American Community Survey
Questions on the Form and Why We Ask
Select a topic below to view a fact sheet containing question(s) from the form, how long the question has been in use, a description of how the federal government uses the data, and how those uses translate into community benefits.
| Why we ask about... | Existing Keywords | Additional Keywords | Question No. | Question Type (Person/Housing) | Video | Infographic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why we ask about... | Existing Keywords | Additional Keywords | Question No. | Question Type (Person/Housing) | Video | Infographic |
| Acreage and Agricultural Sales | acres, farm, agriculture, agricultural, business | medical office, store, barber shop | 4, 5 | Housing | ||
| Age | age | children, seniors, date of birth, year of birth | 4 | Person | Elderly/Disabled, Houston Partnership | Memorial Day; Young and Uninsured |
| Ancestry | ancestry | ethnic, descent, root, heritage, origin, Italian, Jamaican, African American, Cambodian, Cape Verdean, Norwegian, Dominican, French Canadian, Haitian, Korean, Lebanese, Polish, Nigerian, Mexican, Taiwanese, Ukrainian | 13 | Person | ||
| Citizenship, Place of Birth, Year of Entry | citizenship, place of birth, year of entry | naturalization, foreign, citizen, born, country | 7, 8, 9 | Person | Foreign Born Population | |
| Class of Worker | job, employment, type of employee | private, self-employed, public, family business, for-profit, government, not incorporated, without pay | 41 | Person | Working at Home | |
| Computer and Internet Use | computer, internet | broadband, subscription, dial-up, DSL, cable modem, fiber-optic, mobile, satellite, desktop, laptop, netbook, notebook, handheld, smart phone, android, iphone, ipad, tablet | 8, 9, 10 | Housing | ||
| Cost of Utilities, Condominium Fee | utilities, condo fees, condominium fee, gas, water, sewer, oil, wood, coal, kerosene, heating costs | electricity, electric, propane, fuel, bottled, tank, LP, coal, coke, solar energy | 13, 15 | Housing | ||
| Disability | disability | disabled, handicap, mobility, hearing, blind, physical, mental, emotional, concentrating, remembering, walking, climbing, stairs, dressing, bathing, errands, doctor's office, shopping | 17, 18, 19 | Person | Elderly/Disabled | |
| Educational Attainment, Bachelor's Field of Degree | education level, major of bachelor's degree, | high school, graduate, college, study, major, undergraduate, chemical engineering, elementary teacher education, organizational psychology, school | 11, 12 | Person | Houston Partnership | Biological, Agricultural, and Environmental Science Majors; Business Majors; Comm Majors; Computer, Mathematics, and Statistics Majors; Education Majors; Engineering Majors; Liberal Arts and History Majors; Literature and Languages Majors; Physical and Related Science Majors; Psychology Majors; Science and Engineering-Related Majors; Social Science Majors; Visual and Performing Arts Majors; Veterans |
| Family, Relationships | family, relationships | husband, wife, spouse, son, daughter, adopt, step, child, parent, father, mother, in-law, relative, roomer, roommate, partner, foster, related | 2 | Person | KaBOOM! | |
| Fertility | fertility | birth, born, baby, children, mom, mother | 24 | Person | ||
| Food Stamps Benefit | Food Stamps/SNAP | nutrition, supplemental, nutrition, assistance, program, WIC, lunch, food bank | 14 | Housing | ||
| Grandparents as Caregivers | grandparents, caregivers | generations, child, parent, grandma, grandpa, grandchildren, grandkid | 25 | Person | ||
| Health Insurance Coverage | health insurance | Tricare, Medicaid, Medicare, marketplace, affordable care act, exchange, medical assistance, VA, Indian Health Service | 16 | Person | Young and Uninsured; | |
| Hispanic Origin | hispanic, latino, spanish origin, mexican | Puerto Rican, Cuban, Chicano, Argentinean, Colombian, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard | 5 | Person | ||
| Home Heating Fuel | heating fuel, utilities | heat, electric, gas, propane, coal, wood, solar, bottled, tank, LP, oil, kerosene, coke, | 12 | Housing | ||
