During the 1990 Census, 5 out of every 6 households received the “short form,” which asked them a handful of questions, such as the number of rooms in their housing unit and the race, age, and marital status of persons living there. The remaining 1 out of 6 households (17 percent) — a representative sample of the United States — received the “long form,” which asked those questions, plus many others covering numerous housing, social, and economic subjects. One of these subjects was income.