[The instruction guide for American Community Survey (ACS) has not been provided to respondents since 2017. The Census Bureau recommends referring to the 2016 version of the instruction guide. However, due to a few discrepancies between the 2016 and 2020 surveys, this is a more recent version of the instruction guide posted online (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/respond/get-help.html). Please note that the questionnaires of the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and 2020 Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) are identical.]

General instructions:

• Use blue or black ink.
• Mark the category or categories or print your answer in the field provided.
• Answer questions for each person in this household. If anyone in the household does not want to give you his or her personal information, print the person's name and answer questions 2 and 3. An interviewer may telephone to request the information from that person.
• There may be a question you cannot answer exactly (example: the price for which your house would sell). If no one in the household knows, give your best estimate.

Note: This information covers how to answer the ACS questions. For information about why, please visit Questions on the Form and Why We Ask.

To learn more, visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at ask.census.gov, where you can also send a question to a Census Bureau support representative.

Instructions for completing the survey questionnaire

Person questions 1-6

Answer questions 1-6 for the first five people living or staying at this address.

• Include everyone who is living or staying here for more than 2 months.
• Include yourself if you are living here for more than 2 months.
• Include anyone else staying here who does not have another place to stay, even if they are here for 2 months or less.
• Do not include anyone who is living somewhere else for more than 2 months, such as a college student living away or someone in the Armed Forces on deployment.

P1. Print the name of the household member living or staying here in whose name the house or apartment is owned, being bought, or rented. If there is no such person, any adult household member can be Person 1.

Print the person's last name, first name, and middle initial (MI) in the spaces provided.

If there are more than 5 people in your household, please provide the name, sex and age of each additional person on page 7. An interviewer may telephone to obtain information for the additional persons.

What if no one lives at this address?
I am a caretaker for a vacant property that received the ACS. What should I do?

The American Community Survey (ACS) samples addresses, not individuals. If the housing unit is vacant, we typically ask someone who is familiar with the unit to complete the survey to the best of his or her ability. The questions pertaining to vacant homes ask about the characteristics of the home and how it is being used now. If we determine that the unit is vacant, we will not make any further attempt to contact this address.

P2. If the person is in an intimate relationship with person 1, such as a boyfriend or girlfriend, mark the ''opposite-sex unmarried partner'' or ''same-sex unmarried partner'' box.

An ''other relative'' is someone related to person 1 by birth, marriage, or adoption, but "not" one of the options listed -- for example, a niece or nephew. If a foster child is related to person 1, include in the appropriate relative category, such as ''grandchild,'' or include in the ''other relative'' category.

A ''foster child'' is someone under the age of 21 who is involved in the formal foster care system.

If the person is not related to Person 1 and is not one of the options listed, mark the "other nonrelative" box.

P3. Mark one box to indicate this person's biological sex.

P4. For each person, print this person's age and month, day, and year of birth.

Print the age at the last birthday. Do not round the age up if this person is close to having a birthday. If the exact age is not known, provide an estimate. For babies less than 1 year old, do not print the age in months. Print 0 as the age.

P5. Please answer "both" question 5 about Hispanic origin and question 6 about race. For this survey, Hispanic origin is not a race.

An individual's response is based upon self-identification. People may choose one or more response categories to represent their identity or identities. The categories included in the questionnaire generally reflect social definitions recognized in this country, and do not attempt to define groups biologically, anthropologically, or genetically.

''Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin" includes all persons who identify with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South American, and other Spanish cultures. Examples of these groups include, but are not limited to, Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, and Colombian. ''Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin'' also includes groups such as Guatemalan, Honduran, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Venezuelan, etc.

If you mark the "Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin" box, print the name of the specific origin.

If you are not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin, answer this question by marking the "No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin" box.

This question should be answered for all individuals.

P6. Mark all boxes for the appropriate races.

The concept of race, as used by the Census Bureau, reflects self-identification by individuals according to the race or races with which they identify.

The instruction before question 5, "For this survey, Hispanic origins are not races" reflects the federal government's treatment of Hispanic origin and race as separate and distinct concepts. People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.

People may choose to provide two or more races either by marking two or more race response boxes, by providing multiple write-in responses, or by some combination of marking boxes and writing in responses.

If you mark the "White" box, print the name of the specific White origin(s) in the space provided (for example, German, Irish, English, Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, etc.).

If you mark the "Black or African American" box, print the name of the specific Black or African American origin(s) in the space provided (for example, African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somali, etc.).

If you mark the "American Indian or Alaska Native" box, print the name of your enrolled or principal tribe(s) in the space provided (for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc.).

If you mark the "Other Asian" box, print the name of the specific Asian origin(s) in the space provided (for example, Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, etc.).

