LIVING QUARTERS Living quarters are classified as either housing units or group quarters. (For more information, see the discussion of "Group Quarters" under Population Characteristics.) Usually, living quarters are in structures intended for residential use (for example, a one-family home, apartment house, hotel or motel, boarding house, or mobile home). Living quarters also may be in structures intended for nonresidential use (for example, the rooms in a warehouse where a guard lives), as well as in places such as tents, vans, shelters for the homeless, dormitories, barracks, and old railroad cars. Housing Units--A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home or trailer, a group of rooms or a single room occupied as separate living quarters or, if vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building and which have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. Both occupied and vacant housing units are included in the housing unit inventory, except that recreational vehicles, boats, vans, tents, railroad cars, and the like are included only if they are occupied as someone's usual place of residence. Vacant mobile homes are included provided they are intended for occupancy on the site where they stand. Vacant mobile homes on dealers' sales lots, at the factory, or in storage yards are excluded from the housing inventory. If the living quarters contains nine or more persons unrelated to the householder or person in charge (a total of at least 10 unrelated persons), it is classified as group quarters. If the living quarters contains eight or fewer persons unrelated to the householder or person in charge, it is classified as a housing unit. Occupied Housing Units--A housing unit is classified as occupied if it is the usual place of residence of the person or group of persons living in it at the time of enumeration, or if the occupants are only temporarily absent; that is, away on vacation or business. If all the persons staying in the unit at the time of the census have their usual place of residence elsewhere, the unit is classified as vacant. A household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. By definition, the count of occupied housing units for 100-percent tabulations is the same as the count of households or householders. In sample tabulations, the counts of household and occupied housing units may vary slightly because of different sample weighting methods. Vacant Housing Units--A housing unit is vacant if no one is living in it at the time of enumeration, unless its occupants are only temporarily absent. Units temporarily occupied at the time of enumeration entirely by persons who have a usual residence elsewhere also are classified as vacant. (For more information, see discussion under "Usual Home Elsewhere.") Hotels, Motels, Rooming Houses, Etc.--Occupied rooms or suites of rooms in hotels, motels, and similar places are classified as housing units only when occupied by permanent residents; that is, persons who consider the hotel as their usual place of residence or have no usual place of residence elsewhere. Vacant rooms or suites of rooms are classified as housing units only in those hotels, motels, and similar places in which 75 percent or more of the accommodations are occupied by permanent residents. If any of the occupants in a rooming or boarding house live and eat separately from others in the building and have direct access, their quarters are classified as separate housing units. Staff Living Quarters--The living quarters occupied by staff personnel within any group quarters are separate housing units if they satisfy the housing unit criteria of separateness and direct access; otherwise, they are considered group quarters. ACREAGE The data on acreage were obtained from questionnaire items H5a and H19a. Question H5a was asked at all occupied and vacant one-family houses and mobile homes. Question H19a was asked on a sample basis at occupied and vacant one-family houses and mobile homes. Question H5a asks whether the house or mobile home is located on a place of 10 or more acres. The intent of this item is to exclude owner-occupied and renter-occupied one-family houses on 10 or more acres from the specified owner- and renter-occupied universes for value and rent tabulations. Question H19a provides data on whether the unit is located on less than 1 acre. The main purpose of this item, in conjunction with question H19b on agricultural sales, is to identify farm units. (For more information, see discussion under "Farm Residence.") AGRICULTURAL SALES Data on the sales of agricultural crops were obtained from questionnaire item H19b, which was asked on a sample basis at occupied one-family houses and mobile homes located on lots of 1 acre or more. Data for this item exclude units on lots of less than 1 acre, units located in structures containing 2 or more units, and all vacant units. This item refers to the total amount (before taxes and expenses) received in 1989 from the sale of crops, vegetables, fruits, nuts, livestock and livestock products, and nursery and forest products, produced on "this property." Respondents new to a unit were asked to estimate total agricultural sales in 1989 even if some portion of the sales had been made by other occupants of the unit. This item is used mainly to classify housing units as farm or nonfarm residences, not to provide detailed information on the sale of agricultural products. Detailed