For directions on reading the variable description see Data Dictionary Introduction.

Availability: 
 

1850	1860	1870	1880	1900	1910	1920	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990
X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

Universe: 
All households and group quarters. 

Codes and Frequencies

Description: 
GQ identifies all units as vacant units, households, or group quarters. It also identifies fragmentary sample units in some sample years. Group quarters are generally institutions and other group living arrangements such as rooming houses and military barracks. The definitions vary from year to year, but in the IPUMS we have imposed a group quarters definition that includes units with 10 or more individuals unrelated to the householder. See the comparability discussion below and Chapter 2, "Sample Designs" for more details about changing definitions of group quarters. 

Some of the information available for households is not available for group quarters units. Group-quarters types are identified in further detail by the IPUMS variables GQTYPE and GQFUNDS. 

Comparability: 
There are two slightly different definitions of group quarters in the IPUMS. For the period 1940-1970 group quarters are units with five or more individuals unrelated to the householder. In the other years, before 1940 and after 1970, units with 10 or more persons unrelated to the householder are considered group quarters. 

M User Caution: For users who want a completely comparable definition of household, select only households coded "1—households under 1970 definition." Users should be aware, however, that this narrow definition may improperly classify many larger households with servants or boarders as group quarters in the earlier period. In later years, new types of group living arrangements would be classified as group quarters, even though they operate as households. 

 GQ identifies the following categories: 

• Vacant units: These units are only identified in 1970 – 1990.
• Households: The following two categories are not completely comparable across all years.
• Households under the 1970 definition: This definition includes units that contain fewer than five individuals unrelated to the householder.
• Additional households under the 1990 definition: Units that contain between 5 and 9 individuals unrelated to the householder are included in this definition.
• Group Quarters: See GQTYPE for a more detailed discussion of the distinction between institutions and other group quarters.
• Institutions
• Other group quarters
• Boarders and Lodgers: The 1900 PUMS sampled boarders and lodgers as if they lived in separate housing units. This category identifies all boarders and lodgers living in units with less than 5 individuals unrelated to the householder. In most other years these boarders and lodgers would be sampled as household members (code 1).
• Fragments: In 1850-1880, 1910 and 1920, GQ also identifies fragments. Fragments are parts of units where the entire unit could not be identified. Most often this occurred when an enumerator added names at the end of a district that had been missed. Most fragments consist of isolated boarders and lodgers and individuals who probably would have been sampled as household members (code 1). The missing household information, however, prevents an accurate classification of group quarters status.

Flags: QGQ 

Census Questions: 
1850   1860   1870   1880   1900   1910   1920   1940   1950   1960   1970   1980   1990

Enumerator Instructions: 
1850   1860   1870   1880   1900   1910   1920   1940   1950   1960   1970   1980   1990