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"five or fewer" houses did not appear on the self-enumeration form, it is possible that some units were reported in the category "individual well" although the well serves more than five houses.) "Other" describes water coming directly from springs, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, and all other

sources.

Information on source of water was not collected in the larger urban places, that is, places which had a population. of 50,000 or more in 1950 or in an interim census prior to 1960. Hence, the county data on source of water in table 35 do not cover units in such places.

No data on source of water were collected in previous

censuses.

Sewage disposal (H32).-This item refers to the sewage disposal system for the structure in which the unit is located. "Public sewer" is a sewage disposal system connected to a city, county, sanitary district, neighborhood, or subdivision sewer system. A "septic tank or cesspool" is an underground tank or pit for sewage disposal. Small sewage treatment plants which in some localities are called neighborhood septic tanks are classified as public sewers. Units for which sewage is disposed of in some other way are included in the category shown in the tables as "other or none.”

Information on sewage disposal was not collected in the larger urban places, that is, places which had a population of 50,000 or more in 1950 or in an interim census prior to 1960. Hence, the county data on sewage disposal in table 35 do not cover units in such places.

No data on sewage disposal were collected in previous

censuses.

EQUIPMENT AND FUELS

Data on equipment and fuels were derived from answers to the questions listed below. The self-enumeration questions appeared on the Household Questionnaire, which was used in two-stage areas. The direct-interview questions appeared on a FOSDIC schedule. Although the questions appeared on the selfenumeration form, the enumerator was instructed to obtain information on heating equipment, house heating fuel, and water heating fuel from the resident owner, manager, or janitor if the unit being enumerated was in a structure containing five housing units or more.

Equipment.-Data on equipment are provided for occupied housing units only, except for heating equipment which was to be reported for all housing units. The statistics are in terms of the number of housing units with the particular equipment or having the equipment available, as the case may be.

Heating equipment (H21).-- "Steam or hot water" refers to a central heating system in which heat from steam or hot water is delivered through radiators or heating coils. "Warm air furnace" refers to a central system which provides warm air through ducts leading to the various rooms.

"Floor, wall, or pipeless furnace" includes permanently installed heating units which deliver warm air to the room directly above the furnace or to the room (or rooms) on one or both sides of the wall in which the furnace is installed. These devices do not have ducts leading to other rooms.

"Built-in electric units" are heating units which are permanently installed in floors, walls, or ceilings. Heat pumps are included in this category. In some tables, housing units having a "floor, wall, or pipeless furnace" and those having "built-in electric units" are combined into the one category "built-in room units."

"Other means with flue" (shown on the self-enumeration form as "room heater connected to chimney or flue") describes

connected to a chimney or flue which carries off the smoke or fumes. "Other means--without flue" (shown on the self-enumeration form as "room heater not connected to chimney or flue") describes electric heaters, electric steam radiators, kerosene heaters, radiant gas heaters, and other portable or plug-in devices not connected to a chimney or flue.

The main type of heating equipment was to be reported even if it was temporarily out of order at the time of enumeration. If two types of heating equipment were used to about the same extent, the type appearing first on the list was to be reported. For vacant units from which the heating equipment had been removed, the equipment used by the last occupants was to be reported.

Similar data on heating equipment were collected in the 1950 Census, except that the 1950 data were restricted to occupied units (1960 data are for all units). Furthermore, the 1960 categories "warm air furnace" and "floor, wall, or pipeless furnace" must be combined to be comparable with the single 1950 category "warm air furnace"; and the 1960 categories "built-in electric units" and "other means--without flue" must be combined to be comparable with the single 1950 category "other means without flue."

Data on heating equipment were collected for occupied units in the 1940 Census also. The categories are comparable with 1960 categories when certain combinations are made.

Clothes washing machine (H23). -- "Wringer or spinner" describes a power-operated machine which requires handling

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of the laundry between washing and rinsing. "Automatic or semiautomatic" describes a machine that washes, rinses, and damp dries but does not fully dry the laundry in the same tub. A "washer-dryer combination" is a machine which washes and fully dries the laundry in the same tub.

