1 Recording of amounts for earnings from longest job increased to $299,999. Full implementation of 1980 census-based sample design.
2 Implementation of a new March CPS processsing system.
3 Implementation of 1990 census population controls.
4 Data collection method changed from paper and pencil to computerassisted interviewing. In addition, the March 1994 incomesupplement was revised to allow for the coding of differentincome amounts on selected questionnaire items.Limits either increased or decreasedin the following categories: earnings increased to $999,999;social security increased to $49,999;supplemental security income andpublic assistance increased to $24,999;veterans' benefits increased to $99,999;child support and alimony decreased to $49,999.
5 Introduction of 1990 census sample design.
6 Full implementation of the 1990 census-based sampledesign and metropolitan definitions, 7,000 household samplereduction, and revised race edits.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Internet site (accessed 8 June 1999).

http://WWW.CENSUS.GOV/hhes/income/histinc/incexper.html

*Definitions

Households

Households consist of all people who occupy a housing unit. The CensusBureau regards a house, an apartment or other group of rooms, or asingle room as a housing unit when it is occupied or intended foroccupancy as separate living quarters: the occupants do not live and eatwith any other people in the structure and there is direct access fromthe outside or through a common hall.

A household includes the related family members and all unrelatedpeople, if any, such as lodgers, foster children, wards, or employeeswho share the housing unit. The Census Bureau also counts a personliving alone in a housing unit or a group of unrelated people sharinga housing unit as partners as a household. The count of householdsexcludes group quarters.

Householder

The householder refers to the person (or one of the people) who owns orrents (maintains) the housing unit. If a married couple owns the housingunit jointly, the interviewer may list either as the householder. Theperson listed first is the householder and is the "reference person" towhom the Census Bureau designates the relationship of all other householdmembers. The number of householders is equal to the number of households.Also, the number of family householders is equal to the number of families.

Income

For each person in the sample 15 years old and over, the CPS asksquestions on the amount of money income received in the precedingcalendar year from each of the following sources:

1. Earnings2. Unemployment compensation3. Workers' compensation4. Social security5. Supplemental security income6. Public assistance7. Veterans' payments8. Survivor benefits9. Disability benefits10. Pension or retirement income11. Interest12. Dividends13. Rents, royalties, and estates and trusts14. Educational assistance15. Alimony16. Child support17. Financial assistance from outside of the household18. Other income

It should be noted that although the income statistics refer toreceipts during the preceding calendar year, the demographiccharacteristics, such as age, labor force status, and family orhousehold composition, are as of the survey date. The income ofthe family/household does not include amounts received by people whowere members during all or part of the income year if these people nolonger resided in the family/household at the time of interview.However, the CPS collects income data for people who are currentresidents but did not reside in the household during the income year.

Data on consumer income collected in the CPS by the Census Bureaucover money income received (exclusive of certain money receipts suchas capital gains) before payments for personal income taxes, socialsecurity, union dues, medicare deductions, etc. Therefore, moneyincome does not reflect the fact that some families receive part oftheir income in the form of noncash benefits, such as food stamps,health benefits, rent-free housing, and goods produced and consumedon the farm. In addition, money income does not reflect the fact thatnoncash benefits are also received by some nonfarm residents whichoften take the form of the use of business transportation andfacilities, full or partial payments by business for retirementprograms, medical and educational expenses, etc. Data users shouldconsider these elements when comparing income levels. Moreover,readers should be aware that for many different reasons there is atendency in household surveys for respondents to underreport theirincome. Based on an analysis of independently derived incomeestimates, the Census Bureau determined that respondents report incomeearned from wages or salaries much better than other sources of incomeand that the reported wage and salary income is nearly equal toindependent estimates of aggregate income.

Median income

Median income is the amount which divides the income distribution intotwo equal groups, half having incomes above the median, half havingincomes below the median. The medians for households, families, andunrelated individuals are based on all households, families, andunrelated individuals, respectively. The medians for people are basedon people 15 years old and over with income.

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