The computed rent termed gross rent is the contract rent plus the average monthly cost of utilities (water electricity, gas) and fuels such as wood, coal, and oil if these items are paid for by the renter in addition to contract rent. Thus gross rent eliminates rent differentials which result from varying practices with respect to the inclusion of heat and utilities as part of the rental payment. In rural territory, rent data exclude rent for farm units.

Renter-occupied units for which no cash rent was paid are shown separately in the tabulation but were excluded from the computation of the median. The median was computed on the basis of more detailed tabulation groups than are shown in the tables.

A housing unit is occupied if it was the usual place of residence for the person or group of persons living in it at the time of enumeration. Included are units occupied by persons who were only temporarily absent (for example, on vacation) and units occupied by persons with no usual place of residence elsewhere.

The three major race categories distinguished in this report are white, Negro, and other races. Among persons of other races are American Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, Asian Indians, and Malayans. Negroes and persons of other races taken together constitute nonwhite persons. Persons of Mexican birth or descent who are not definitely Indian or other nonwhite race are classified as white. In addition to persons of Negro and of mixed Negro and white descent, the category Negro includes persons of mixed Indian and Negro descent unless the Indian ancestry very definitely predominates or unless the person is regarded as an Indian in the community.