information on the sale of agricultural products is provided by the Census Bureau's Census of Agriculture (Factfinder for the Nation: Agricultural Statistics, Bureau of the Census, 1989). (For more information, see the discussion under "Farm Residence.") BEDROOMS The data on bedrooms were obtained from questionnaire item H9, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. The number of bedrooms is the count of rooms designed to be used as bedrooms; that is, the number of rooms that would be listed as bedrooms if the house or apartment were on the market for sale or for rent. Included are all rooms intended to be used as bedrooms even if they currently are being used for some other purpose. A housing unit consisting of only one room, such as a one-room efficiency apartment, is classified, by definition, as having no bedroom. BOARDED-UP STATUS Boarded-up status was obtained from questionnaire item C2 and was determined for all vacant units. Boarded-up units have windows and doors covered by wood, metal, or masonry to protect the interior and to prevent entry into the building. A single-unit structure, a unit in a multi-unit structure, or an entire multi-unit structure may be boarded-up in this way. For certain census data products, boarded-up units are shown only for units in the "Other vacant" category. A unit classified as "Usual home elsewhere" can never be boarded up. (For more information, see the discussion under "Usual Home Elsewhere.") BUSINESS ON PROPERTY The data for business on property were obtained from questionnaire item H5b, which was asked at all occupied and vacant one-family houses and mobile homes. This question is used to exclude owner-occupied one-family houses with business or medical offices on the property from certain statistics on financial characteristics. A business must be easily recognizable from the outside. It usually will have a separate outside entrance and have the appearance of a business, such as a grocery store, restaurant, or barber shop. It may be either attached to the house or mobile home or be located elsewhere on the property. Those housing units in which a room is used for business or professional purposes and have no recognizable alterations to the outside are not considered as having a business. Medical offices are considered businesses for tabulation purposes. CONDOMINIUM FEE The data on condominium fee were obtained from questionnaire item H25, which was asked at owner-occupied condominiums. This item was asked on a sample basis. A condominium fee normally is charged monthly to the owners of the individual condominium units by the condominium owners association to cover operating, maintenance, administrative, and improvement costs of the common property (grounds, halls, lobby, parking areas, laundry rooms, swimming pool, etc.) The costs for utilities and/or fuels may be included in the condominium fee if the units do not have separate meters. Data on condominium fees may include real estate tax and/or insurance payments for the common property, but do not include real estate taxes or fire, hazard, and flood insurance for the individual unit already reported in questions H21 and H22. Amounts reported were the regular monthly payment, even if paid by someone outside the household or remain unpaid. Costs were estimated as closely as possible when exact costs were not known. CONDOMINIUM STATUS The data on condominium housing units were obtained from questionnaire item H18, which was asked on a sample basis at both occupied and vacant housing units. Condominium is a type of ownership that enables a person to own an apartment or house in a development of similarly owned units and to hold a common or joint ownership in some or all of the common areas and facilities such as land, roof, hallways, entrances, elevators, swimming pool, etc. Condominiums may be single-family houses as well as units in apartment buildings. A condominium unit need not be occupied by the owner to be counted as such. A unit classified as "mobile home or trailer" or "other" (see discussion under "Units in Structure") cannot be a condominium unit. CONTRACT RENT The data on contract rent (also referred to as "rent asked" for vacant units) were obtained from questionnaire item H7a, which was asked at all occupied housing units that were rented for cash rent and all vacant housing units that were for rent at the time of enumeration. Housing units that are renter occupied without payment of cash rent are shown separately as "No cash rent" in census data products. The unit may be owned by friends or relatives who live elsewhere and who allow occupancy without charge. Rent-free houses or apartments may be provided to compensate caretakers, ministers, tenant farmers, sharecroppers, or others. Contract rent is the monthly rent agreed to or contracted for, regardless of any furnishings, utilities, fees, meals, or services that may be included. For vacant units, it is the monthly rent asked for the rental unit at the time of enumeration. to note large rent and value differences among various geographic areas. DURATION OF VACANCY The data for duration of vacancy (also referred to as "months vacant") were obtained from questionnaire item D, which was completed by census enumerators. The statistics on duration of vacancy refer to the length of time (in months and years) between the date the last occupants moved from the unit and the time of enumeration. The data, therefore, do