Description

RENTGRS reports the gross monthly rental cost of the housing unit, including contract rent plus additional costs for utilities (water, electricity, gas) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). The census PUMS for each year constructed this variable by adding the amounts reported for contract rent, utility costs, and fuel costs. RENTGRS amounts should be more comparable across renting households than RENT (Contract rent) amounts, which may or may not include utilities and fuels. See RENT for more discussion of contract rent.

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.

RENTGRS is a 5-digit numeric variable that reports the gross monthly rental cost of the housing unit, including contract rent plus additional costs for utilities (water, electricity, gas) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). The census PUMS for each year constructed this variable by adding the amounts reported for contract rent, utility costs, and fuel costs. RENTGRS amounts should be more comparable across renting households than RENT (Contract rent) amounts, which may or may not include utilities and fuels. See RENT for more discussion of contract rent. RENTGRS 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). 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.

RENTGRS Specific Variable Codes
0000 = N/A

*Higher amounts are expressed as the state medians of values above $1,500.
** For the ACS and PRCS, RENTGRS is not documented. See constituent variables: (RENT, COSTELEC, COSTGAS, COSTFUEL) for Top code information.

Values Exceeding Top codes, by State: 1990

User Note: Some states in the 1990 data show more than one value above $1,500, even though all values above this point were to be replaced by state medians.

Comparability

This variable yields similar information for all years, apart from universe changes, different Top codes, and the effects of inflation. For all samples except the 1960 1% sample, RENTGRS is a continuous variable. For the 1960 1% sample, amounts were recorded in intervals; the 1960 1% sample intervals and corresponding codes are reported below. In all years, amounts are expressed in contemporary dollars.

While, for most years, RENTGRS is a continuous variable, the data for 1970-1990 are less precise than might appear to be the case. In these years, the census form required respondents to report their contract rent by selecting an interval (e.g., $50 to $59). When calculated gross rent for the PUMS, the Census Bureau took the mid-point of the selected interval for contract rent (e.g., $55) and added the average monthly cost of electricity, gas, water, and heating fuel. When utility costs were reported on an annual rather than a monthly basis, one twelfth of the reported annual cost was used to calculate gross rent.

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: --
• 1980: All samples
• 1970: All samples
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.