If you mark the "Other Pacific Islander" box, print the name of the specific Pacific Islander origin(s) in the space provided (for example, Tongan, Fijian, Marshallese, etc.).

If you mark the "Some other race" box, print the name of the specific origin(s) in the space provided.

This question should be answered for all individuals.

Housing questions 1-3

Answer the following questions about the house, apartment, or mobile home at the address on the mailing label.

H1. Mark only one category.

Count both occupied and vacant apartments in the house or building. Do not count stores or office space.

Detached means there is open space on all sides, or the house is joined only to a shed or garage. Attached means that the house is joined to another house or building by at least one wall that goes from ground to roof. An example of "A one-family house attached to one or more houses" is a house in a row of houses attached to one another, sometimes referred to as a townhouse.

A mobile home that has had one or more rooms added or built onto it should be considered as "a one-family house detached from any other house." If only a porch or shed has been added to a mobile home, it should be considered as a mobile home.

Towable RVs, such as travel trailers or fifth-wheel trailers, should be considered as "a mobile home."

Self-propelling RVs or motor homes should be considered as a "boat, RV, van, etc."

H2. Mark the box that corresponds to the year in which the original construction was completed, not the time of any later remodeling, additions, or conversions.

If the building was first built in 2000 or later, enter the exact year it was built.

If you live on a boat or in a mobile home, enter the year corresponding to the model year in which it was manufactured.

If you do not know the year the building was first built, give your best estimate.

H3. Enter the month and year that Person 1 (listed on page 2) last moved into this house, apartment, or mobile home.

Housing questions 4-17

Answer questions 4-5 if this is a house or a mobile home, otherwise skip to question 6a.

H4. Complete this question if you live in a one-family house or in a mobile home.

Include only land that you own or rent.

The number of acres is the acreage on which the house or mobile home is located; include adjoining land you rent for your use.

H5. (No special instructions.)

H6.a. Rooms must be separated by built-in archways or walls that extend out at least 6 inches and go from floor to ceiling. Include bedrooms, kitchens, etc. Exclude bathrooms, porches, balconies, foyers, halls, or unfinished basements.

H6.b. Include all rooms intended to be used as bedrooms in this house, apartment, or mobile home, even if they are currently being used for other purposes.

Enter "0" for an efficiency or studio apartment that does not have a separate bedroom. Your response to question 6b should be smaller than the number of rooms reported in question 6a.

How should I count kitchenettes, foyers, and unfinished spaces?
My living room and kitchen are in one big room. How do I count the number of rooms on the ACS?

When counting the number of rooms in a home for the American Community Survey (ACS), please count rooms separated by built-in archways or walls that extend out at least 6 inches and go from floor to ceiling. Include only whole rooms used for living purposes, such as living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, finished recreation rooms, family rooms, enclosed porches suitable for year-round use, etc.

Do not count bathrooms, kitchenettes, strip or pullman kitchens, utility rooms, foyers, halls, open porches, balconies, unfinished attics, unfinished basements, or other unfinished space used for storage.

Specific Concerns:

• A pullman kitchen, also known as a strip kitchen, is a kitchen in which all cabinets, shelves, and facilities (such as the sink or refrigerator) are located against a single wall. This type of kitchen is most often found in small homes or apartments. Do not count a pullman kitchen as a separate room because it is not separate from other rooms of the house.
• Partially divided rooms, such as a dinette next to a kitchen or living room is a separate room only if there is a built-in partition or wall from floor to ceiling, but not if the partition consists solely of shelves or cabinets.
• A combination living room/dining room would be considered a single room.

H7.a. Mark "yes" to "hot and cold running water" even if the unit has hot water only part of the time.

H7.c. Mark "yes" to "sink with a faucet" if the sink is inside the house apartment or mobile home and the water can be turned on and off with a faucet.

H7.d. Mark "yes" to "a stove or range" if the stove or range is inside the house, apartment or mobile home. Portable cooking equipment is not considered a stove or range.

H8. Mark "yes" if (1) any household member has a cell phone, smart phone, or other type of phone device from which they can both make and receive phone calls while at the housing unit; OR (2) if the housing unit has a land line telephone in working order, and a household member can make and receive phone calls using that telephone. If service has been disconnected for all such devices, for any reason, mark the "no" box.

H9. Mark the "yes" or "no" box for each part of this question.

Do not include devices such as portable book readers, Internet movie players, portable gaming devices, and other devices with limited computing capabilities.

Covid-19 guidance

If the household has a device provided by school or an employer (temporarily or permanently) answer "yes" to all devices that apply.

H10. Mark only one box.

Access to the Internet by paying a cell phone company or Internet service provider includes any service that any member of the household obtains directly through a contract agreement with an Internet service provider, or through payments to a landlord, the government, or someone else. If the service is currently not available due to non-payment or being out of contract, do not select this choice.