not provide a direct measure of the total length of time units remain vacant. FARM RESIDENCE The data on farm residence were obtained from questionnaire items H19a and H19b. An occupied one-family house or mobile home is classified as a farm residence if: (1) the housing unit is located on a property of 1 acre or more, and (2) at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products were sold from the property in 1989. Group quarters and housing units that are in multi-unit buildings or vacant are not included as farm residences. A one-family unit occupied by a tenant household paying cash rent for land and buildings is enumerated as a farm residence only if sales of agricultural products from its yard (as opposed to the general property on which it is located) amounted to at least $1,000 in 1989. A one-family unit occupied by a tenant household that does not pay cash rent is enumerated as a farm residence if the remainder of the farm (including its yard) qualifies as a farm. Farm residence is provided as an independent data item only for housing units located in rural areas. It may be derived for housing units in urban areas from the data items on acreage and sales of agricultural products on the public-use microdata sample (PUMS) files. (For more information on PUMS, see Appendix F, Data Products and User Assistance.) The farm population consists of persons in households living in farm residences. Some persons who are counted on a property classified as a farm (including in some cases farm workers) are excluded from the farm population. Such persons include those who reside in multi-unit buildings or group quarters. GROSS RENT Gross rent is the contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, and water) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.) if these are paid for by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else). Gross rent is intended to eliminate differentials which result from varying practices with respect to the inclusion of utilities and fuels as part of the rental payment. The estimated costs of utilities and fuels are reported on a yearly basis but are converted to monthly figures for the tabulations. Renter units occupied without payment of cash rent are shown separately as "No cash rent" in the tabulations. Gross rent is calculated on a sample basis. GROSS RENT AS A PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN 1989 Gross rent as a percentage of household income in 1989 is a computed ratio of monthly gross rent to monthly household income (total household income in 1989 divided by 12). The ratio was computed separately for each unit and was rounded to the nearest whole percentage. Units for which no cash rent is paid and units occupied by households that reported no income or a net loss in 1989 comprise the category "Not computed." This item is calculated on a sample basis. HOUSE HEATING FUEL The data on house heating fuel were obtained from questionnaire item H14, which was asked at occupied housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. The data show the type of fuel used most to heat the house or apartment. Utility Gas--Includes gas piped through underground pipes from a central system to serve the neighborhood. Bottled, Tank, or LP Gas--Includes liquid propane gas stored in bottles or tanks which are refilled or exchanged when empty. Fuel Oil, Kerosene, Etc--Includes fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, alcohol, and other combustible liquids. Wood--Includes purchased wood, wood cut by household members on their property or elsewhere, driftwood, sawmill or construction scraps, or the like. Solar Energy--Includes heat provided by sunlight which is collected, stored, and actively distributed to most of the rooms. Other Fuel--Includes all other fuels not specified elsewhere. No Fuel Used--Includes units that do not use any fuel or that do not have heating equipment. INSURANCE FOR FIRE, HAZARD, AND FLOOD The data on fire, hazard, and flood insurance were obtained from questionnaire item H22, which was asked at a sample of owner-occupied one-family houses, condominiums, and mobile homes. The statistics for this item refer to the annual premium for fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property (land and buildings); that is, policies that protect the property and its contents against loss due to damage by fire, lightning, winds, hail, flood, explosion, and so on. KITCHEN FACILITIES Data on kitchen facilities were obtained from questionnaire item H11, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. A unit has complete kitchen facilities when it has all of the following: (1) an installed sink with piped water, (2) a range, cook top and convection or microwave oven, or cookstove, and (3) a refrigerator. All kitchen facilities must be located in the structure. They need not be in the same room. Portable cooking equipment is not considered a range or cookstove. An ice box is not considered to be a refrigerator. MEALS INCLUDED IN RENT The data on meals included in the rent were obtained from questionnaire item H7b, which was asked of all occupied housing units that were rented for cash and all vacant housing units that were for rent at the time of enumeration. The statistics on meals included in rent are presented for specified renter-occupied and specified vacant-for-rent units. Specified renter-occupied and specified vacant-for-rent units exclude one-family houses on 