The Household Diary Study (HDS) is a multi-year research study funded by the United States Postal Service. The study surveys a representative sample of over 5,200 households each year (on a government fiscal year basis) to provide a comprehensive and continuous description of the mail originating and destinating in American households.

The study has been ongoing since 1987 and the findings are reported in a report titled "The Household Diary Study". Householders volunteering to participate in the survey are first administered a recruitment questionnaire and then asked to keep a week-long record or "diary" of the mail sent from and received at their residences. Information gathered includes mail class and contents, mail flow between mailing sectors (Household-to-Household, Household-to-Nonhousehold, Nonhousehold-to-Household and Nonhousehold-to-Nonhousehold) and by industry. In addition, the report provides information on household attitudes toward the mail as well as household demographics. The final report of the Fiscal Year 2011 Study are available. See the links below for PDF and HTM versions.

Questions about the Household Diary Study should be addressed to hdiary@email.usps.gov

Related Links

Current Year
2011 Full Report PDF
2011 Report HTM
2011 Appendix 1 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 2 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 3 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 4 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 5 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 6 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 7 HTM | XLS
2011 Appendix 8 HTM | XLS

Prior Year
2010 Full Report PDF
2010 Report HTM
2010 Appendix 1 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 2 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 3 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 4 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 5 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 6 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 7 HTM | XLS
2010 Appendix 8 HTM | XLS

2009 Full Report PDF
2009 Report HTM
2009 Appendix 1 HTM | XLS
2009 Appendix 2 HTM | XLS
2009 Appendix 3 HTM | XLS
2009 Appendix 4 HTM | XLS
2009 Appendix 5 HTM | XLS
2009 Appendix 6 (N/A)
2009 Appendix 7 HTM | XLS
2009 Appendix 8 HTM | XLS

Order Form HTM | PDF
2008 Full Report PDF
2008 Report HTM
2008 Appendix 1 HTM | XLS
2008 Appendix 2 HTM | XLS
2008 Appendix 3 HTM | XLS
2008 Appendix 4 HTM | XLS
2008 Appendix 5 HTM | XLS
2008 Appendix 6 (NA)
2008 Appendix 7 HTM | XLS
2008 Appendix 8 HTM | XLS

Order Form 2007 HTM | PDF
2007 Full Report PDF
2007 Report HTM
2007 Appendix 1 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 2 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 3 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 4 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 5 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 6 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 7 HTM | XLS
2007 Appendix 8 HTM | XLS