Access to the Internet without paying a cell phone company or Internet service provider includes services that do not require an account or contract agreement, such as connections offered freely through a city, town, or institution.

Covid-19 Guidance

Some households may receive monetary assistance with their internet service bills from their employer or school:

If the household is reimbursed for some or all of the expense of an internet connection by an employer or school or the household has an employer or school provided internet connection, modem, or internet "hotspot" and the household pays for part of the cost then select "Yes by paying a cell phone company or internet service provider."

If the household has an internet connection, a modem, or an internet "hotspot" provided to them (temporarily or permanently) by an employer or school and the household pays no expense and does not pay for any other internet service or cell phone data plan, then select "Yes, without paying cell phone company or Internet service provider."

H11. Mark the "yes" or "no" box for each part of question 10.

H12. Include company cars, vans or SUVs (including police cars and taxicabs) and company trucks of one-ton (2,000 pounds) capacity or less that are regularly kept at home and are used by household members for nonbusiness purposes. Do not count (1) cars or trucks permanently out of working order, or (2) motorcycles or other recreational vehicles.

H13. Mark one category for the fuel used most to heat this house, apartment, or mobile home. In buildings containing more than one apartment, you may obtain this information from the owner, manager, or janitor.

"Solar energy" is provided by a system that collects, stores, and distributes heat from the sun.

"Other fuel" includes any fuel not listed separately, such as purchased steam, fuel briquettes, and waste material.

H14. If your house, apartment, or mobile home is rented, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to the monthly rent.

If you live in a condominium, enter the costs for utilities and fuels only if you pay for them in addition to your condominium fee.

If your fuel and utility costs are included in your rent or condominium fee, mark the "Included in rent or condominium fee" box. Do not enter any dollar amounts.

For items 14a and 14b, report last month's costs. For items 14c and 14d, report total costs for the "past 12 months".

Estimate as closely as possible if you do not know exact costs. If you have lived in this house, apartment, or mobile home less than one year, estimate the costs for the "past 12 months"in 14c and 14d.

Report amounts even if your bills are unpaid or paid by someone else. If the bills include utilities or fuel used also by another apartment or a business establishment, estimate the amounts for your house or apartment only. If gas and electricity are billed together, enter the combined amount in a and mark the "Included in electricity payment entered above" box in 14b.

What about people who live in a co-op?
I live in a cooperative. How do I answer the utilities questions on the ACS?

A cooperative is a type of ownership whereby a group of housing units is owned by a corporation of member-owners. Each individual member is entitled to occupy or rent out an individual housing unit and is a shareholder in the corporation that owns the property, but does not own the unit directly. The corporation may have a mortgage on the whole group of units. The member may have a loan or mortgage to buy his or her shares in the corporation. In many cases, residents living in housing units classified as "cooperatives" often do not pay separate utility bills. They pay a "co-op fee" that includes payment for various utilities.
In the American Community Survey (ACS), if you live in this type of situation, estimate the amount for each utility included in the "co-op fee," and enter those amounts in question 11 of the housing section.

H15. On October 1, 2008, the federal Food Stamp Program was renamed SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Some states may have their own specific name for this program. If you or any member of this household received benefits from the government to buy food for your family using a benefit card, mark the "Yes" box.

H16. A condominium is housing in which the apartments, houses, or mobile homes in a building or development are individually owned, but the common areas, such as lobbies and halls, are jointly owned. Occupants of a cooperative should mark the "No" box.

A condominium fee is normally assessed by the condominium owners' association for the purpose of improving and maintaining the common areas. Enter a monthly amount, even if it is unpaid or paid by someone else. If the amount is paid on some other periodic basis, convert it to a monthly amount.

H17. Housing is owned if the owner or co-owner lives in it.

If the house, apartment, or mobile home is mortgaged or there is a contract to purchase, mark the "owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Include home equity loans." box.

If there is no mortgage or other debt, mark the "owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage or loan)?" box.

If the house, apartment, or mobile home is owned but the land is rented, mark one of the owned categories.

If the mobile home is owned without an installment loan, but there is a mortgage on the land, mark the "owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Include home equity loans." box.

If any money rent is paid, even if the rent is paid by people who are not members of your household, or paid by a federal, state, or local government agency, mark the "rented?" box.

If the unit is not owned or being bought by a member of this household and if money rent is not paid or contracted, mark the "occupied without payment of rent?" box. The unit may be owned by friends or relatives who live elsewhere and who allow you to occupy this house, apartment, or mobile home without charge. A house or apartment may be provided as part of wages or salary. Examples are: caretaker's or janitor's house or apartment; parsonages; tenant farmer or sharecropper houses for which the occupants do not pay rent; or military housing.

If you rent in a multi-unit building and the owner lives in a separate apartment in the building, mark rented.