10 or more acres. (For more information, see the discussion under "Contract Rent.") MOBILE HOME COSTS The data on mobile home costs were obtained from questionnaire item H26, which was asked at owner-occupied mobile homes. This item was asked on a sample basis. These data include the total yearly costs for personal property taxes, land or site rent, registration fees, and license fees on all owner-occupied mobile homes. The instructions are to not include real estate taxes already reported in question H21. MORTGAGE PAYMENT The data on mortgage payment were obtained from questionnaire item H23b, which was asked at owner occupied one-family houses, condominiums, and mobile homes. This item was asked on a sample basis. Question H23b provides the regular monthly amount required to be paid the lender for the first mortgage (deed of trust, contract to purchase, or similar debt) on the property. Amounts are included even if the payments are delinquent or paid by someone else. The amounts reported are included in the computation of "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" and "Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in 1989" for units with a mortgage. The amounts reported include everything paid to the lender including principal and interest payments, real estate taxes, fire, hazard, and flood insurance payments, and mortgage insurance premiums. Separate questions determine whether real estate taxes and fire, hazard, and flood insurance payments are included in the mortgage payment to the lender. This makes it possible to avoid counting these components twice in the computation of "Selected Monthly Owner Costs." MORTGAGE STATUS The data on mortgage status were obtained from questionnaire items H23a and H24a, which were asked at owner-occupied one-family houses, condominiums, and mobile homes. "Mortgage" refers to all forms of debt where the property is pledged as security for repayment of the debt. It includes such debt instruments as deeds of trust, trust deeds, contracts to purchase, land contracts, junior mortgages and home equity loans. A mortgage is considered a first mortgage if it has prior claim over any other mortgage or if it is the only mortgage on the property. All other mortgages, (second, third, etc.) are considered junior mortgages. A home equity loan is generally a junior mortgage. If no first mortgage is reported, but a junior mortgage or home equity loan is reported, then the loan is considered a first mortgage. PERSONS IN UNIT This item is based on the 100-percent count of persons in occupied housing units. All persons occupying the housing unit are counted, including the householder, occupants related to the householder, and lodgers, roomers, boarders, and so forth. The data on "persons in unit" show the number of housing units occupied by the specified number of persons. The phrase "persons in unit" is used for housing tabulations, "persons in households" for population items. Figures for "persons in unit" match those for "persons in household" for 100-percent data products. In sample products, they may differ because of the weighting process. Median Persons in Unit--In computing median persons in unit, a whole number is used as the midpoint of an interval; thus, a unit with 4 persons is treated as an interval ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 persons. Median persons is rounded to the nearest hundredth. (For more information on medians, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.") Persons in Occupied Housing Units--This is the total population minus those persons living in group quarters. "Persons per occupied housing unit" is computed by dividing the population living in housing units by the number of occupied housing units. PERSONS PER ROOM "Persons per room" is obtained by dividing the number of persons in each occupied housing unit by the number of rooms in the unit. Persons per room is rounded to the nearest hundredth. The figures shown refer, therefore, to the number of occupied housing units having the specified ratio of persons per room. Mean Persons Per Room--This is computed by dividing persons in housing units by the aggregate number of rooms. This is intended to provide a measure of utilization. A higher mean may indicate a greater degree of utilization or crowding; a low mean may indicate under-utilization. (For more information on means, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.") PLUMBING FACILITIES The data on plumbing facilities were obtained from questionnaire item H10, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. Complete plumbing facilities include hot and cold piped water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower. All three facilities must be located inside the house, apartment, or mobile home, but not necessarily in the same room. Housing units are classified as lacking complete plumbing facilities when any of the three facilities are not present. POVERTY STATUS OF HOUSEHOLDS IN 1989 The data on poverty status of households were derived from answers to the income questions. The income items were asked on a sample basis. Households are classified below the poverty level when the total 1989 income of the family or of the nonfamily householder is below the appropriate poverty threshold. The income of persons living in the household who are unrelated to the householder is not considered when determining the poverty status of a household, nor does their