Household diary

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. See the links below for PDF and HTM versions.