If you live in a multi-unit building without paying rent and the owner lives in a separate apartment, mark occupied without payment of rent.

If you rent a guest house and the owner lives on the same property in another house/apartment/mobile home, mark rented.

If you live in a guest house without paying rent and the owner lives on the same property in another house/apartment/mobile home, mark occupied without payment of rent.

Housing question 18

Answer question 18a and b if this house, apartment, or mobile home is rented. Otherwise, skip to question 19.

H18.a. Report the rent agreed to or contracted for, even if the rent for your house, apartment, or mobile home is unpaid or paid by someone else. Do not include any subsidy amount that may be paid by a local housing authority or other agency.

Convert rent to a monthly amount even if rent is paid daily, weekly, quarterly, yearly, etc.: If rent is paid by the day, multiply rent by 30.

If rent is paid by the week, multiply rent by 4.
If rent is paid every other week, multiply rent by 2.
If rent is paid 4 times a year, divide rent by 3.
If rent is paid 2 times a year, divide rent by 6.
If rent is paid once a year, divide rent by 12.

H18 b. If meals are included in the monthly rent payment, or you must contract for meals or a meal plan in order to live in this house, apartment, or mobile home, mark the "Yes" box.

Housing questions 19-23

Answer questions 19-23 if you or any member of this household owns or is buying this house, apartment, or mobile home. Otherwise skip to Section E.

H19. Enter your best estimate of the value of the property; that is, how much you think the property would sell for if it were on the market. If this is a house, include the value of the house, the land it is on, and any other structures on the same property. If the house is owned but the land is rented, estimate the combined value of the house and the land. If this is a condominium unit, estimate the value for the condominium, including your share of the common elements. If this is an apartment in a non-condominium, multi-unit building, including duplexes, with other apartments in the same building, all of which you own, report the value of the building, the value of the land it is on, and the value of any additional buildings on the same plot. If this is a mobile home, include the value of the mobile home and the value of the land only if you own the land.

H20. Report taxes for all taxing jurisdictions (city or town, county, state, school district, etc.) even if they are included in your mortgage payment, not yet paid or paid by someone else, or are delinquent. Do not include taxes past due from previous years.

H21. When premiums are paid other than on a yearly basis, convert to a yearly basis. Enter the yearly amount even if no payment was made during the past year.

H22.a. Mortgages includes all types of loans secured by real estate, including reverse mortgages.

H22.b. Enter a monthly amount, even if it is unpaid or paid by someone else. If the amount is paid on some other periodic basis, see the instructions for 18a to change it to a monthly amount.

Include payments on first mortgages and contracts to purchase only. Report payments for second or junior mortgages and home equity loans in 23b.

If there is a reverse mortgage, mark the "no regular payment required" box.

If this is a mobile home, report payments on installment loans but do not include personal property taxes, site rent, registration fees, and license fees on the mobile home and site. Report these fees in item 24.

H23.a. A second mortgage or home equity loan is also secured by real estate.You must have a first mortgage in order to have a second mortgage.You may have a home equity loan and other mortgages on the property or the home equity loan may be the only mortgage.

H23.b. Enter the monthly amount even if it is unpaid or paid by someone else. If the amount is paid on some other periodic basis, convert it to a monthly amount. Include payments on all second or junior mortgages or home equity loans.

Housing question 24

Answer question 24 if this is a mobile home that you own or are buying. Otherwise, skip to section E.

H24. Report an amount, even if your bills are unpaid or are paid by someone else.

Include payments for personal property taxes, land or site rent, registration fees and license fees. Do not include real estate taxes already reported. Report the total annual amount even if you make payments in two or more installments. Estimate as closely as possible if you don't know exact costs.

Person questions 7-11

Answer questions 7-11 for the first five persons listed on pages 2-7 of your questionnaire. Person 1 on page 2 should correspond to Person 1 on page 12; Person 2 on page 3 should correspond to Person 2 on page 19; etc.

P7. For people born in the United States:
Mark the "In the United States" box and then print the name of the state in which the person was born. If the person was born in Washington, D.C., print "District of Columbia."

For people born outside the United States:
Mark the "Outside the United States" box, and then print the name of the foreign country or Puerto Rico, Guam, etc. where the person was born. Use current boundaries, not boundaries at the time of the person's birth. For example, specify Czech Republic or Slovakia, not Czechoslovakia; North or South Korea, not Korea. Specify the particular country, not region. For example, specify Jamaica, not West Indies; Kenya, not East Africa.

P8. If the person was born in the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia), mark the "Yes, born in the United States" box.

If the person was born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Northern Marianas, mark the "Yes, born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Northern Marianas" box.

