DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS

Except for the few instances noted below, the concepts and definitions used in the 1958 and 1957 quarterly surveys are identical with those used in the 1950 Census. However, the content of the quarterly surveys differed slightly from the 1950 Census. In 1958 and 1957, but not in 1950, information was collected on the number of bedrooms, duration of vacancy, and inclusion of utilities in rent. On the other hand, the 1950 Census included a question year built. In both the 1950 Census and the quarterly surveys, information was obtained on number of rooms in the unit, number of dwelling units in the structure, condition, plumbing facilities status, monthly rent, and sale price.

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Urban-rural residence.--Urban housing comprises all dwelling units in (a) places of 2,500 inhabitants or more incorporated as cities, boroughs, and villages, (b) incorporated towns of 2,500 inhabitants or more except in New England, New York, and Wisconsin, where "towns" are simply minor civil divisions of counties, (c) the densely settled urban fringe around cities of 50,000 inhabitants or more, including both incorporated and unincorporated areas, and (d) unincorporated places of 2,500 inhabitants or more outside any urban fringe. The remaining dwelling units are classified as rural.

The urban classification thus includes, in addition to dwelling units in urban places, the housing in closely settled areas in the vicinity of large cities. These areas, known as the "urban fringe," were established to conform as nearly as possible to the actual boundaries of thickly settled territory, usually characterized by a closely spaced street pattern. Urban fringe areas were set up for each city of 50,000 inhabitants or more just prior to the 1950 Census. Thus, some concentrations of new housing just outside the urban fringe may be classified as rural.

The definition for urban areas given above is the same as that used for the 1950 Census. The areas designated as urban in 1958 and 1957 are the same as those so designated in 1950 and no adjustment has been made for the fact that some areas which were rural in 1950 would be urban at the present time.

Rural housing includes isolated homes in the open country and dwelling units in villages of fewer than 2,500 inhabitants.

Nonfarm residence.--Nonfarm dwelling units are defined to include all units in urban areas and those units in rural areas which are not on farms. For occupied units, the farm-nonfarm classification is based on the respondent's reply to the question, "Is this house on a farm?" Farm residence is, therefore, determined without regard to the occupation of the members of the household and reflects local usage rather than the uniform application of an objective definition.

Standard metropolitan areas.--Except in New England, a standard metropolitan area is a county or group of contiguous counties which contained at least one city of 50,000 inhabitants or more at the time of the 1950 Census. Counties contiguous to the one containing such a city are included in a standard metropolitan area if according to certain criteria they are essentially metropolitan in character and socially and economically integrated with the central city. In New England, towns and cities were the units used in defining standard metropolitan areas. Here a population density criterion was applied rather than the criteria relating to metropolitan character.

Statistics for "inside standard metropolitan areas" in table 2 are for all vacant dwelling uni ts-urban and rural, farm and nonfarm--which are located within the counties and places comprising standard metropolitan areas.

For a list of all standard metropolitan areas, and their constituent counties (cities, towns), refer to the individual chapters (or bulletins) in the 1950 Census of Housing, Volume I, General Characteristics; or to the 1950 Census of Population, Volume I, Number of Inhabitants, or Volume II, Characteristics of the Population, Part 1, United States Summary.

The standard metropolitan areas were established at the time of the 1950 Census. Both the 1950 and the quarterly statistics relate to these same (168) areas. A map identifying the standard metropolitan areas and their location is given on page 12 of this report.

Dwelling units.--In general, a dwelling unit is a group of rooms or a single room occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters by a family or other group of persons living together or by a person living alone.

Ordinarily, a dwelling unit is a house, an apartment, or a flat. A dwelling unit may be 10cated in a structure devoted to business or other nonresidential use, such as quarters in a warehouse where the watchman lives or a merchant's quarters in back of his shop. Trailers, boats, tents, and railroad cars, when occupied as living quarters, are included in the dwelling unit inventory; if vacant, however, such accommodations are excluded.

A group of rooms, occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters, is a dwelling unit if it has separate cooking equipment or separate entrance. A single room, occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters, is a dwelling unit if it has separate cooking equipment or if it constitutes the only living quarters in the structure. Each apartment in a regular apartment house is a dwelling unit even though it may not have separate cooking equipment. Apartments in residential hotels are dwelling units if they have separate cooking equipment or consist of two or more rooms. Since it is customary in some localities for the intended occupants to furnish their own cooking equipment, vacant units were considered as having cooking equipment if they were currently equipped with or if the last occupants had such equipment.

Living quarters of the following types are not included in the dwelling unit inventory: Sleeping rooms in rooming houses; transient accommodations (tourist courts, hotels, etc., predominantly for transients); and barracks for workers (railroad, construction, etc.). Living quarters in institutions (for delinquent or dependent children, handicapped persons, the aged, prisoners, etc.), general hospitals, and military installations are likewise excluded from the dwelling unit inventory except for dwelling units in buildings containing only family quarters for staff members.

nonresident

Nonresident dwelling units.--A dwelling unit is a unit which is occupied temporar1ly by persons who usually live elsewhere, provided the usual place of residence is held for the household and is not offered for rent or for sale. For example, a beach cottage occupied at the time of enumeration by a family which has a usual place of residence in the city is considered a nonresident unit. Their house in the city would be reported "occupied" and would be included in the count of occupied units since the occupants are only temporarily absent.

