U.S. Census Bureau
 American Housing Survey (AHS)




American Housing Survey for the United States: 2001


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Table 7-6. Failures in Equipment--Occupied Units With Elderly Householder
[Numbers in thousands.  Consistent with the 1990 Census.  ... means not applicable or sample too small.  - means zero or rounds to zero.]

Housing unit characteristics
Tenure
Physical problems
Household characteristics
In MSAs
Urban
Rural
Regions
Total
occupied
units		 Owner Renter New con-
struction
4 years		 Manu-
factured/
mobile
homes		 Severe Moderate Black Hispanic Moved in
past year		 Below
poverty
level		 Total
occupied
units		 Central
cities		 Suburbs Outside
MSAs		 Total Outside
MSAs		 Total Suburbs Outside
MSAs		 Northeast Midwest South West

Total		 21812 17513 4299 594 1462 416 768 2078 1104 958 4602 21812 6066 10407 5338 15687 1898 6125 2636 3440 4777 5163 7805 4067

Water Supply Stoppage

With hot and cold piped water		 21728 17463 4265 594 1452 332 768 2052 1090 953 4558 21728 6037 10393 5297 15654 1897 6074 2624 3401 4760 5149 7761 4058
No stoppage in last 3 months 20896 16842 4054 571 1328 314 732 1984 1046 911 4368 20896 5807 10010 5079 15111 1828 5785 2498 3251 4609 4982 7423 3883
With stoppage in last 3 months 600 432 169 20 106 18 21 47 42 30 154 600 161 287 153 381 46 219 100 107 95 117 252 136
No stoppage lasting 6 hours or more 306 217 89 10 37 0 7 17 10 12 59 306 70 170 66 223 28 83 45 38 34 64 135 73
1 time lasting 6 hours or more 193 146 47 5 40 9 9 25 19 14 51 193 58 71 65 103 13 90 26 52 33 37 72 50
2 times 55 42 13 5 15 3 0 3 10 3 28 55 18 29 8 28 0 27 19 8 14 7 26 7
3 times 17 10 7 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 7 17 0 10 7 10 2 7 2 5 7 7 3 0
4 times or more 30 17 13 0 9 6 5 2 3 0 8 30 16 7 7 18 2 12 7 5 6 2 17 5
Number of times not reported 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Stoppage not reported 231 189 43 2 17 0 15 21 2 12 36 231 70 96 65 162 23 69 27 43 56 49 86 39

Flush Toilet Breakdowns

With one or more flush toilets		 21744 17476 4267 594 1454 348 768 2059 1093 955 4570 21744 6038 10393 5313 15656 1898 6087 2624 3414 4758 5157 7771 4058
With at least one working toilet at all
times in last 3 months		 21143 17062 4082 584 1420 312 716 1959 1059 913 4418 21143 5838 10153 5153 15224 1848 5920 2566 3305 4609 5036 7546 3954
None working some time in last 3 months 309 179 130 7 14 12 36 63 27 30 99 309 110 129 69 232 21 77 28 49 80 55 110 63
No breakdowns lasting 6 hours or more 144 71 72 5 5 2 15 34 10 21 45 144 51 65 27 111 11 33 16 16 38 21 55 30
1 time lasting 6 hours or more 141 96 45 0 7 5 11 25 12 3 44 141 50 57 34 107 9 35 10 25 37 35 43 26
2 times 12 0 12 2 0 3 0 0 5 6 6 12 7 2 4 10 2 2 0 2 3 0 6 4
3 times 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
4 times or more 7 7 0 0 2 0 7 0 0 0 5 7 0 2 5 0 0 7 2 5 0 0 5 3
Number of times not reported 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Breakdowns not reported 292 236 56 2 19 24 17 37 7 12 53 292 90 111 90 201 29 91 30 61 69 66 116 41

Sewage Disposal Breakdowns

With public sewer		 16781 12797 3984 413 775 316 564 1782 1008 834 3505 16781 5909 7909 2963 14758 1819 2023 874 1144 3846 4163 5382 3389
No breakdowns in last 3 months 16589 12641 3948 413 764 314 551 1748 989 824 3478 16589 5835 7827 2928 14590 1798 1999 865 1130 3815 4126 5290 3359
With breakdowns in last 3 months 192 156 36 0 12 2 13 34 19 10 27 192 74 82 35 168 21 24 10 14 32 37 93 30
No breakdowns lasting 6 hours or more 87 69 19 0 7 0 9 17 8 6 11 87 38 26 23 78 13 10 0 10 14 14 47 12
1 time lasting 6 hours or more 83 68 16 0 5 2 2 17 8 4 12 83 27 46 10 72 6 12 7 4 17 17 33 15
2 times 9 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 2 5 2 7 2 2 2 0 0 5 4 0
3 times 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
4 times or more 10 10 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 10 4 5 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0