If the person was born in a foreign country, in American Samoa, or at sea AND had at least one U.S. citizen parent at the time of the person's birth, mark the "Yes, born abroad of U.S. citizen parent or parents" box. Mark the "Yes, U.S. citizen by naturalization" box only if this person was born outside the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and has completed the naturalization process and is now a United States citizen. In the box below "Print year of naturalization," enter the four-digit year this person completed the formal naturalization process.

If this person is not a U.S. citizen, mark the "No, not a U.S. citizen" box. Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) or "green card" holders, or other non-naturalized immigrants or visitors to the U.S. are not citizens of the United States and therefore should mark the "No, not a U.S. citizen" box.

P9. (no special instructions)

P10.a. A public school is any school or college that is supported and controlled primarily by a local, county, state, or federal government. Schools are private if supported and controlled primarily by religious organizations or other private groups. Home school applies to parental guided education outside of a public or private school for grades 1--12.

P10.b. Only record grades that the person attended in the "last 3 months". If this is currently a summer month, do not record grades the person will attend in the future.

P11. Mark only "one" box to indicate the highest grade or level of schooling the person has "completed" or the highest degree the person received.

Report schooling completed in foreign or ungraded schools as the equivalent level of schooling in the regular American school system.

Mark the "GED or alternative credential" box for persons who did not receive a regular high school diploma but completed high school by receiving a GED or other formal recognition of high school completion from a school or governmental authority.

If the person has not completed any college courses for credit, mark the highest level completed below the college level. If the person has not completed enough credit to be counted as a sophomore, mark the "Some college credit, but less than 1 year of college credit" box.

For the "Professional degree beyond a bachelor's degree" category, do not include certificates or diplomas for training in specific trades or occupations such as computer and electronics technology, medical assistant, or cosmetology. Do not include post-bachelor's certificates that are related to occupational training in such fields as teaching, accounting, or engineering.

Person questions 12-18

Answer question 12 if this person has a bachelor's degree or higher. Otherwise skip to question 13.

P12. Answer this question only if the person has a bachelor's degree or higher and print the specific major of this person's bachelor's degree. If this person has more than one bachelor's degree or more than one major, print the names of the specific majors for all of this person's bachelor's degree(s).

P13. Print the ancestry group(s). Ancestry refers to the person's ethnic origin or descent, "roots," or heritage. Ancestry may also refer to the country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. Answer this question for all persons, regardless of race, Hispanic origin, or place of birth.

Do not report a religious group as a person's ancestry.

A person may report two ancestry groups (for example: German, Irish).

P14.a. Mark the "Yes" box if the person sometimes or always speaks a language other than English at home.

Mark the "No" box if the person speaks only English, or if a non-English language is spoken only at school or is limited to a few expressions or slang.

P14.b. If this person speaks more than one non-English language and cannot determine which is spoken more often, report the one the person first learned to speak.

P15.a. If the person did not live in the United States or Puerto Rico one year ago, mark the "No, outside the United States and Puerto Rico" box and print the name of the foreign country, or U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, etc., where the person lived. Be specific when printing the name of the foreign country; for example, specify Czech Republic or Slovakia, not Czechoslovakia; North or South Korea, not Korea. Specify the particular country, not region. For example, specify Jamaica, not West Indies; Kenya, not East Africa. Then skip to question 16.

If the person lived somewhere else in the United States or Puerto Rico one year ago, mark the "No, different house in the United States or Puerto Rico" box.

P15.b. Include the house or structure number; street name; street type (for example, St., Road, Ave.); and the street direction (if a direction such as "North" is part of the address). For example, print 1239 N. Main St. or 1239 Main St., N.W., not just 1239 Main. If the person lived in Puerto Rico, the address should also include the name of the development or condominium.

If the only known address is a post office box, give a description of the residence location. For example, print the name of the building where the person lived, the nearest intersection, the name of a military base or installation, or the nearest street where the residence was located, etc. DO NOT give a post office box number.

Print the name of the U.S. county or the name of the municipio in Puerto Rico. If the person lived in Louisiana, print the parish name in the "Name of U.S. county or municipio in Puerto Rico" space. If the person lived in Alaska, print the borough or census area name, if known. If the person lived in New York City and the county name is not known, print the borough name. If the person lived in an independent city (not in any county) or in Washington, D.C., leave the "Name of U.S. county or municipio in Puerto Rico" space blank.

P16. Mark the "Yes" or "No" box for each part of question 16.

If the person reports any other type of coverage plan in 16h, specify the type of coverage or name of the plan in the write-in box. Do not include plans that cover only one type of health care (such as dental plans) or plans that only cover a person in case of an accident or disability.

P17. If you have more than one type of health insurance, answer these questions while thinking about your primary health insurance.

P18. (No special instructions.)

Person questions 19

Answer question 19a-c if this person is 5 years old or over. Otherwise skip to the questions for Person 2 on page 19.

