Total money income received in calendar year 1979 by all household members 15 years old and over, tabulated for all households. Household income differs from family income by including income received by (a) all household members 15 years old or over, not just those related to the householder, and by (b) persons living alone and in other nonfamily households. See the definitions of Income In 1979 and Income Type for discussions of sources of income recorded, means, medians, limitations, and comparability to other data bases.
In income tables for households, the lowest income group (e.g., less than $2.500) includes households that were classified as having no 1979 income as defined in the census. Many of these were living on income "in kind," savings, or gifts; were newly created households; or were households in which the sole breadwinner had recently died or left the household. However, many of the households who reported no income probably had some money income which was not recorded in the census. Household income is recorded on public-use microdata in $10 intervals up to $75,000 or down to a net loss of 39,990 or more.
Median and mean household income figures are based on all households, unlike mean or median income figures for persons 15 years old and over, which exclude persons with no income. This item was derived on a sample basis.
Household income was tabulated for the first time in the 1970 census, but its use was limited to one detailed table in PC (l)-D and the Sixth Count summary Tape. Household income is used in 1980 population reports in some places where family income was used in 1970 population reports. In 1980 as compared to 1970 housing tabulations, household income replaces "income of family or primary individual," which excluded the income of anyone unrelated to the household head. Household income is, however, derivable on public-use microdata samples from the 1960 and 1970 censuses.
See also: "Family".