presence affect the household size in determining the appropriate poverty threshold. The poverty thresholds vary depending upon three criteria: size of family, number of children, and age of the family householder or unrelated individual for one and two-persons households. (For more information, see the discussion of "Poverty Status in 1989" and "Income in 1989" under Population Characteristics.) REAL ESTATE TAXES The data on real estate taxes were obtained from questionnaire item H21, which was asked at owner-occupied one-family houses, condominiums, and mobile homes. The statistics from this question refer to the total amount of all real estate taxes on the entire property (land and buildings) payable in 1989 to all taxing jurisdictions, including special assessments, school taxes, county taxes, and so forth. Real estate taxes include State, local, and all other real estate taxes even if delinquent, unpaid, or paid by someone who is not a member of the household. However, taxes due from prior years are not included. If taxes are paid on other than a yearly basis, the payments are converted to a yearly basis. The payment for real estate taxes is added to payments for fire, hazard, and flood insurance; utilities and fuels; and mortgages (both first and junior mortgages and home equity loans) to derive "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" and "Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in 1989." A separate question (H23c) determines whether real estate taxes are included in the mortgage payment to the lender(s). This makes it possible to avoid counting taxes twice in the computations. ROOMS The data on rooms were obtained from questionnaire item H3, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. The statistics on rooms are in terms of the number of housing units with a specified number of rooms. The intent of this question is to count the number of whole rooms used for living purposes. For each unit, rooms include living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, finished recreation rooms, enclosed porches suitable for year-round use, and lodger's rooms. Excluded are strip or pullman kitchens, bathrooms, open porches, balconies, halls or foyers, half-rooms, utility rooms, unfinished attics or basements, or other unfinished space used for storage. A partially divided room is a separate room only if there is a partition from floor to ceiling, but not if the partition consists solely of shelves or cabinets. Median Rooms--This measure divides the room distribution into two equal parts, one-half of the cases falling below the median number of rooms and one-half above the median. In computing median rooms, the whole number is used as the midpoint of the interval; thus, the category "3 rooms" is treated as an interval ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 rooms. Median rooms is rounded to the nearest tenth. (For more information on medians, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.") Aggregate Rooms--To calculate aggregate rooms, an arbitrary value of "10" is assigned to rooms for units falling within the terminal category, "9 or more." (For more information on aggregates and means, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.") SECOND OR JUNIOR MORTGAGE PAYMENT The data on second or junior mortgage payments were obtained from questionnaire items H24a and H24b, which were asked at owner-occupied one-family houses, condominiums, and mobile homes. Question H24a asks whether a second or junior mortgage or a home equity loan exists on the property. Question H24b provides the regular monthly amount required to be paid to the lender on all second or junior mortgages and home equity loans. Amounts are included even if the payments are delinquent or paid by someone else. The amounts reported are included in the computation of "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" and "Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in 1989" for units with a mortgage. All mortgages other than first mortgages are classified as "junior" mortgages. A second mortgage is a junior mortgage that gives the lender a claim against the property that is second to the claim of the holder of the first mortgage. Any other junior mortgage(s) would be subordinate to the second mortgage. A home equity loan is a line of credit available to the borrower that is secured by real estate. It may be placed on a property that already has a first or second mortgage, or it may be placed on a property that is owned free and clear. SELECTED MONTHLY OWNER COSTS The data on selected monthly owner costs were obtained from questionnaire items H20 through H26 for a sample of owner-occupied one-family houses, condominiums, and mobile homes. Selected monthly owner costs is the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payments for the first mortgage, second or junior mortgages, and home equity loans); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, and water); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fee for condominiums and mobile home costs (personal property taxes, site rent, registration fees, and license fees) for mobile homes. In certain tabulations, selected monthly owner costs are presented separately for specified owner-occupied housing units (owner-occupied one-family houses on fewer than 10 acres without a business or medical office on the property), owner-occupied condominiums, and owner-occupied mobile homes. Data usually are shown separately for units "with a mortgage" and for units "not mortgaged." Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs--This measure is rounded to the nearest whole dollar. SELECTED MONTHLY OWNER COSTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN 1989 The information on selected monthly owner costs as a percentage of household income in 1989 is the computed ratio of selected monthly owner costs to monthly household income in 1989. The ratio was computed separately for each unit and rounded to the nearest whole percentage. The data are tabulated separately for specified owner- occupied units, condominiums, and mobile homes. SEWAGE DISPOSAL The data on sewage disposal were obtained from questionnaire item H16, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. Housing units are either connected to a public sewer, to a septic tank or cesspool, or they dispose of sewage by other means. A public sewer may be operated by a government body or by a private organization. A housing unit is considered to be connected to a septic tank or cesspool when the unit is provided with an underground pit or tank for sewage disposal. The category, "Other means" includes housing units which dispose of sewage in some other way. SOURCE OF WATER The data on source of water were obtained from questionnaire item H15, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. Housing units may receive their water supply from a number of sources. A common source supplying water to five or more units is classified as a "Public system or private company." The water may be supplied by a city, county, water district, water company, etc., or it may be obtained from a well which supplies water to five or more housing units. If the water is supplied from a well serving four or fewer housing units, the units are classified as having water supplied by either an "Individual drilled well" or an "Individual dug well." Drilled wells or small diameter wells are usually less than 1-1/2 feet in diameter. Dug wells are usually larger than 1-1/2 feet wide and generally hand dug. The category, "Some other source" includes water obtained from springs, creeks, rivers, lakes, cisterns, etc. TELEPHONE IN HOUSING UNIT The data on telephones were obtained from questionnaire item H12, which was asked at occupied housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. A telephone must be inside the house or apartment for the unit to be classified as having a telephone. Units where the respondent uses a telephone located inside the building but not in the respondent's living quarters are classified as having no telephone. TENURE The data for tenure were obtained from questionnaire item H4, which was asked at all occupied housing units. All occupied housing units are classified as either owner occupied or renter occupied. Owner Occupied--A housing unit is owner occupied if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit even if it is mortgaged or not fully paid for. The owner or co-owner must live in the unit and usually is the person listed in column 1 of the questionnaire. The unit is "Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan" if it is being purchased with a mortgage or some other debt arrangement such as a deed of trust, trust deed, contract to purchase, land contract, or purchase agreement. The unit is also considered owned with a mortgage if it is built on leased land and there is a mortgage on the unit. A housing unit is "Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage)" if there is no mortgage or other similar debt on the house, apartment, or mobile home including units built on leased land if the unit is owned outright without a mortgage. Although owner-occupied units are divided between mortgaged and owned free and clear on the questionnaire, census data products containing 100-percent data show only total owner-occupied counts. More extensive mortgage information was collected on the long-form questionnaire and are shown in census products containing sample data. (For more information, see the discussion under "Mortgage Status.") Renter Occupied--All occupied housing units which are not owner occupied, whether they are rented for cash rent or occupied without payment of cash rent, are classified as renter occupied. "No cash rent" units are separately identified in the rent tabulations. Such units are generally provided free by friends or relatives or in exchange for services such as resident manager, caretaker, minister, or tenant farmer. Housing units on military bases also are classified in the "No cash rent" category. "Rented for cash rent" includes units in continuing care, sometimes called life care arrangements. These arrangements usually involve a contract between one or more individuals and a health services provider guaranteeing the individual shelter, usually a house or apartment, and services, such as meals or transportation to shopping or recreation. UNITS IN STRUCTURE The data on units in structure (also referred to as "type of structure") were obtained from questionnaire item H2, which was asked at all housing units. A structure is a separate building that either has open spaces on all sides or is separated from other structures by dividing walls that extend from ground to roof. In determining the number of units in a structure, all housing units, both occupied and vacant, are counted. Stores and office space are excluded. The statistics are presented for the number of housing units in structures of specified type and size, not for the number of residential buildings. 