P19. Mark the "yes" or "no" box to indicate if the person has serious difficulty with any of the activities listed in parts a, b, and c because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Person questions 20-24

Answer question 20 if this person is 15 years old or over. Otherwise, skip to the questions for Person 2 on page 19.

P20. (no special instructions)

P21. Mark the "now married" box for a married person regardless of whether his or her spouse is living in the household unless they are separated. If the person's only marriage was annulled, mark the "never married" box. Mark the "divorced" box only if the person has received a divorce decree.

P22. Mark the "yes" box only if the person has received a divorce decree in the past 12 months.

P23. Do not count marriages that ended in annulment.

P24. Enter the four-digit year when the person last got married, even if the person is now widowed, divorced, or separated.

Person questions 25-32

Answer question 25 if this person is female and 15-50 years old. Otherwise, skip to question 26a.

P25. Mark the "yes" box if the person has given birth to at least one child born alive in the past 12 months, even if the child died or no longer lives with the mother. Do not consider miscarriages, or stillborn children, or any adopted, foster, or stepchildren.

P26. (No special instructions.)

P27. Active duty means full-time service as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or its predecessors, the Coast and Geodetic Survey or Environmental Science Service Administration. Active duty does not include active duty for training.

Active duty also applies to a person who is a cadet attending one of the five United States Military Service Academies.

For a person with service in the military Reserves or National Guard, mark the ''Only on active duty for training in the Reserves or National Guard" box if the person has never been called up for active duty, mobilized, or deployed. For a person whose only service was as a civilian employee or civilian volunteer for the Red Cross, USO, Public Health Service, or War or Defense Department, mark the "never served in the military" box.

For merchant marine service, count only the service during World War II as active duty and no other period of service.

P28. Mark as many responses as apply.

P29.a. Mark the "yes" box if the person has a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) service-connected disability rating.

P29.b. Mark the "0 percent" box if the person has received a service-connected disability rating of zero. Do not mark the box showing "0 percent" to indicate no rating.

P30. Mark the "yes" box if this person performed:

• Work for someone else for wages, salary, piece rate, commission, tips, or payments "in kind" (for example, food or lodging received as payment for work performed).
• Work in own business, professional practice, or farm.
• Any work in a family business or farm, paid (for any amount of time) or without pay (for 15 or more hours per week).
• Any part-time work including babysitting, paper routes, etc.
• Active duty in the Armed Forces.
• Do not count as work -- Mark the "no" box if this person's activities were limited to the following:
• Housework or yard work at home.
• Unpaid volunteer work.
• School work done as a student.
• Work done as a resident or inmate of an institution facility (like a nursing facility or correctional facility).

P31. Include the building or structure number; street name; street type (for example, St., Road, Ave.); and the street direction (if a direction such as "North" is part of the address). For example, print 1239 N. Main St. or 1239 Main St., N.W., not just 1239 Main.

If the only known address is a post office box, give a description of the work location. For example, print the name of the building or shopping center where the person works, the nearest intersection, or the nearest street where the workplace is located, etc. Do not give a post office box number.

If the person worked at a military installation or military base that has no street address, report the name of the military installation or base, and a description of the work location (such as building number, building name, nearest street or intersection).

If the person worked at several locations, but reported to the same location each day to begin work, print the street address of the location where he or she reported. If the person did not report to the same location each day to begin work, print the address of the location where he or she worked most of the time last week.

If the person's employer operates in more than one location (such as a grocery store chain or public school system), print the street address of the location or branch where the person worked. If the street address of a school is not known, print the name of the school, and a description of the location (such as nearest street or intersection).

If the person worked on a college or university campus and the street address of the workplace is not known, print the name of the building where he or she worked, and a description of the location (such as nearest street or intersection).

If the person worked in a foreign country or Puerto Rico, Guam, etc., print the name of the country on the state or foreign country line.

P32. Mark only one box to indicate the method of transportation used to travel the longest distance to work last week.

• Mark the "car, truck, or van" box if the person drove a company car, light truck of 1-ton capacity or less, or truck cab.
• Mark the ''bus'' box if the person rode a local bus, intercity bus, regional bus service, or bus rapid transit.
• Mark the "subway or elevated rail" box if the person took an underground or elevated local rail network. This does not include rail systems that predominately offer intercity rail service.
• Mark the "long-distance train or commuter rail" box if the person took long-distance rail service such as Amtrak, or a commuter train (also called metropolitan rail, regional rail, or suburban rail) that operates between a central city and surrounding suburbs or other central cities.
• Mark the "light rail, streetcar, or trolley" box if the person rode light rail, streetcar, trolley, cable car, tramway, monorail or other vehicle that operates on tracks or rails. Such vehicles are often driven electrically via overhead wires.
• Mark the "taxicab" box if the person took a cab or on-demand ride-hailing service (individual or shared, including app-based).
• Mark the "motorcycle" box if the person rode a motorbike, moped, seated motor scooter, or similar vehicle that is motor driven.
• Mark the "bicycle" box if the person rode a bicycle or other seated vehicle that is pedaled, an electric assist bicycle, or a bicycle sharing service or system.
• Mark the "walked" box only if the person walked all the way to work and used no other means of transportation.
• Mark the "worked from home" box if the person worked on a farm where he/she lives, or in an office or shop in the person's own home.
• Mark the "other method" box if the person took an airplane, helicopter, horse, horse and buggy, boat (other than ferry), motor home, dog sled, All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), snow machine/snowmobile, self-balancing electric vehicle, skateboard, inline skates, or motorized chair.