A clothes washing machine owned by a member of the household was to be reported, whether it was located in the housing unit or elsewhere on the property. Machines used but not owned by members of the household, such as those provided by the management of an apartment building, were not to be reported.

The 1960 Census is the first census to provide information on clothes washing machines.

Clothes dryer (H24). -- A clothes dryer is defined as a separate mechanical appliance in which clothes are dried by heated air. Two types are identified--those which operate exclusively with electricity and those which use gas heat for drying. Units with a "washer-dryer combination" are classified as units having no clothes dryer since the dryer is not a separate appliance. (The washer-dryer combination is tabulated under clothes washing machine.)

A clothes dryer owned by a member of the household was to be reported whether it was located in the housing unit or elsewhere on the property. Dryers used but not owned by members of the household, such as those provided by the management of an apartment building, were not to be reported. The 1960 Census is the first census to provide information on clothes dryers.

Home food freezer (H28). -- A home food freezer is defined as an appliance, separate from the refrigerator, which freezes food and keeps food frozen. The freezer must be located in the housing unit or elsewhere on the property. Excluded is a freezer combined in the same cabinet with a refrigerator, even if it has a separate door.

The 1960 data are not comparable with data on refrigeration from earlier censuses. In 1950 and 1940, mechanical and nonmechanical refrigeration equipment were reported but information was not obtained on separate appliances for freezing food.

Telephone available (H35). --A unit is classified as having a telephone if there is a telephone available to the occupants of the unit. The telephone may be located inside or outside the housing unit, and one telephone may serve the occupants of several units. The number of housing units with telephones, therefore, does not indicate the number of subscribers or the number of telephones installed in homes.

No data on telephones were collected in censuses prior to 1960.

Automobiles available (H36).--The count of automobiles available represents the number of passenger automobiles, including station wagons, owned or regularly used by any of the occupants of the housing unit. Passenger cars were to be counted if they were owned by a member of the household or if they were regularly used and ordinarily kept at home, such as some company cars. Not to be counted were taxis, pickups or larger trucks, and dismantled or dilapidated cars in an early stage of being junked. The statistics do not reflect the number of automobiles privately owned or the number of households owning one or more automobiles.

Data on automobiles were not collected in censuses prior to 1960.

Air conditioning (H27). -- Air conditioning is defined as the cooling of air by refrigerating apparatus. Excluded are evaporative coolers and fans or blowers which are not connected to a refrigerating apparatus. An individual room unit is an

is an installation which air-conditions a number of rooms. In an apartment building, a central system usually provides air conditioning for all the apartments.

Air conditioning was not included in the 1950 or earlier

censuses.

Television sets (H25). --Sets of all kinds located in the unit were to be included in the count--floor, table, built-in, portable, and combination with radio or phonograph. Sets in working order and sets being repaired were to be counted. A combination radio-television set was to be reported both as a television and as a radio set.

The 1960 statistics are comparable with data from the 1950 Census, which was the first census to include this item. Both censuses provide the count of occupied units having at least one television set (and in 1960 those having two or more), although the total number of television sets was not determined.

Radio sets (H26). --Sets of all kinds located in the unit were to be included in the count--floor, table, portable, and combination with television, phonograph, or clock. Sets in working order and sets being repaired were to be counted. A combination radio-television set was to be reported both as a radio and as a television set. The following types of radios were to be excluded from the count: sets which were not in working order and were not being repaired, automobile radios, sending-receiving sets ("ham radio" sets) and crystal sets ("cat whisker" sets).

The 1960 statistics are comparable with data from the 1950 and 1940 Censuses. All three censuses provide the count of occupied units having at least one set (and in 1960 those having two or more), although the total number of radio sets was not determined. The number of families having a radio set was provided also in 1930 as part of the 1930 Census of Population. The number of "families" as defined in 1930 is not entirely comparable with number of occupied units, but the difference is considered negligible.

