Description

For all households, LIVINGQTR indicates what type of living quarters in which the household is located. Options include house, apartment, flat, or condo; housing unit in a non-transient hotel or motel; household unit permanently located in a transient hotel or motel; housing unit in a rooming house; mobile home or trailer with or without a permanent room added; and housing unit other than those specified above. Households could also be located within non-housing units, such as quarters, but not a housing unit, in a rooming or boarding house; non-permanent unit in a transient hotel or motel; unoccupied site for a mobile home, trailer, or ten; student quarters in a college dormitory; or other group quarter unit not specified above.

For related variables, please use the IPUMS NHIS search function and drop-down menus.

Comparability

Slight changes in the coding of variables may affect comparability over time. Codes are generally consistent for 1997-forward with one exception. Beginning in 2018, housing units in nontransient hotel, motel, etc. were combined with permanent housing units in transient hotel, motel, etc.; previously these were two separate categories.

Prior to 1997, house, apartment, and flat were categorized separately from condo. For 1997-forward, house, apartment, flat, and condo are included in the same category. The coding of unknown housing units also changed between 1996 and 1997. Researchers should use caution in making comparisons between pre-1997 and post-1997 samples.

In 2016 and 2017, a change in the sample design that added a separate sampling mechanism for students living in college dorms appears to have led to a large increase in the number of NHIS participants residing in "student quarters in college dormitory." The college dormitory sampling frame was discontinued in 2018.

Universe

Availability

• 1963-2018

Weights

• 1963, 1966-1967, 1969-2018 : HHWEIGHT