- Description
- Codes
- Comparability
- Universe
- Availability
- Questionnaire Text
- Flags
- Source Variables
- Editing Procedure
Description
COSTGAS for 1970 reports a rented housing unit's annual costs for utility, bottled, tank, or liquid petroleum gas, excluding amounts included with contract rent payments. For later years, COSTGAS reports each rented or owned housing unit's annual gas costs, again excluding amounts included in contract rent or other types of payments. In 1970 and 1980, units that used no gas can be identified. For the 1990-2000 censuses and the ACS/PRCS, the form combines the categories "no charge" and "gas not used." The ACS/PRCS includes an additional category of "included in electricity payment."
COSTGAS amounts for renters are included in the gross monthly rental cost reported in RENTGRS. Census Bureau research comparing respondents' reported costs with utility company records indicates that respondents tend to overstate their costs.
In 1970, the universe for the U.S. Census samples specifies renter-occupied units rented for cash rent, not one-family houses on 10+ acres and not group quarters; however in the Puerto Rican census of 1970, this specification is for renter-occupied units rented for cash rent, not one-family houses on 3+ cuerdas, and not group quarters.
Amounts are expressed in contemporary dollars, and users studying change over time must adjust for inflation. See INCTOT for Consumer Price Index adjustment factors. The exception is the ACS/PRCS multi-year files, where all dollar amounts have been standardized to dollars as valued in the final year of data included in the file (e.g., 2007 dollars for the 2005-2007 3-year file). Additionally, more detail may be available than exists in the original ACS samples.
User Note
The traditional unit of land area in Puerto Rico is the cuerda. The cuerda is equal to about 3930 square meters, 4700 square yards, or 0.971 acres. Because the cuerda and the acre are so close to being equal, they are often treated informally as being equal. Mainlanders sometimes call the unit the "Spanish Acre." The IPUMS has preserved the units for the mainland U.S. as acres and Puerto Rico as cuerdas.
COSTGAS is a 4-digit numeric code which reports each rented housing unit's annual costs for utility, bottled, tank, or liquid petroleum gas, excluding amounts included with contract rent payments for 1970 samples and gives the annual gas costs, again excluding amounts included in contract rent or other types of payments in subsequent Census samples. COSTGAS amounts for renters are included in the gross monthly rental cost reported in RENTGRS. Census Bureau research comparing respondents' reported costs with utility company records indicates that respondents tend to overstate their costs. COSTGAS 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 by Census year (and data sample if specified).
User Note: Amounts are expressed in contemporary dollars, and users studying change over time must adjust for inflation (See Description).
COSTGAS Specific Variable Codes
0000 = N/A
0002 = $1 or $2 (2000)
9992 = Included in electricity payment (2003-onward ACS/PRCS)
9993 = No charge or no gas used (1990, 2000, 2003-onward ACS/PRCS)
9994 = Gas not used (1970, 1980)
9995 = Gas included in rent or no charge (1980)
9996 = Gas included in rent (1970)
9997 = Gas included in rent or in condo fee (1990, 2000, 2003-onward ACS/PRCS)
9998 = No charge, none used, or gas included in rent, condo fee, or electricity payment (2000-2002 ACS)
| COSTGAS | |
| Census | Top Code |
| 1970 (US) | $1,188 |
| 1970 (PR) | - |
| 1980 (US) | $1,800 |
| 1980 (PR) | $720 |
| 1990 (US) | $2,100* |
| 1990 (PR) | $1,656 |
| 2000 | $3,000** |
| ACS (2000) | $3,600** |
| ACS (2001) | $5,100** |
| ACS (2002) | $3,600** |
| ACS (2003-onward) | 99.5th Percentile in State** |
| PRCS (2005-onward) | 99.5th Percentile in State** |
* Higher amounts are expressed as the state medians of values above the listed Top Code value for that specific Census year (i.e. For Census Year 1990, any observed value greater than the Top Code value of $2,100 was coded as the median value greater than $2,100 within that observation's state.).