1-Unit, Detached--This is a 1-unit structure detached from any other house; that is, with open space on all four sides. Such structures are considered detached even if they have an adjoining shed or garage. A one-family house that contains a business is considered detached as long as the building has open space on all four sides. Mobile homes or trailers to which one or more permanent rooms have been added or built also are included. 1-Unit, Attached--This is a 1-unit structure that has one or more walls extending from ground to roof separating it from adjoining structures. In row houses (sometimes called townhouses), double houses, or houses attached to nonresidential structures, each house is a separate, attached structure if the dividing or common wall goes from ground to roof. 2 or More Units--These are units in structures containing 2 or more housing units, further categorized as units in structures with 2, 3 or 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 19, 20 to 49, and 50 or more units. Mobile Home or Trailer--Both occupied and vacant mobile homes to which no permanent rooms have been added are counted in this category. Mobile homes or trailers used only for business purposes or for extra sleeping space and mobile homes or trailers for sale on a dealer's lot, at the factory, or in storage are not counted in the housing inventory. Other--This category is for any living quarters occupied as a housing unit that does not fit the previous categories. Examples that fit this category are houseboats, railroad cars, campers, and vans. USUAL HOME ELSEWHERE The data for usual home elsewhere are obtained from questionnaire item B, which was completed by census employees. A housing unit temporarily occupied at the time of enumeration entirely by persons with a usual residence elsewhere is classified as vacant. The occupants are classified as having a "Usual home elsewhere" and are counted at the address of their usual place of residence. Typical examples are people in a vacation home, persons renting living quarters temporarily for work, and migrant workers. UTILITIES The data on utility costs were obtained from questionnaire items H20a through H20d, which were asked of occupied housing units. These items were asked on a sample basis. Questions H20a through H20d asked for the yearly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water) and other fuels (oil, coal, wood, kerosene, etc.). For the tabulations, these yearly amounts are divided by 12 to derive the average monthly cost and are then included in the computation of "Gross Rent," "Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in 1989," "Selected Monthly Owner Costs," and "Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income in 1989." Costs are recorded if paid by or billed to occupants, a welfare agency, relatives, or friends. Costs that are paid by landlords, included in the rent payment, or included in condominium or cooperative fees are excluded. VACANCY STATUS The data on vacancy status were obtained from questionnaire item C1, which was completed by census enumerators. Vacancy status and other characteristics of vacant units were determined by enumerators obtaining information from landlords, owners, neighbors, rental agents, and others. Vacant units are subdivided according to their housing market classification as follows: For Rent--These are vacant units offered "for rent," and vacant units offered either "for rent" or "for sale." For Sale Only--These are vacant units being offered "for sale only," including units in cooperatives and condominium projects if the individual units are offered "for sale only." Rented or Sold, Not Occupied--If any money rent has been paid or agreed upon but the new renter has not moved in as of the date of enumeration, or if the unit has recently been sold but the new owner has not yet moved in, the vacant unit is classified as "rented or sold, not occupied." For Seasonal, Recreational, or Occasional Use--These are vacant units used or intended for use only in certain seasons or for weekend or other occasional use throughout the year. Seasonal units include those used for summer or winter sports or recreation, such as beach cottages and hunting cabins. Seasonal units also may include quarters for such workers as herders and loggers. Interval ownership units, sometimes called shared-ownership or time-sharing condominiums, also are included here. For Migrant Workers--These include vacant units intended for occupancy by migratory workers employed in farm work during the crop season. (Work in a cannery, a freezer plant, or a food-processing plant is not farm work.) Other Vacant--If a vacant unit does not fall into any of the classifications specified above, it is classified as "other vacant." For example, this category includes units held for occupancy by a caretaker or janitor, and units held for personal reasons of the owner. Homeowner Vacancy Rate--This is the percentage relationship between the number of vacant units for sale and the total homeowner inventory. It is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for sale only by the sum of the owner-occupied units and the number of vacant units that are for sale only. Rental Vacancy Rate--This is the percentage relationship of the number of vacant units for rent to the total rental