Data Dictionary: ACS 2009 (1-Year Estimates)
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Data Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Table: B25087. Mortgage Status and Selected Monthly Owner Costs [29]
Universe: Owner-occupied housing units
Table Details
B25087. Mortgage Status and Selected Monthly Owner Costs
Universe: Owner-occupied housing units
VariableLabel
B25087001
B25087002
B25087003
B25087004
B25087005
B25087006
B25087007
B25087008
B25087009
B25087010
B25087011
B25087012
B25087013
B25087014
B25087015
B25087016
B25087017
B25087018
B25087019
B25087020
B25087021
B25087022
B25087023
B25087024
B25087025
B25087026
B25087027
B25087028
B25087029
Relevant Documentation:
Excerpt from: Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2009 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
 
Mortgage Status
The data on mortgage status were obtained from Housing Questions 19a and 20a in the 2009 American Community Survey. The questions were asked at owner-occupied units. "Mortgage" refers to all forms of debt where the property is pledged as security for repayment of the debt, including deeds of trust; trust deeds; contracts to purchase; land contracts; junior mortgages; and home equity loans.

A mortgage is considered a first mortgage if it has prior claim over any other mortgage or if it is the only mortgage on the property. All other mortgages (second, third, etc.) are considered junior mortgages. A home equity loan is generally a junior mortgage. If no first mortgage is reported, but a junior mortgage or home equity loan is reported, then the loan is considered a first mortgage.

In most data products, the tabulations for "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" and "Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income" usually are shown separately for units "with a mortgage" and for units "not mortgaged." The category not mortgaged is comprised of housing units owned free and clear of debt.
Mortgage status provides information on the cost of home ownership. When the data is used in conjunction with mortgage payment data, the information determines shelter costs for living quarters. These data can be use in the development of housing programs aimed to meet the needs of people at different economic levels. The data also serve to evaluate the magnitude of and to plan facilities for condominiums, which are becoming an important source of supply of new housing in many areas.

Question/Concept History
Since 1996, the American Community Survey questions have been the same.

Comparability
Data on mortgage status in the American Community Survey can be compared to previous ACS and Census 2000 mortgage status data. For Census 2000, tables for both total owner-occupied housing units and specified owner-occupied housing units were released, thus comparisons can be made only when comparing the same universes between the two data sets.

Excerpt from: Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2009 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
 
Selected Monthly Owner Costs
The data on "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" were obtained from Housing Questions 11 and Questions 17 through 21 in the 2009 American Community Survey. The data were obtained for owner-occupied units. "Selected Monthly Owner Costs" are the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payments for the first mortgage, second mortgages, home equity loans, and other junior mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fee for condominiums (Question 13) and mobile home costs (Question 21) (installment loan payments, personal property taxes, site rent, registration fees, and license fees). Selected monthly owner costs were tabulated for all owner-occupied units, and usually are shown separately for units "with a mortgage" and for units "not mortgaged."

Selected monthly owner costs provide information on the monthly housing cost expenses for owners. When the data is used in conjunction with income data, the information offers an excellent measure of housing affordability and excessive shelter costs. The data also serve to aid in the development of housing programs to meet the needs of people at different economic levels.

Adjusting Selected Monthly Owner Costs for Inflation
To inflate selected monthly owner costs from previous years, the dollar values are inflated to the latest years dollar values by multiplying by a factor equal to the average annual Consumer Price Index (CPI-U-RS) factor for the current year, divided by the average annual CPI-U-RS factor for the earlier/earliest year.

Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs
This measure divides the selected monthly owner costs distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases falling below the median selected monthly owner costs and one-half above the median. Medians are shown separately for units "with a mortgage" and for units "not mortgaged." Median selected monthly owner costs are computed on the basis of a standard distribution. (See the "Standard Distributions" section under "Appendix A".) Median selected monthly owner costs are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

Question/Concept History
Since 1996, the American Community Survey questions have been the same. The American Community Survey collected the monthly cost of electricity and gas, and the 12-month cost of water and sewer. Since 2004, selected monthly owner costs has been shown for all owner-occupied housing units. In previous years (1996-2003), the question was shown only for specified owner-occupied housing units.

Comparability
Caution should be used when comparing selected monthly owner costs data between the American Community Survey and Census 2000. For Census 2000, tables for both total owner-occupied housing units and specified owner-occupied housing units were released, thus comparisons can be made only when comparing the same universes between the two data sets. Additionally, for Census 2000 tables with full distributions were released for total owner-occupied housing units but medians were not shown.

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