** Higher amounts are coded as the state means of values above the listed Top Code value for that specific Census year.
Values Exceeding Top codes, by State: 1990 - onward
Comparability
In the 1970-1980 censuses, the 1990 Puerto Rican Census and the ACS/PRCS, information was collected on monthly, not annual, costs. The IPUMS program multiplies these amounts by 12 to arrive at figures compatible with the annual amounts reported for the 1990 U. S. and 2000 U.S. and Puerto Rican censuses.
Except for the effects of inflation and different topcodes, this variable is comparable across years.
Universe
- 1960: Renter-occupied units rented for cash rent; not group quarters.
- 1970: Renter-occupied units rented for cash rent; not one-family houses on 10+ acres (in Puerto Rico, 3+ cuerdas); not group quarters.
- 1980-2000: Not group quarters, not vacant units.
- ACS, PRCS: Not group quarters, not vacant units.
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: 5%
- 1950: --
- 1940: --
- 1930: --
- 1920: --
- 1910: --
- 1900: --
- 1880: --
- 1870: --
- 1860: --
- 1850: --
- 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: PRCS; PRCS 3yr; PRCS 5yr
- 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: --
- 1920: --
- 1910: --
Questionnaire Text
| 2023 ACS | 2016 ACS | 2000 1% | 1970 Form 2 Metro |
| 2022 ACS | 2011 ACS | 1990 1% | 1970 Form 1 Metro |
| 2021 ACS | 2006 ACS | 1980 1% |
$________________.00
OR
[ ] Included in rent or condominium fee
[ ] Included in electricity payment entered above
[ ] No charge or gas not used
$________________.00
OR
[ ] Included in rent or condominium fee
[ ] Included in electricity payment entered above
[ ] No charge or gas not used
$________________.00
OR
[ ] Included in rent or condominium fee
[ ] Included in electricity payment entered above
[ ] No charge or gas not used
$________________.00
OR
[ ] Included in rent or condominium fee
[ ] Included in electricity payment entered above
[ ] No charge or gas not used
If your house, apartment, or mobile home is rented, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to the monthly rent.
If you live in a condominium, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to your condominium fee.
If your fuel and utility costs are included in your rent or condominium fee, mark the "Included in rent or in condominium fee" box. DO NOT enter any dollar amounts.
For items 11a and 11b, report LAST MONTH'S COSTS. For items 11c and 11d, report total costs for the PAST 12 MONTHS.
Estimate as closely as possible if you do not know exact costs. If you have lived in this house, apartment, or mobile home less than one year, estimate the costs for the PAST 12 MONTHS in 11c and 11d.
Report amounts even if your bills are unpaid or paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your house or apartment only. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount in 11a and mark the "Included in electricity payment entered above" box in item 11b.
$________________.00
OR
[ ] Included in rent or condominium fee
[ ] Included in electricity payment entered above
[ ] No charge or gas not used
If your house, apartment, or mobile home is rented, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to the monthly rent.
If you live in a condominium, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to your condominium fee.
If your fuel and utility costs are included in your rent or condominium fee, mark the "Included in rent or in condominium fee" box. DO NOT enter any dollar amounts.
For items 11a and 11b, report LAST MONTH'S COSTS. For items 11c and 11d, report total costs for the PAST 12 MONTHS.
Estimate as closely as possible if you do not know exact costs. If you have lived in this house, apartment, or mobile home less than one year, estimate the costs for the PAST 12 MONTHS in 11c and 11d.
Report amounts even if your bills are unpaid or paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your house or apartment only. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount in 11a and mark the "Included in electricity payment entered above" box in item 11b.
Last month's cost - Dollars
$________________.00
OR
[ ] Included in rent or condominium fee
[ ] Included in electricity payment entered above
[ ] No charge or gas not used
If your house, apartment, or mobile home is rented, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to the monthly rent.
If you live in a condominium, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to your condominium fee.
If your fuel and utility costs are included in your rent or condominium fee, mark the "Included in rent or in condominium fee" box. DO NOT enter any dollar amounts.
For items 14a and 14b, report last month's costs. For items 14c and 14d, report total costs for the past 12 months.
Estimate as closely as possible if you do not know exact costs. If you have lived in this house, apartment, or mobile home less than one year, estimate the costs for the past 12 months in 14c and14d.
Report amounts even if your bills are unpaid or paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your house or apartment only. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount in 14a and mark the "Included in electricity payment entered above" box in item14b.
