C25068. Bedrooms by Gross Rent [21] - American Community Survey 2008 (ACS08) - ACS 2008 (1-Year Estimates)

Data Dictionary:

ACS 2008 (1-Year Estimates)

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Survey: ACS 2008 (1-Year Estimates)

Data Source:

U.S. Census Bureau

Data set: American Community Survey 2008 (ACS08)

Table:

C25068. Bedrooms by Gross Rent [21]

Universe: Renter-occupied housing units

Table Details

C25068.

Bedrooms by Gross Rent

Universe: Renter-occupied housing units

Variable	Label
C25068001	Total
C25068002	No Bedroom
C25068003	With Cash Rent
C25068004	Less than $500
C25068005	$500 or More
C25068006	No Cash Rent
C25068007	1 Bedroom
C25068008	With Cash Rent
C25068009	Less than $500
C25068010	$500 or More
C25068011	No Cash Rent
C25068012	2 Bedrooms
C25068013	With Cash Rent
C25068014	Less than $500
C25068015	$500 or More
C25068016	No Cash Rent
C25068017	3 or More Bedrooms
C25068018	With Cash Rent
C25068019	Less than $500
C25068020	$500 or More
C25068021	No Cash Rent

Relevant Documentation:

Excerpt from:	Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2008 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
	ACS 2008-1yr Summary File: Technical Documentation -> Appendix B. Subject Definitions -> Housing Variables -> Bedrooms

Bedrooms

The data on bedrooms were obtained from Housing Question 7b in the 2008 American Community Survey. The question was asked at both occupied and vacant housing units. 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, apartment, or mobile home 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 is classified, by definition, as having no bedroom.

Limitation of the Data

The Census Bureau tested the changes introduced to the 2008 version of the bedrooms question in the 2006 ACS Content Test. The results of this testing show that the changes may introduce an inconsistency in the data produced for this question as observed from the years 2007 to 2008, see "2006 ACS Content Test Evaluation Report Covering Rooms and Bedrooms" (For more information, please click here).

Question/Concept History

The 1996-1998 American Community Survey question provided a response category for "None" and space for the respondent to enter a number of bedrooms. From 1999-2007, the question provided pre-coded response categories from "No bedroom" to "5 or more bedrooms." Starting in 2008, the question became the second part of a two-part question that linked the number of "rooms" and number of" bedrooms" questions together. In addition, the wording of the question was changed to ask, "How many of these rooms are bedrooms?" Additional changes introduced in 2008 included removing the pre- coded response categories and adding a write-in box for the respondent to enter the number of "bedrooms," providing the rule to use for defining a bedroom as an instruction, and providing an additional instruction addressing efficiency and studio apartments - "If this is an efficiency/studio apartment, print '0'."

Excerpt from:	Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2008 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
	ACS 2008-1yr Summary File: Technical Documentation -> Appendix B. Subject Definitions -> Housing Variables -> Gross Rent

Gross Rent

The data on gross rent were obtained from answers to Housing Questions 11a-d and 15a in the 2008 American Community Survey. Gross rent is the contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.) if these are paid by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else). Gross rent is intended to eliminate differentials that result from varying practices with respect to the inclusion of utilities and fuels as part of the rental payment. The estimated costs of water and sewer, and fuels are reported on a 12-month basis but are converted to monthly figures for the tabulations. Renter units occupied without payment of rent are shown separately as "No rent paid" in the tabulations.

Adjusting Gross Rent for Inflation

To inflate gross rent amounts from previous year's, the dollar values are inflated to the latest years dollar values by multiplying by a factor equal to the average annual Consumer Price Index (CPI-U-RS) factor for the current year, divided by the average annual CPI-U-RS factor for the earlier/earliest year.

Median Gross Rent

Median gross rent divides the gross rent distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases falling below the median gross rent and one-half above the median. Median gross rent is computed on the basis of a standard distribution. (See the "Standard Distributions" section under "Derived Measures.") Median gross rent is rounded to the nearest whole dollar. (For more information on medians, see "Derived Measures.")

Aggregate Gross Rent

Aggregate gross rent is calculated by adding together all the gross rents for all specified housing units in an area. Aggregate gross rent is rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. (For more information, see "Aggregate" under "Derived Measures.")

Question/Concept History

Since 1996, the American Community Survey questions have remained the same.