United States Census Bureau | An official website of the United States Government

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip Header

Partners Researchers Educators Survey Respondents

Explore Census.gov for...

Partners
Researchers
Educators
Survey Respondents

News NAICS Codes Jobs About Us Contact Us Help

Topics

Data & Maps

Surveys & Programs

Resource Library

Search census.gov

Helpful Links

Advanced Data Search Get Survey Help Census Bureau Data and Maps American Community Survey (ACS) Census Records & Genealogy

Helpful Links

Advanced Data Search Get Survey Help Census Bureau Data and Maps American Community Survey (ACS) Census Records & Genealogy

Topics

Browse our topics and subtopics to find information and data.

View All Topics and Subtopics Index A to Z

Age and Sex Business and Economy Education Emergency Management / Disasters Employment Families and Living Arrangements Geography Health Hispanic Origin Housing

Income and Poverty International Trade Migration/Geographic Mobility Population Population Estimates Public Sector Race Redistricting Research Voting and Registration

Data & Maps

Access demographic, economic and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Explore census data with visualizations and view tutorials.

Explore Data on data.census.gov View All Data Resources

Census Academy Combining Data Data Tools and Apps Datasets Developers Experimental Data Products Interactive Maps

Mapping Files Profiles Related Sites Software Tables Training and Workshops Visualizations

Surveys & Programs

Our surveys provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about the nation. This data is critical for government programs, policies, and decision-making.

Survey Help View All Surveys & Programs

Economic Census Household Pulse Survey International Programs Metro and Micro Areas Population Estimates Population Projections Small Area Income and Poverty Statistics of U.S. Businesses Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)

Resource Library

Browse our collection of stories and more.

View All Library Resources Glossary

America Counts: Stories Audio Blogs Facts for Features Fact Sheets Infographics and Visualizations

Publications Spotlights Stats for Stories Training (Census Academy) Videos Working Papers

Topics

Data & Maps

Surveys & Programs

Resource Library

Partners Researchers Educators Survey Respondents

News NAICS Codes Jobs About Us Contact Us Help

View All Topics and Subtopics Index A to Z

Age and Sex Business and Economy Education Emergency Management / Disasters Employment Families and Living Arrangements Geography Health Hispanic Origin Housing Income and Poverty International Trade Migration/Geographic Mobility Population Population Estimates Public Sector Race Redistricting Research Voting and Registration

Explore Data on data.census.gov View All Data Resources

Census Academy Combining Data Data Tools and Apps Datasets Developers Experimental Data Products Interactive Maps Mapping Files Profiles Related Sites Software Tables Training and Workshops Visualizations

Survey Help View All Surveys & Programs

2020 Census 2026 Census Test 2030 Census American Community Survey (ACS) American Housing Survey (AHS) Annual Business Survey (ABS) Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES) County Business Patterns (CBP) Current Population Survey (CPS) Economic Census Household Pulse Survey International Programs Metro and Micro Areas Population Estimates Population Projections Small Area Income and Poverty Statistics of U.S. Businesses Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)

View All Library Resources Glossary

America Counts: Stories Audio Blogs Facts for Features Fact Sheets Infographics and Visualizations Publications Spotlights Stats for Stories Training (Census Academy) Videos Working Papers

Census.gov /
Census Help Center /
FAQs /
How does the U.S. Census Bureau define a household and a family?

How does the U.S. Census Bureau define a household and a family?

Household: a household includes all of the people who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence.
Family: a group of two or more people who live together and who are related by birth, marriage or adoption.

How does the U.S. Census Bureau define a household and a family?

Related Questions