Description

FTOTINC reports the total pre-tax money income earned by one's family (as defined by FAMUNIT) from all sources for the previous year. For the census samples, the reference period is the previous calendar year; for the ACS/PRCS, it is the previous 12 months.

For 1950-1980, the amounts represent the midpoints of $10, $100, or other intervals used by each year's sample, not exact dollar amounts. 1990 gives exact dollar amounts. For the 2000 census, the ACS and the PRCS, FTOTINC is the sum of several income variables, each of which is rounded as follows:

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: ACS respondents are surveyed throughout the year, and amounts do not reflect calendar year dollars. While the Census Bureau provides an adjustment factor (available in ADJUST), this is an imperfect solution. See the ACS income variables note for further details.

FTOTINC is a 7-digit numeric code reporting the total pre-tax money income earned by one's family (as defined by FAMUNIT) from all sources for the previous year. FTOTINC 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).

FTOTINC Specific Variable Codes
-000001 = Net loss (1950)
0000000 = No income (1950-2000, ACS/PRCS)
9999998 = Not ascertained (1950)
9999999 = N/A

Values Exceeding Top codes, by State: 1990

Comparability

This variable measures essentially the same thing for all years, though the universe and calculation of FTOTINC varies:

• For 1950, 1960, and 1970, incomes are recorded only for persons age 14+; for 1980-2000, the ACS and the PRCS, incomes are recorded only for persons age 15+; younger people's incomes are not included in FTOTINC (or any other income variable).
• Beginning in 1960, FTOTINC is the total of family members' personal incomes, as recorded in INCTOT. In 1950, by contrast, INCTOT is available only for sample-line household heads. For 1950, FTOTINC is the sum of the sample-line household head's total income (in INCTOT), plus the wage, business or farm, and "other" income of other members of the primary family collectively, in FWAGE2 (Wage and salary income of other household members), FBUSINC (Business income of other family members), and FOTHINC (Other income of other family members). INCTOT is already top coded, as are its components.

User Note: In 1950, FTOTINC is reported only for families with a sample-line household head. It is also available for some 1950 group quarters residents who were heads of families or secondary families. Researchers must apply the person-record variable SLWT (sample-line weight) to produce representative statistics with FTOTINC in 1950.

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: 1%
• 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

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.