Fuels.- Information on fuel is provided for occupied units only. The figures represent the principal fuel used for heating the unit, for cooking, and for heating water, respectively. For fuels supplied by utility companies, the census data are not likely to be comparable with utility company reports on the number of residential customers for that fuel. Generally, utility company data are based on a count of meters or the number of bills rendered. Several households which are served by one meter are usually counted as one customer by the utility companies but represent several housing units in the reports of the Bureau of the Census. On the other hand, the count of meters may include some meters for units that are vacant. Furthermore, the utility companies generally report each customer regardless of the amount of fuel used, while the census reports the fuel if it is the principal fuel used for the specified purpose.

Heating fuel (H22). --The fuel to be reported was the fuel used most for heating the unit. In reporting gas as the fuel, a distinction was made between "utility gas" and "bottled, tank, or LP gas." Utility gas is piped in from a central system serving the community. Such gas is supplied by a public utility company, municipal government, or similar organization. Bottled, tank, or LP (liquified petroleum) gas is supplied in containers which are replaced or refilled as necessary. "Fuel oil, kerosene, etc." includes fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, alcohol, and other combustible liquids. “Other fuel" includes waste materials such as corncobs, purchased steam, and other fuels not specified among the fuels listed on the enumeration forms. In some tables where "wood" is not shown separately, it is included in the category "other fuel."

Comparable data on fuel used for heating the unit were

vided in 1950 for units with central heating equipment and those with noncentral equipment. Although the definitions of the types of fuel are the same in both censuses, the wording of some of the categories is more specific in 1960. For example, the 1960 category "bottled, tank, or LP gas" is identical with the 1950 "bottled gas"; "fuel oil, kerosene, etc." of 1960 is the same as "liquid fuel" of 1950; and "coal or coke" in 1960 is equivalent to "coal" in 1950.

The data collected in the 1940 Census also are comparable with the data collected in 1960. In 1940, however, the one category "gas" included both utility gas and bottled, tank, or LP gas.

Cooking fuel (H22). --The fuel to be reported was the fuel that was used most for cooking. The definitions of the categories are the same as those for heating fuel.

Comparable data on cooking fuel were provided in both the 1950 and 1940 Censuses, with categories similar to those for heating fuel.

Water heating fuel (H22). -- The fuel to be reported was the fuel that was used most for heating water. If the unit had no piped hot water, it was tabulated as using no fuel for heating water. The definitions of the categories are the same as those for heating fuel.

No information on water heating fuel was collected in censuses prior to 1960.

FINANCIAL CHARACTERISTICS

The items on value and rent appeared both on the forms used in self-enumeration and on the forms used in direct interview. In cities and localities for which housing statistics are provided for city blocks, value and rent (items H15 and H16) appeared as self-enumeration items on the Advance Census Report; these items, as well as the questions on the costs of utilities and fuel, appeared as self-enumeration items on the Household Questionnaire, which was used in two-stage areas. The description of the property to which the value figure applied was determined largely by the enumerator and was not reported directly by the respondent.

Value (H15, H40).-Value is the respondent's estimate of how much the property would sell for on today's market (April 1960). Value data for owner-occupied units are restricted to units having only one housing unit in the property and no business. A business for this purpose is defined as a clearly rec

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HOW TO FIGURE COST OF UTILITIES AND FUEL Enter the cost to the nearest dollar.

Utilities-If you don't know exactly how much you have spent and if you don't have records, put down the approximate costs.

Fuels-If you don't know how much fuels cost per year, one of the following methods may help you figure the approximate costs:

Coal-Multiply number of tons used per year by the cost per ton.

Oil or kerosene-Multiply number of gallons used per year by the cost per gallon; OR multiply number of deliveries by average cost per delivery.

Wood-Multiply number of cords (or loads) used per year by cost per cord (or load).

Note: If you buy fuel in small quantities (such as kerosene by the can or coal by the bag), it may be easier to figure about how much you spend for fuel per week, and multiply by the number of weeks during which it is used.

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values of such units are not provided because of heterogeneity in the use and size of the property.

