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Index of Questions

1980 (Housing)

The first 12 questions on the housing section of the 1980 census questionnaire were asked of all respondents. The rest were asked only to a sample. As with previous censuses, some questions had set answers for the respondent to choose from; where relevant, those answers have been listed. The 1980 census of housing collected the following information, listed by question number:


The following information was collected from all respondents:

  1. Did you leave anyone out of Question 1 [in the population section of the questionnaire] because you were not sure if the person should be listed?
  2. Did you list anyone in Question 1 who is away from home right now?
  3. Is anyone visiting here who is not already listed?
  4. How many living quarters, occupied or vacant, are at this address?
  5. Do you enter your living quarters-
    • Directly from the outside or through a common or public hall?
    • Through someone else's living quarters
  6. Do you have complete plumbing facilities in your living quarters, that is, hot and cold piped water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower?
    • Yes, for this household only
    • Yes, but also used by another household
    • No, have some but not all plumbing facilities
    • No plumbing facilities in living quarters
  7. How many rooms do you have in your living quarters?
  8. Are your living quarters-
    • Owned or being bought by you or by someone else in this household?
    • Rented for cash rent?
    • Occupied without payment of cash rent?
  9. Is this apartment (house) part of a condominium?
  10. If this is a one family house-
    1. Is this house on a property of 10 or more acres?
    2. Is any part of the property used as a commercial establishment or medical office?
  11. If you live in a single family home or a condominium unit which you own or are buying; What is the value of this property, that is, how much do you think this property (house and lot or condominium) would sell for if it were for sale?
  12. If you pay rent for your living quarters; What is the monthly rent?

The following questions were asked on a sample basis:

  1. Which best describes this building?
    • A mobile home or trailer
    • A one-family house detached from any other house
    • A one-family house attached to one or more houses
    • A building for 2 families
    • A building for 3 or 4 families
    • A building for 5 to 9 families
    • A building for 10 to 19 families
    • A building for 20 to 49 families
    • A building for 50 or more families
    • A boat, tent, van, etc.
    1. How many stories (floors) in this building?
    2. If more than four stories, does the building have an elevator?
    1. Is this building...
      • On a city or suburban lot, or on a place of less than 1 acre
      • On a place of 1 to 9 acres
      • On a place of 10 acres or more
    2. Last year (1979) how much did sales of crops, livestock, and other farm products from this place amount to?
  2. Do you get water from-
    • A public system (city water department, etc.) or private company
    • An individual drilled well
    • An individual dug well
    • Some other source
  3. Is this building connected to the public sewer?
    • Yes, connected to public sewer
    • No, connected to septic tank or cesspool
    • No, use other means
  4. About when was this building originally built?
  5. When did the person listed in column 1 move into this house or apartment?
  6. How are your living quarters heated?
    • Steam or hot water system
    • Central warm air furnace with ducts to individual rooms
    • Electric heat pump
    • Other built-in electric units
    • Floor, wall, or pipeless furnace
    • Room heaters with flue or vent, burning gas, oil or kerosene
    • Room heaters without flue or vent, burning gas, oil or kerosene
    • Fireplaces, stoves, or portable room heaters of any kind
    • No heating equipment
    1. Which fuel is used most for house heating?
      • Gas from underground pipes serving the neighborhood
      • Gas: bottled, tank, or LP
      • Electricity
      • Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.
      • Coal or coke
      • Wood
      • Other fuel
      • No fuel used
    2. Which fuel is used most for water heating?
      • Gas from underground pipes serving the neighborhood
      • Gas: bottled, tank, or LP
      • Electricity
      • Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.
      • Coal or coke
      • Wood
      • Other fuel
      • No fuel used
    3. Which fuel is used most for cooking?
      • Gas from underground pipes serving the neighborhood
      • Gas: bottled, tank, or LP
      • Electricity
      • Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.
      • Coal or coke
      • Wood
      • Other fuel
      • No fuel used
  7. What are the costs of utilities and other fuels in your living quarters?
    1. Electricity
    2. Gas
    3. Water
    4. Oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.
  8. Do you have complete (a sink with piped water, a range or cook stove, and a refrigerator) kitchen facilities?
  9. How many bedrooms do you have?
  10. How many bathrooms do you have?
  11. Do you have a telephone in your living quarters?
  12. Do you have air conditioning?
    • yes, 1 individual room unit
    • yes, 2 or more individual room units
    • Yes, a central air-conditioning system
    • No
  13. How many passenger automobiles are owned or regularly used by members of your household?
    • None
    • 1 automobile
    • 2 automobiles
    • 3 automobiles or more
  14. How many vans or trucks of one-tone capacity or less are kept at home for used by members of your household?

These questions were for owners of one-family homes only, not including mobile homes, houses on 10 or more acres, condominium units, or houses with commercial establishments on property

  1. What were the real estate taxes on this property last year?
  2. What is the annual premium for fire and hazard insurance on this property?
    1. Do you have a mortgage, deed of trust, contract to purchase, or similar debt on this property?
    2. If yes, do you have a second or junior mortgage on this property?
    3. How much is your total regular monthly payment to the lender?
    4. Does your regular monthly payment include payments for real estate taxes on this property?
    5. Does you regular monthly payment include payments for fire and hazard insurance on this property?

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Census History Staff | Last Revised: December 14, 2023