Nonresident units in the 1958 and 1957 statistics are included with seasonal units or with year-round vacant units as dilapidated, or not dilapidated but held off the market, as the case may be. In the 1950 reports, the nonresident units were shown as a separate category; for comparison with the 1958 and 1957 results, however, these units were distributed among seasonal, dilapidated, and not dilapidated units held off the market.

Vacant dwelling units.--A dwelling unit (furnished or unfurnished) is vacant if no persons were

living in it at the time of enumeration, except when its occupants were only temporarily absent. Dilapidated vacant dwelling units were included if they were intended for occupancy as living quarters; however, if the unit was unfit for use and beyond repair so that it was no longer considered living quarters, it was excluded from the inventory. New units not yet occupied were enumerated as vacant dwelling units if construction had proceeded to the point that all the exterior windows and doors were installed and final usable floors were in place; otherwise, potential units under construction were not included. Unoccupied units held off the market for various reasons and units recently rented or sold but not yet occupied are considered vacant.

Vacant sleeping rooms in lodginghouses, transient accommodations, barracks, and other quarters not defined as dwelling units are not included in the statistics in this report. (See section on "Dwelling units.")

Seasonal units.--Seasonal dwelling units are those intended for Occupancy during only a portion of the year and are found primarily in resort areas. In farm areas, dwelling units used for only a portion of the year to house migratory workers employed during the crop season are classified as seasonal.

Seasonal units comprise unoccupied seasonal units and seasonal units temporarily occupied by nonresidents. Units in resort areas occupied by persons who considered the unit their usual place of residence or had no other place of residence are classified as occupied. (See also section on "Occupied dwelling units.")

Year-round vacant units.--Year-round units are those intended for year-round occupancy, even though they may not be in use the year round. In resort areas, a dwelling unit which is usually occupied on a year-round basis was considered a year-round unit. On the other hand, a dwelling unit located in the closely built-up area of a nonresort city was considered a "year-round" unit even though it may be occupied only part of the year. As indicated above, year-round units temporarily occupied by persons with usual residence elsewhere are included with year-round vacant units.

Condition of dwelling unit.--The structural condition of a dwelling unit is considered one of the measures of the quality of housing. To measure condition, the vacant dwelling units were classified as "not dilapidated" or "dilapidated."

A dwelling unit was reported as dilapidated when it had serious deficiencies, was rundown or neglected, or was of inadequate original construction, so that it did not provide adequate shelter or protection against the elements or endangered the safety of the occupants. A dwelling unit was reported as dilapidated if, because of either deterioration or inadequate original construction, it was below the generally accepted minimum standard for housing and should be torn down or extensively repaired or rebuilt.

d. Inadequately converted cellars, garages, barns, and similar places.

The enumerator determined the condition of the dwelling unit on the basis of his own observation. He was instructed to appraise the condition of units uniformly, regardless of the neighborhood. The emumerator was provided with detailed written instructions and with pictures illustrating the concepts "deterioration" and "inadequate original construction."

Although the enumerator was provided with detailed oral and written instructions and with visual aids, it was not possible to eliminate completely the element of judgment in the enumeration of this item. It is possible that some enumerators obtained too large or too small a count of dilapidated units. However, with the large number of enumerators involved, it is likely that such deviations tend to be offsetting.

Available vacant units.--This category provides a measure of vacant dwelling units which are on the housing market for year-round occupancy. It consists of units which are for year-round occupancy, are not dilapidated, and are being offered for rent or sale. Excluded are seasonal units, dilapidated units, and units already rented or sold or not on the rental or sale market for other reasons. The count of available vacancies constitutes a more effective measure of the supply of vacant housing than does the count of total vacancies. This category is comparable with the 1950 category "Nonseasonal not dilapidated, for rent or sale."

The category "For rent" consists of vacant units offered for rent as well as those being offered both for rent and for sale. The category "For sale only" is limited to units for sale and not for rent. If a unit was located in a multi-unit structure which was for sale as an entire structure, and if the unit was not for rent, it was reported as "held off market." However, in a 2- or 3-dwelling-unit structure which was for sale, the unit intended to be occupied by the owner was reported as for sale.

Vacant units rented or sold.--This group consists of year-round not dilapidated vacant units which have been rented or sold but the new renters or owners have not moved in as of the day of enumeration. In the 1950 statistics, such units are shown in combination with year-round not dilapidated vacant units held off the market.

Vacant units held off the market.--Included in this category are year-round not dilapidated units which were vacant for reasons other than those mentioned above: for example, held for occupancy of a caretaker, jani tor, and the like; held for settlement of estate; held for personal reasons of the owner; temporarily used for storage; and temporarily occupied by persons who have a usual place of residence elsewhere. In the 1950 statistics, such units are shown in combination with year-round not dilapidated vacant units, rented or sold, as "nonseasonal not dilapidated, not for rent or sale" units.

Rental vacancy rate.--The percentage relationship of the available vacant units for rent to the total rental inventory is termed the rental vacancy rate. It is computed by dividing the number of available vacant units for rent by the total rental units. The total rental units consist of the renteroccupied units, vacant units rented but not yet occupied at the time of enumeration, and the available vacant units for rent. Excluded are dilapidated vacancies and seasonal units.