inventory. It is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter- occupied units and the number of vacant units for rent. VALUE The data on value (also referred to as "price asked" for vacant units) were obtained from questionnaire item H6, which was asked at housing units that were owned, being bought, or vacant for sale at the time of enumeration. Value is the respondent's estimate of how much the property (house and lot, mobile home and lot, or condominium unit) would sell for if it were for sale. If the house or mobile home was owned or being bought, but the land on which it sits was not, the respondent was asked to estimate the combined value of the house or mobile home and the land. For vacant units, value was the price asked for the property. Value was tabulated separately for all owner-occupied and vacant-for-sale housing units, owner-occupied and vacant-for-sale mobile homes or trailers, and specified owner-occupied and specified vacant-for-sale housing units. Specified owner-occupied and specified vacant-for-sale housing units include only one-family houses on fewer than 10 acres without a business or medical office on the property. The data for "specified units" exclude mobile homes, houses with a business or medical office, houses on 10 or more acres, and housing units in multi-unit buildings. Median and Quartile Value--The median divides the value distribution into two equal parts. Quartiles divide the value distribution into four equal parts. These measures are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. (For more information on medians and quartiles, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.") Aggregate Value--To calculate aggregate value, the amount assigned for the category "Less than $10,000" is $9,000. The amount assigned to the category "$500,000 or more" is $600,000. Mean value is rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. (For more information on aggregates and means, see the discussion under "Derived Measures.") VEHICLES AVAILABLE The data on vehicles available were obtained from questionnaire item H13, which was asked at occupied housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. These data show the number of households with a specified number of passenger cars, vans, and pickup or panel trucks of one-ton capacity or less kept at home and available for the use of household members. Vehicles rented or leased for one month or more, company vehicles, and police and government vehicles are included if kept at home and used for nonbusiness purposes. Dismantled or immobile vehicles are excluded. Vehicles kept at home but used only for business purposes also are excluded. Vehicles Per Household--This is computed by dividing aggregate vehicles available by the number of occupied housing units. YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT The data on year structure built were obtained from questionnaire item H17, which was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. This item was asked on a sample basis. Data on year structure built refer to when the building was first constructed, not when it was remodeled, added to, or converted. For housing units under construction that met the housing unit definition--that is, all exterior windows, doors, and final usable floors were in place--the category "1989 or March 1990" was used. For a houseboat or a mobile home or trailer, the manufacturer's model year was assumed to be the year built. The figures shown in census data products relate to the number of units built during the specified periods that were still in existence at the time of enumeration. Median Year Structure Built--The median divides the distribution into two equal parts. The median is rounded to the nearest calendar year. Median age of housing can be obtained by subtracting median year structure built from 1990. For example, if the median year structure built is 1957, the median age of housing in that area is 33 years (1990 minus 1957). Mean This measure represents an arithmetic average of a set of values. It is derived by dividing the sum of a group of numerical items (or aggregate) by the total number of items. Aggregates are used in computing mean values. For example, mean family income is obtained by dividing the aggregate of all income reported by persons in families by the total number of families. (Additional information on means and aggregates is included in the separate explanations of many population and housing subjects.) Median This measure represents the middle value in a distribution. The median divides the total frequency into two equal parts: one-half of the cases fall below the median and one-half of the cases exceed the median. The median is computed on the basis of the distribution as tabulated, which is sometimes more detailed than the distribution shown in specific census publications and other data products. In reports, if the median falls within the upper interval of the tabulation distribution, the median is shown as the initial value of the interval followed by a plus sign (+); if within the lower interval, the median is shown as the upper value of the category followed by a minus sign (-). For summary tape files, if the median falls within the upper or lower interval, it is set to a specified value. (Additional information on medians is included in the separate explanations of many population and housing subjects.)
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