With septic tank or cesspool		 4997 4690 307 181 681 69 204 285 90 123 1079 4997 158 2486 2353 930 79 4068 1750 2274 928 1000 2394 675
No breakdowns in last 3 months 4946 4639 307 177 681 67 199 281 88 120 1072 4946 153 2470 2323 922 79 4024 1736 2244 916 990 2373 666
With breakdowns in last 3 months 52 52 0 5 0 2 5 4 1 3 7 52 5 16 30 7 0 44 14 30 12 9 21 9
No breakdowns lasting 6 hours or more 23 23 0 2 0 2 2 4 1 0 5 23 0 11 12 0 0 23 11 12 5 2 9 7
1 time lasting 6 hours or more 21 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 21 2 5 14 5 0 16 2 14 7 5 9 0
2 times 3 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
3 times 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 times or more 5 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 5 0 2 0 3

Heating Problems

With heating equipment and
occupied last winter		 21137 17200 3937 460 1416 397 736 1986 1058 372 4429 21137 5834 10118 5185 15158 1838 5979 2583 3348 4676 5039 7540 3883
Not uncomfortably cold for 24 hours or
more last winter		 19987 16347 3639 452 1322 295 635 1799 966 335 4093 19987 5446 9639 4901 14340 1751 5646 2447 3150 4406 4784 7092 3704
Uncomfortably cold for 24 hours or more
last winter@5		 898 655 243 9 77 94 86 158 87 28 286 898 296 373 228 627 67 271 109 162 206 196 353 142
Equipment breakdowns 286 201 86 0 16 73 10 56 38 13 101 286 104 119 63 216 20 71 27 44 80 78 85 43
No breakdowns lasting 6 hours
or more		 34 27 7 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 34 12 17 5 26 0 7 2 5 12 10 9 2
1 time lasting 6 hours or more 148 109 39 0 7 10 6 37 14 11 42 148 46 63 40 105 12 43 15 28 29 44 55 21
2 times 43 31 11 0 6 2 4 5 10 0 23 43 17 16 9 29 2 13 6 7 11 8 15 9
3 times 21 10 11 0 0 21 0 5 3 0 12 21 8 8 6 19 3 2 0 2 13 5 3 0
4 times or more 39 21 18 0 0 39 0 9 9 0 15 39 21 16 2 36 2 3 3 0 13 13 2 11
Number of times not reported 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 0
Other causes 637 468 169 9 61 34 78 101 60 19 199 637 204 260 173 426 47 211 85 126 132 125 277 103
Utility interruption 226 187 40 4 36 9 14 33 5 0 67 226 55 108 64 127 20 99 55 44 30 34 141 21
Inadequate heating capacity 117 79 39 2 10 8 38 19 23 5 35 117 43 46 29 86 5 32 9 23 28 22 42 26
Inadequate insulation 79 58 21 3 9 5 22 17 14 8 26 79 35 21 23 54 2 24 4 20 16 19 25 18
Cost of heating 102 78 24 0 16 7 18 6 11 2 31 102 31 44 27 72 6 30 9 21 28 22 22 30
Other 175 116 58 0 6 12 21 28 20 3 64 175 70 59 46 123 18 51 23 28 55 34 60 26
Not reported 11 6 5 0 1 0 0 4 2 0 5 11 5 6 0 10 0 1 1 0 0 0 8 2
Reason for discomfort not reported 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
Discomfort not reported 253 198 54 0 17 8 15 30 4 10 50 253 92 105 56 190 20 62 27 36 64 58 94 36

Electric Fuses and Circuit Breakers

With electrical wiring		 21803 17504 4299 594 1461 410 768 2078 1104 958 4602 21803 6066 10405 5331 15687 1898 6116 2634 3433 4777 5163 7805 4058
No fuses or breakers blown in last
3 months		 19899 15939 3960 549 1314 365 685 1839 1027 881 4262 19899 5502 9542 4856 14319 1741 5580 2417 3114 4301 4687 7162 3750
With fuses or breakers blown in last
3 months		 1404 1171 233 35 112 36 55 175 63 45 234 1404 419 630 355 990 107 414 166 248 332 375 473 225
1 time 928 800 128 19 77 21 27 95 38 31 150 928 261 421 245 629 57 299 110 188 229 250 308 141
2 times 274 214 60 12 17 5 18 41 10 12 41 274 82 134 58 205 28 70 39 31 58 75 95 47
3 times 105 90 15 3 9 2 2 20 6 3 23 105 36 35 34 73 9 32 8 24 17 27 44 18
4 times or more 94 64 29 2 8 9 7 17 8 0 19 94 38 38 18 80 13 14 9 4 28 22 24 19
Number of times not reported 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0
Problem not reported or don't know 500 395 105 10 36 9 28 64 13 32 106 500 146 233 121 378 50 121 51 71 145 101 171 84
@5Other causes and equipment breakdowns may not add to total as both may be reported.

Go to American Housing Survey for the United States: 2001
Contact the American Housing Survey Branch by email or by phone at 301-763-3235 or 1-888-518-7365, or visit ask.census.gov for further information on American Housing Survey Data.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division
Last Revised: February 18, 2005