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Why We Ask Questions About...
Plumbing Facilities, Kitchen Facilities, Telephone Service, and Solar Panels
We ask questions about the presence of hot and cold running water, a bathtub or shower, a sink with a faucet, a stove or range, a refrigerator, connectivity to a public sewer, telephone service, and presence of solar panels to create data about indicators of housing quality.
Local, state, tribal, and federal agencies use these data to plan and fund programs for housing assistance, rehabilitation loans, and other programs that help people access and afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing. Public health officials also use this information to locate areas in danger of groundwater contamination and waterborne diseases.
Your privacy concerns
We use your confidential survey answers to create statistics like those in the results below and in the full tables that contain all the data—no one
is able to figure out your survey answers from the statistics we produce. The Census Bureau is
legally bound to strict confidentiality requirements. Individual records are not shared with anyone,
including federal agencies and law enforcement entities. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, including companies, other federal agencies, and law enforcement.
Questions as they appear on the form
We ask four questions that cover information on plumbing and kitchen facilities, public sewer, telephone service, and solar panels to better understand housing quality and infrastructure needs.
Results from these questions
We compile the results from these questions to provide communities with important statistics to help in their housing assistance planning. You can see some of these published statistics here for the nation, states, and your community. Data for public sewer and solar panels are planned to be released starting in 2026.
Plumbing facilities, kitchen facilities, telephone service, and solar panel data help communities:
Provide Adequate Housing
We ask about the quality of housing in a community to understand whether available housing meets the needs of residents. When housing is not sufficient or not affordable, data on household facilities helps communities:
Enroll eligible households in programs designed to assist them.
Qualify for grants from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program, Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and other programs.
Plan Community Development
We ask about the quality of homes and whether they are occupied or vacant, which helps communities identify opportunities to:
Improve tax, assistance, and zoning policies.
Reduce tax revenue losses from vacant or abandoned properties.
Target emergency planning and preparation in disaster-prone areas.
Ensure Residents Can Communicate
We measure the extent of telephone service to help communities ensure their residents have universal access to assistance programs, emergency services, and important information.
Measure Environmental Impacts
Substandard plumbing systems may impact the local water supply. We ask about these systems to help communities research their infrastructure needs and work to improve their systems.
Anticipate Future Energy Needs
Information about using solar panels to generate electricity helps to match energy consumption to energy production across the United States.
Helping decision makers provide solutions in times of need
This video takes an in-depth look at the question pertaining to 'running water' that is found on the American Community Survey. This video explains how this question, and others found on the ACS, can help plan for disaster relief and help communities provide the resources needed for its residents.
History of plumbing facilities, kitchen facilities, telephone service, and solar panel questions
Plumbing facilities and kitchen facilities originated with the 1940 Census, while telephone service originated with the 1960 Census. They were transferred to the ACS in 2005 when it replaced the decennial census long form. The telephone service question was added to the ACS in 2008. The telephone question was then modified in 2019.
Research about this modification and copies of previous questionnaires are available on the ACS website. The public sewer question originated with the 1960 Census and was discontinued after the 1990 Census. The current question was added to the ACS in 2025. The solar panel question was also added to the ACS in 2025.
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