Person questions 33-35

Answer question 33 if you marked "car, truck, or van" in question 32. Otherwise, skip to question 34.

P33. If the person was driven to work by someone who then drove back home or to a non-work destination, enter "1" in the box labeled ''person(s)''.

Do not include persons who rode to school or some other non-work destination in the count of persons who rode in the vehicle.

P34. Give the time of day that persons trip to work usually begins. Do not give the time that the person usually began his or her work.

If the person usually left home to go to work sometime between 12:00 o'clock midnight and 12:00 o'clock noon, mark "a.m."

If the person usually left home to go to work sometime between 12:00 o'clock noon and 12:00 o'clock midnight, mark "p.m."

P35. Travel time is from door to door. Enter a one-way commute time for this person's usual daily commute from home to work last week. Include time waiting for public transportation or picking up passengers in a carpool.

Person questions 36-41

Answer questions 36-39 if this person did not work last week. Otherwise, skip to question 39a.

P36.a. Persons are on layoff if they are waiting to be recalled to a job from which they were temporarily separated for business-related reasons.

Covid-19 guidance

Mark the "Yes" box if:

• The person did not work at all during the last week and was furloughed or placed on a temporary, unpaid leave of absence from work.
• The person did not work at all during the last week and is uncertain of when they will be able to return to work due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Mark the "No" box if:

• The person did not work at all during the last week and was under quarantine or self-isolating due to health concerns.

P36.b. If the person works only during certain seasons or on a day-by-day basis when work is available, mark the "no" box.

Covid-19 guidance

Mark the "Yes" box if the person did not work at all during the last week and was under quarantine or self-isolating due to health concerns.

P36.c. If the person was informed by his or her employer, either formally or informally, that they will be recalled within the next 6 months, mark the "Yes" box. Also mark the "Yes" box if the person has been given, formally or informally, a specific date to return to work, even if that date is more than 6 months away.

Covid-19 guidance

Mark the "Yes" box if the person did not work at all during the last week and is uncertain of when they will be able to return to work due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

P37. Mark the "yes" box if the person tried to get a job or start a business or professional practice at any time in the last 4 weeks; for example, registered at a public or private employment office, went to a job interview, placed or answered employment ads, or did anything toward starting a business or professional practice.

P38. If the person was expecting to report to a job within 30 days, mark the "yes, could have gone to work" box.

Mark the "no, because of own temporary illness" box only if the person expects to be able to work within 30 days.

If the person could not have gone to work because he or she was going to school, taking care of children, etc., mark the "no, because of all other reasons (in school, etc.)" box.

Covid-19 guidance

Mark the "yes, could have gone to work" box if the person could have started a job if offered one, or could have returned to work if recalled, but they are uncertain if they will choose to work due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.

P39. Refer to the instructions for questions30a--30b to determine what to count as work. Mark the "over 5 years ago or never worked" box if the person: (1) never worked at any kind of job or business, either full or part time, (2) never worked, with or without pay, in a family business or farm, and (3) never served on active duty in the Armed Forces.

P40. Refer to the instructions for questions 30a--30b to determine what to count as work. Include paid vacation, paid sick leave, and military service. Count every week in which the person worked at all, even for an hour.

P41. If the hours worked each week varied considerably in the past 12 months, give an approximate average of the hours worked each week.

Person question 42

Answer questions 42a-42f if this person worked in the past 5 years. Otherwise, skip to question 43.

P42.a. If the person worked for a cooperative, credit union, mutual insurance company, or similar organization, mark ''non-profit organization (including tax-exempt and charitable organizations)'' box.

If the person worked at a public school, college or university, mark the appropriate government category. For example, mark the ''Local government (for example: city or county school district)''box for a county-run community college or a city-run public school. Mark the ''State government (including state colleges/universities)" box for a state university.

Employees of foreign governments, the United Nations, and other international organizations should mark the ''Federal government civilian employee'' box.