A property generally consists of the house and the land on which it stands. The estimated value of the entire property, including the land, was to be reported, even if the occupant owned the house but not the land, or the property was owned jointly with another owner.

For vacant units, value is the price asked for the property. Value data for vacant units are restricted to properties available for sale which have only one housing unit and no business. Units in multiunit structures were excluded from the tabulations; and in rural territory units on places of 10 acres or more also were excluded.

The median value of housing units is the theoretical value which divides the distribution into two equal parts--one-half the cases falling below this value and one-half the cases exceeding this value. In the computation of the median, the lower limit of a class interval was assumed to stand at the beginning of the value group and the upper limit at the beginning of the successive value group. Medians were rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. The median was computed on the basis of the tabulation groups in full detail as shown in the tables for the State totals and the terminal category used in the collection of the data was "$35,000 or more." For vacant units, however, the terminal category that was tabulated was "$25,000 or more" for some areas and "$35,000 or more" for others. Thus, a median above $25,000 for owner-occupied units is not necessarily higher than a median of $25,000+for vacant units.

Average value (arithmetic mean) is provided for places of 1,000 to 2,500 inhabitants. The average was computed by dividing the sum of the values by the number of owner-occupied units for which value is shown. For purposes of the computation, the mid points of the intervals were used except that a mean of $3,500 was assigned to values less than $5,000 and a mean of $42,000 was assigned to values of $35,000 or more. (In 1950, averages for these places were computed from the specific amounts reported.)

In 1950, value data were published for owner-occupied units and for vacant units available for sale (with the two groups combined for places with a population under 10,000). In rural areas, the 1950 value data for both owner-occupied and vacant units excluded values for farm units but may have included some nonfarm units on places of 10 acres or more.

Another difference between 1960 and 1950 statistics is the method of reporting value amounts. In 1960, respondents were asked to select an appropriate class interval, whereas in 1950 specific figures were given by the respondents. This difference is not believed to affect comparability of the data to an important extent.

To take account of the rise in value of property since 1950, new class intervals were established for presenting the data. The lowest tabulation group in 1960 is "less than $5,000" and the highest for the larger areas is "$35,000 or more." In 1950, the lowest and highest intervals for the larger areas were "less than $2,000" and "$20,000 or more." The class intervals in 1960 were set so that combinations of value groups could be made for comparison from census to census. The 1960 value data indicate value levels in 1960 and do not reflect changes since 1950 for identical units. Besides additions through new construction and losses through demolition, there have been changes in the owner-occupied inventory through shifts in tenure.

Data on value were collected in the 1940 Census of Housing and also in the 1930 Census of Population. The data are not strictly comparable with data from the 1950 and 1960 Cen

to one-unit properties. Also, there were differences in the definitions of farm housing, which was usually excluded from the tabulations of value data in rural areas.

Contract rent (H16, H41).—Contract rent is the monthly rent agreed upon regardless of any furnishings, utilities, or services that may be included. If the rent includes payment for a business unit or additional housing units, an estimate of the rent for the housing unit being enumerated is reported. Rent paid by lodgers or roomers is disregarded if they are members of the household. For vacant units, rent is the amount asked for the unit at the time of enumeration. Data for vacant units are restricted to vacant units available for rent. In rural territory, data for renter-occupied units exclude rents for farm housing units, and data for vacant units exclude rents for units on places of 10 acres or more.

The median rent is the theoretical rent which divides the distribution into two equal parts--one-half the cases falling below this rent and one-half the cases exceeding this rent. In the computation of the median, the lower limit of a class interval was assumed to stand at the beginning of the rent group and the upper limit at the beginning of the successive rent group. The median was computed on the basis of more tabulation groups than are shown in the tables. Medians were rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Renter-occupied units for which "no cash rent" is paid are excluded from the computation of the median; and in tables 21, 24, 26, 30, and 32, such units are also excluded from the count of "renter occupied" units shown under "Contract rent."