| Income | income | poverty, wages, salary, earnings, retirement, public assistance, social security, dividends | 47, 48 | Person | KaBOOM! | Biological, Agricultural, and Environmental Science Majors; Business Majors; Comm Majors; Computer, Mathematics, and Statistics Majors; Education Majors; Engineering Majors; Liberal Arts and History Majors; Literature and Languages Majors; Physical and Related Science Majors; Psychology Majors; Science and Engineering-Related Majors; Social Science Majors; Visual and Performing Arts Majors; Educational Path of Our Nation; Veterans |
| Industry, Occupation | occupation, job | industry, field, pay, work, business, manufacturing, wholesale, trade, retail, agriculture, construction, service, government | 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 | Person | Biological, Agricultural, and Environmental Science Majors; Business Majors; Comm Majors; Computer, Mathematics, and Statistics Majors; Education Majors; Engineering Majors; Liberal Arts and History Majors; Literature and Languages Majors; Physical and Related Science Majors; Psychology Majors; Science and Engineering-Related Majors; Social Science Majors; Visual and Performing Arts Majors; Labor Force Statistics; Veterans; Working at Home | |
| Commute / Journey to Work | work location, place of work, commuting, commute time, time leaving home | bicycle, carpool, bus, subway, metro, taxi, motorcyle, walk, work at home, commute, travel, car, truck, van, trolley, streetcar, elevated, railroad, ferry, | 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 | Person | Transportation | Working at Home |
| Labor Force Status | employment | work, work last week, employed, employment, job, career | 29, 35, 36, 37, 38 | Person | Labor Force Statistics | |
| Language Spoken at Home | language | English, speak, second language, ESL, Korean, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese | 14 | Person | ||
| Marital History, Marital Status | marital history, married, divorced, marriage, divorce, single | widow, widowed, never married, times married, year last married, widow, separated, | 20, 21, 22, 23 | Person | ||
| Mortgage, Taxes, Insurance | monthly housing costs, insurance, home loans, mortgage, real estate taxes | second mortgage, home equity, howeowners insurance, fire, hazard, flood, property taxes, loan, free, clear, | 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 | Housing | ||
| Name | name | last name, first name | 1 | Person | ||
| Ownership, Property Value, Rent | ownership, rent, property value | tenure, owned, mortgage, rented, home equity, loan, sale, sell | 16, 17, 18 | Housing | Home Builders | |
| Plumbing Facilities, Kitchen Facilities, Telephone Service | toilet, tub, running water, shower, telephone, refrigerator | stove, range, sink, oven, faucet, phone | 7 | Housing | ||
| Race | race | black, african american, white, asian, non-hispanic, american indian, alaska native, hawaiian, chinese, korean, guamanian, chamorro, filipino, vietnamese, samoan, japanese, hmong, laotian, thai, pakistani, cambodian, fijan, tongan | 6 | Person | ||
| Residence 1 Year Ago | residence 1 year ago, residency | move, moved, address, | 15 | Person | ||
| School Enrollment | school level, grade, attend school, attend college, education | dropout, level, public, private, nursery, preschool, children, kindergarten, college, undergraduate, graduate, professional, bachelor, MA, Ph.D., PhD, medical, law | 10 | Person | Educational Path of Our Nation | |
| Sex | sex | male, female, men, women, gender | 3 | Person | Labor Force Statistics; Memorial Day; Veterans | |
| Units in Structure, Rooms, Bedrooms | type of building, number of rooms, number of bedrooms, boat, rv, van, mobile home | occupancy, density, house, apartment, rooms, bedrooms, home, | 1, 6 | Housing | ||
| Vehicles Available | automobiles, vans, trucks, cars | vehicle, SUV, | 11 | Housing | ||
| Veteran Status | veteran, active duty, military, disabled veteran, disability | armed forces, Reserves, gulf war, vietnam, korean, world war, | 26, 27, 28 | Person | Memorial Day; Veterans | |
| Work Status Last Year | employment | weeks worked, 52 weeks | 39, 40 | Person | ||
| Year Unit Built, Year Moved into Unit | year built, year moved in, | age, housing stock, move | 2, 3 | Housing | Home Builders |
Download all Fact Sheets for: All Population Questions [PDF 1.7MB] All Housing Questions [PDF 843KB]
