a mobile home, it should be considered as a mobile home.
Towable RVs, such as travel trailers or fifth-wheel trailers, should be considered as A mobile home. Self-propelling RVs or motorhomes should be considered as a Boat, RV, van, etc.
[ ] A one-family house detached from any other house
[ ] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[ ] A building with 2 apartments
[ ] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[ ] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[ ] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[ ] A building with 20-49 apartments
[ ] A building with 50 or more apartments
[ ] Boat, RV, van, etc.
Count both occupied and vacant apartments in the house or building. Do not count stores or office space.
Detached means there is open space on all sides, or the house is joined only to a shed or garage. Attached means that the house is joined to another house or building by at least one wall that goes from ground to roof. An example of A one-family house attached to one or more houses is a house in a row of houses attached to one another, sometimes referred to as a townhouse.
A mobile home that has had one or more rooms added or built onto it should be considered as A one-family house detached from any other house. If only a porch or shed has been added to a mobile home, it should be considered as a mobile home.
[] A one-family house detached from any other house
[] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[] A building with 2 apartments
[] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[] A building with 20 to 49 apartments
[] A building with 50 or more apartments
[] Boat, RV, van, etc.
[] A one-family house detached from any other house
[] A one-family house attached to one or more houses
[] A building with 2 apartments
[] A building with 3 or 4 apartments
[] A building with 5 to 9 apartments
[] A building with 10 to 19 apartments
[] A building with 20 to 49 apartments
[] A building with 50 or more apartments
[] Other
"Fill only one circle. Count all occupied and vacant apartments in the house or building. Do not count stores or office space. Detached means there is open space on all sides, or the house is joined only to a shed or garage. Attached means that the house is joined to another house or building by at least one wall that goes from ground to roof. An example of A one-family house attached to one or more houses is a row of houses attached to one another. A mobile home or trailer that has had one or more rooms added or built onto it should be counted as a one-family detached house; a porch or shed is not considered a room."
H4. How many living quarters, occupied and vacant, are at this address?
[] 2 apartments or living quarters
[] 3 apartments or living quarters
[] 4 apartments or living quarters
[] 5 apartments or living quarters
[] 6 apartments or living quarters
[] 7 apartments or living quarters
[] 8 apartments or living quarters
[] 10 or more apartments or living quarters
[] This is a mobile home or trailer
"Mark only one circle. This address means the house or building number where your living quarters are located."
A. How many living quarters, occupied and vacant, are at this address?
[] 2 apartments or living quarters
[] 3 apartments or living quarters
[] 4 apartments or living quarters
[] 5 apartments or living quarters
[] 6 apartments or living quarters
[] 7 apartments or living quarters
[] 8 apartments or living quarters
[] 9 apartments or living quarters
[] 10 or more apartments or living quarters
[] This is a mobile home or trailer
A. How many living quarters, occupied and vacant, are at this address?
[] 2 apartments or living quarters
[] 3 apartments or living quarters
[] 4 apartments or living quarters
[] 5 apartments or living quarters
[] 6 apartments or living quarters
[] 7 apartments or living quarters
[] 8 apartments or living quarters
[] 9 apartments or living quarters
[] 10 or more apartments or living quarters
[] This is a mobile home or trailer
H29. Number of units in structure
[] 1, attached
[] 2
[] 3-4
[] 5-9...................... If 5 or more -
[] 10-19.................. Fill items H20,
[] 20-49.................. H21, H22A, and
[] 50 or more.......... H22C in Questionnaire
Wife
Daughter
Grandson
Mother-in-law
Lodger
Lodger's wife
Maid
Hired hand
Patient, etc.
110. Nonrelative of head.-For persons not related to the household head) enter a term such as "Lodger," "Partner," "Chauffeur," "Maid," "Hired man," "Employee," "Ward," "Foster child," etc. If you cannot find a specific term, enter "Lodger."
For lodgers, and for maids, hired hands, chauffeurs, etc., who may have relatives living with them in their employer's home, enter the relationship of the relatives to the lodger, maid, or hired hand. As examples, a lodger and his wife should be listed as "Lodger" and "Lodger's wife"; and a maid and her daughter, living in the home of the maid's employer, should be listed as "Maid" and "Maid's daughter."
111. Partners.-If two or more persons who are not related by blood,, marriage, or adoption share one dwelling unit as partners, write "Head" for one and "Partner" for the other(s).
84. Item e-Hotel, large rooming house, institution, military installation, etc.-If you are enumerating the population of a hotel, a large rooming house, an institution, a military installation, etc., enter the full name of the place in the space provided.
In the space provided for "Type," enter the kind of place, such as "Hotel," "YMCA," "Army camp." If it is an institution, indicate the kind of person cared for and the kind of agency which operates the institution. For example: "State mental hospital," "Private home for the aged," "County poor farm," "Private nursing home," "State prison."
For each place, enter also the numbers of the lines which you use on that schedule for persons enumerated at the place.
Paragraph 89 shows a list of the kinds of places for which entries should be made in item e.
89. Special types of living quarters to be described in item e.-Following is a list of the types of places for which entries must be made under "Hotel, large rooming house, institution, military installation, etc.," in the heading of the schedule:
b. Other special types of living quarters:
2. Convents and monasteries.
3. Dormitories for workers.
4. Crew quarters on inland vessels.
5. Military installations.
6. College dormitories fraternity houses, and lodging houses devoted to students.
7. General hospitals.
8. Hotels, missions, "flophouses," etc.
9. Large lodging houses, residential clubs.
10. MCA YWCA, YMHA, YWHA.
11. Summer camps, tent camps, trailer camps, tourist courts, and motels.
12. School dormitories in schools below college level.
448. For lodgers, and for servants, hired hands, chauffeurs, etc., who may have relatives living with them in their employer's home, enter the relationship of the relatives to the lodger, servant, or hired hand. As examples, a lodger and his wife should be listed in col. 8 as "lodger" and "lodger's wife"; and a servant and her daughter, living in the home of the servant's employer, should be listed as "servant" and "servant's daughter."
449. Occupants of an institution, prison, school, etc., living in the institutional building or buildings, should be designated as officer, inmate, patient, pupil, etc.; and in the case of the chief officer, his title should be used, as superintendent, warden ,principal, etc., instead of the word "Head." Enter the prisoner's number in col. 8 for an inmate of a penal institution that identifies its prisoners by number; enter "prisoner" for a prisoner not identified by number.
450. For hotel households (see par. 425), enter the term that describes the relation of the person to the hotel, as manager, cashier, bellboy, housekeeper, guest, etc.
451. If two or more persons who are not related by blood or marriage share a common dwelling unit as partners, write head for one and partner for the other or others.
Name of incorporated city, town, or village within the above-named division, ___________.
In column No. 1 of this schedule is to be entered the number of the dwelling house in the order of visitation. A dwelling house, for the purpose of the census, means any building or place of abode, of whatever character, material or structure, in which any person is at the time living, whether in a room above a warehouse or factory, a loft above a stable or a wigwam on the outskirts of a settlement, equally with a dwelling house in the usual, ordinary sense of that term. Wholly uninhabited dwellings are not to be taken notice of.
Flags
QGQEditing Procedure
There is no editing procedure available for this variable.