Description

PHONE indicates whether residents of the housing unit had telephone access.

Comparability

This variable does not mean exactly the same thing for all years. For the 1960 U.S. census and the 1970 U.S. and Puerto Rican censuses, the variable indicates whether or not residents of the housing unit had access to a telephone on which they could receive calls; the telephone could be located within or outside the housing unit, or even in another building. For the 1980-2000 U.S. and Puerto Rican censuses, the ACS and the PRCS, an affirmative response (code "2") means that the telephone was actually within the housing unit. The 2000 censuses, the 2000-2008 ACS, and the 2005-2008 PRCS asked specifically about the availability of telephone service, not simply the presence of a phone. The 2008 ACS and 2008 PRCS instructed respondents to include cell phone service; prior to 2008, this was not made explicit.

• In the 2008 ACS/PRCS and 2006-8 multiyear ACS/PRCS, a Census Bureau processing error led to an increase in the allocation rate for PHONE (see the data quality flag QPHONE) and an understatement of the percentage of households without phone service. Please seeACS Errata #53 and #64 for more information about the errors and the revisions. In November 2010, the Census Bureau released revised data. The revised releases correct this error. PHONE reports these revised values.

There have been four occasions where problems in the collection of data on PHONE led to the suppression of this variable in a selection of PUMAs. These suppressed cases were given a code of 8.

• 2012 ACS: Six PUMAs in Georgia were suppressed. This affects data from the 2012 1-year ACS and 2012 cases from the 3- and 5-year 2012 ACS samples. For more information see the Estimation section of the Accuracy of the Data for the 2012 1-year PUMS. and refer to the variable TEL.

• 2015 ACS: One PUMA in Arkansas, two in Florida, one in Kentucky, and one in Wisconsin were suppressed. This affects data from the 2015 1-year ACS and 2015 cases from 5-year ACS samples. For more information see the Estimation section of the Accuracy of the Data for the 2015 1-year PUMS and refer to the variable TEL.

• 2016 ACS: One PUMA in Illinois, three in North Carolina, two in South Carolina and eight in Texas were affected. This affects data from the 2016 1-year ACS and 2016 cases from 5-year ACS samples. For more information see the Estimation section of the Accuracy of the Data for the 2016 1-year PUMS and refer to the variable TEL.

• 2019 ACS: One PUMA in Florida and two in Indiana were affected. This affects data from the 2019 1-year ACS and 2019 cases from 5-year ACS samples. For more information see the Estimation section of the Accuracy of the Data for the 2019 1-year PUMS and refer to the variable TEL.

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: 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: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

PHONE (Telephone availability)
ACS Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ACS editing procedure:
In 2008, the question was clarified to include cell phones. This does not affect the editing procedure.
If a unit that is not vacant (VACANCY) was contacted through CATI (computer assisted telephone interview) the value of PHONE will have a value of "Yes." If a unit that is vacant (VACANCY), the value of PHONE will be "Not in universe."
If a unit is not vacant (VACANCY) and has a "Black, Don't know, Refused, or Bad Value" for PHONE, it will be allocated. The allocated value is the PHONE value from another non-vacant unit 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 (QPHONE).
Internal ACS variable : TEL