Medians for vacant units are provided for two kinds of available vacant units -- those for which the rent includes payment for all utilities and fuel, and those for which the rent includes only some or none of the utilities and fuel. (Refer to the section on "Gross rent" for discussion of costs of utilities and fuel.)

Rent data were published in 1950 for renter-occupied units and for vacant units available for rent (with the two groups combined for places with a population under 10,000). In rural areas, the 1950 rent data for both the renter-occupied and vacant units excluded rents for farm units.

To take account of the rise in rents since 1950, new class intervals were established for presenting the figures. However, the class intervals in 1960 were set so that combinations of rental groups could be made for comparison from census

to census.

The 1960 rent data indicate rent levels in 1960 and do not reflect changes since 1950 for identical units. In addition to new units coming on the market and withdrawals from the inventory, there have been changes in the renter-occupied inventory through shifts in tenure. Changes reflected by the 1960 and 1950 Census data are not comparable with changes in rents obtained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for its Consumer Price Index. The data compiled by the Bureau of

Labor Statistics represent changes in rent for essentially identical units with identical services and facilities.

In 1940, the Census of Housing provided contract rent data for rented nonfarm units and estimated rentals for farm units. In 1930, the Census of Population provided rent statistics for rented nonfarm homes. In areas which include rural housing, comparability with the later censuses is affected by the change in the definition of farm residence.

Gross rent. The computed rent termed "gross rent" is the contract rent plus the average monthly cost of utilities (water, electricity, gas) and fuels such as wood, coal, and oil if these items are paid for by the renter. Thus, gross rent eliminates differentials which result from varying practices with respect to the inclusion of utilities and fuel as part of the rental payRent data exclude rents for farm units in rural terri

ment.

tory.

The procedures to be followed by the enumerator for determining the costs of utilities and fuels conformed to the instructions given to the respondents on the self-enumeration form. The costs of fuels were reported on a yearly basis and converted to a monthly estimate in the tabulation processes. If the utility or fuel bill covered a business unit or additional housing units, an amount was to be reported for the one housing unit being enumerated. If the respondent had just moved into the unit, the cost of the item was to be estimated on the basis of recent experience and general knowledge of utility and fuel costs.

The median was computed in the same manner as the median contract rent. It was computed on the basis of more tabulation groups than are shown in the tables, and the terminal category was "$200 or more." Medians were rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Renter-occupied units for which "no cash rent" is paid are shown separately in the tables and are excluded from the computation of the median.

Average gross rent (arithmetic mean) is provided for places of 1,000 to 2,500 inhabitants. The average was computed by dividing the sum of the rental amounts by the number of renter-occupied units, excluding units for which “no cash rent" was paid and excluding farm units in rural areas.

Data on gross rent were published in 1950 and in 1940 for renter-occupied units, excluding farm units in rural areas. In both 1950 and 1940, an additional adjustment was made to gross rent; if the use of furniture was included in the contract rent, the reported estimated rent of the unit without furniture was used in the computation. In areas which include rural housing, comparability with 1960 data is also affected by the change in the definition of farm residence.

Rent status.-Renter-occupied units comprise units rented for cash and units for which no cash rent is paid. "No cash rent" is shown as a separate category in the distributions for contract rent and gross rent; it is shown under “rent status" in the county table for rural-farm units.

COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OF DATA

The collection and processing of data in the 1960 Census differed in several important respects from the procedure used in the 1950 Census. Much of the information in 1960 was obtained by self-enumeration supplemented by follow-up procedures, in contrast to direct interview in 1950; the two-stage census was introduced in the more populous sections of the country, representing about four-fifths of the population; and much greater use was made of sampling than in 1950. A further innovation was the formal field review of the enumera

tensive use was made of electronic equipment in 1960 to process the data and produce the final tables.

A summary of the procedures for collecting and processing the data is given below. A more detailed description of the 1960 practices in the collection of data is given in a report entitled United States Censuses of Population and Housing, 1960: Principal Data Collection Forms and Procedures. Additional information on processing will appear in a report en

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