$[ ],[ ][ ][ ].00
OR
[] Included in rent or in condominium fee
[] No charge or gas not used
If you have lived here less than 1 year, estimate the yearly cost. "If your house or apartment is rented, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to the rent entered in H7a. If you live in a condominium, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to your condominium fee. If your fuel and utility costs are already included in your rent or condominium fee, fill the Included in rent or in condominium fee circle. Do not enter any dollar amounts. The amounts to be reported should be the total amount for the past 12 months. Estimate as closely as possible when exact costs are not know. If you have lived in this house or apartment less than 1 year, estimate the yearly cost. Report amounts even if your bills are unpaid or paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your own house or apartment. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount on the electricity line and bracket [ ] the two utilities."
OR
[] Included in rent or in condominium fee
[] No charge or gas not used
H22. What are the costs of utilities and fuels for your living quarters?
"If your living quarters are rented, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to the rent entered in H12. If already included in rent, fill the appropriate circle. The amounts to be reported should be for the past 12 months, that is, for electricity and gas, the monthly averagefor the past 12 months; for water and other fuels, the totalamount for the past 12 months. Estimate as closely as possible when exact costs are not known. Report amounts even if your bills are unpaid or paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your own living quarters. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount on the electricity line and bracket ( { ) the two utilities."
Average monthly cost[] Gas not used
H13. Answer question H13 if you pay rent for your living quarters.
"If exact costs are not known, estimate as closely as possible. Report amounts even if bills are unpaid or are paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your own living quarters. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount on the electricity line and bracket ({) the two utilities."
[] No, included in rent Average monthly cost
[] No, gas not used
H13. Answer question H13 if you pay rent for your living quarters.
"If exact costs are not known, estimate as closely as possible. Report amounts even if bills are unpaid or are paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your own living quarters. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount on the electricity line and bracket ({) the two utilities."
[] No, included in rent Average monthly cost
[] No, gas not used
Flags
QCOSTGASEditing Procedure
COSTGAS , COSTELEC , COSTWATR , COSTFUEL (Utilities cost)
ACS Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ACS editing procedure:
If an occupied unit has a value for either last month's electricity or gas cost (COSTELEC, COSTGAS) that is too high (the exact value varies by year), it will be allocated. The allocated value is an COSTELEC or COSTGAS value of another unit of the same type of building (UNITSSTR, which shows if a building is a mobile home, detached single family, or attached single family), same ownership status (OWNERSHP), with the same type of fuel (FUELHEAT), same data collection month, 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 (QCOSTELE, QCOSTGAS).
If an occupied unit has a value for either last month's electricity or gas cost (COSTELEC, COSTGAS) that is too 0 or "Blank, Don't Know, Refused, or Bad Value" and the checkbox on if it was included in another cost or not used is left blank, it will be allocated. The allocated value is an COSTELEC or COSTGAS value of another unit of the same type of building (UNITSSTR, which shows if a building is a mobile home, detached single family, or attached single family), same ownership status (OWNERSHP), with the same type of fuel (FUELHEAT), same data collection month, 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 (QCOSTELE, QCOSTGAS).
If an occupied unit has a value for either annual water cost or fuel cost (COSTWATR, COSTFUEL) that is too high (the exact values vary by year), it will be allocated. The allocated value is an COSTWATR or COSTFUEL value of another unit of the same type of building (UNITSSTR, which shows if a building is a mobile home, detached single family, or attached single family), same 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 (QCOSTWAT, QCOSTFUE).
If an occupied unit has a value for annual water cost or fuel cost (COSTWATR, COSTFUEL) that is 0 or "Blank, Don't Know, Refused, or Bad Value" and the checkbox on if it was included in another cost or not used is left blank, it will be allocated. The allocated value is an COSTWATR or COSTFUEL value of another unit of the same type of building (UNITSSTR, which shows if a building is a mobile home, detached single family, or attached single family), same 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 (QCOSTWAT, QCOSTFUE).
If a vacant unit (VACANCY) has a value for COSTGAS, COSTELEC, COSTWATR, COSTFUEL, it will be changed to "Not in universe."
Internal ACS variable : ELE GAS WAT FUL