P42b. If the person worked for a company, business, or government agency, print the name of the company, not the name of the person's supervisor. If the person worked for an individual or a business that had no company name, print the name of the individual this person worked for. If the person worked in his or her own un-named business, print "self-employed." If the person marked "active duty U.S. Armed Forces or Commissioned Corps", print the name of the branch of the Armed Forces. For Commissioned Corps, enter U.S. Public Health Service or NOAA Commissioned Corps."

P42.c. Describe the business, industry, or individual employer named in question 42b. If there is more than one activity, describe only the major activity at the place where the person worked. Describe what is made, what is sold, or what service is given.

Enter descriptions like the following: urgent care center, certified public accounting firm, office supplies manufacturing company.

P42.d. Mark one box to indicate the main type of business or industry where this person works or worked.

P42.e. Describe the kind of work the person did. If the person was a trainee, apprentice, or helper, include that in the description.

Enter descriptions like the following: registered nurse, human resources manager, industrial engineer.

If possible, avoid single words such as: nurse, manager, or engineer.

P42.f. Describe the most important activities or duties the person performed for his or her job.

Enter descriptions like the following: coordinate patient care and administer medications, direct hiring policies and advise supervisors on employee relations matters, design control systems to ensure product quality.

Person questions 43-44

P43. Mark the "yes" or "no" box for each type of income, and enter the amount received in the past 12 months for each "yes" response.

If income from any source was received jointly by household members, report, if possible, the appropriate share for each person; otherwise, report the whole amount for only one person and mark the "no" box for the other person.

When reporting income received jointly, do not include the amount for a person not listed on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.

Do not include the following as income in any item:

• Refunds or rebates of any kind
• Withdrawals from savings of any kind
• Capital gains or losses from the sale of homes, shares of stock, etc.
• Inheritances or insurance settlements
• Any type of loan
• Pay in-kind such as food, free rent

a. Include wages and salaries before deductions from all jobs. Be sure to include any tips, commissions, or bonuses. Owners of incorporated businesses should enter their salary here. Military personnel should include base pay plus cash housing and/or subsistence allowance, flight pay, uniform allotments, reenlistment bonuses.

Do not include unemployment compensation

b. Include nonfarm profit (or loss) from self-employment in sole proprietorships and partnerships. Mark the "loss" box if there is a loss. Exclude profit (or loss) of incorporated businesses the person owns.

Include farm profit (or loss) from self-employment in sole proprietorships and partnerships. Mark the "loss" box if there is a loss. Exclude profit (or loss) of incorporated farm businesses the person owns. Also exclude amounts from land rented for cash but include amounts from land rented for shares.

c. Include interest received or credited to checking and saving accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), IRAs, KEOGHs, and government bonds.

Include dividends received, credited, or reinvested from ownership of stocks or mutual funds.

Include profit (or loss) from royalties and the rental of land, buildings or real estate, or from roomers or boarders. Mark the"loss" box if there is a loss. Income received by self-employed persons whose primary source of income is from renting property or from royalties should be included in 47b. Include regular payments from an estate or trust fund.

d. Include amounts, before Medicare deductions, of Social Security and/or Railroad Retirement payments to retired persons, to dependents of deceased insured workers, and to disabled workers.

e. Include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) received by elderly, blind, or disabled persons.

f. Include any public assistance or welfare payments received by check or electronic transfer from the state or local welfare office, even if received for only one month or less than a year. Include benefits received on behalf of children. These payments are sometimes referred to as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Welfare or welfare to work, General Assistance, General Relief, Emergency Assistance, and Diversion Payments. Do not include assistance received from private charities.
Do not include:

• Unemployment compensation
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Food assistance (such as food stamps and benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP)
• Rental assistance, education assistance, child care assistance, transportation assistance, or assistance with heating or cooling costs or any other noncash benefit.

g. Include regular income from a company pension, union pension, Federal government pension, state government pension, local government pension, U.S. Railroad pension, KEOGH retirement plan, SEP (Simplified Employee Pension), U.S. military pension or any other type of pension, retirement account or annuity such as IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k) or 403(b).

Include survivor income paid to spouses or children of a deceased person. Include regular income from a disability pension paid to those who are unable to work due to a disability.

Do not include Social Security or income that is "rolled over" or reinvested in another retirement account.

h. Include unemployment compensation, Veterans' (VA) disability compensation and educational assistance payments (VEAP); worker's compensation, child support or alimony; and all other regular payments such as Armed Forces transfer payments, assistance from private charities, regular contributions from persons not living in the household.

P44. Add the total entries (subtracting losses) for 43a through 43h for the past 12 months and enter that number in the space provided. Mark the "loss" box if there is a loss. Print the total amount in dollars.

Include:

• Recurring payments such as income from unemployment compensation or unemployment insurance cash benefits

Do not include:

• Noncash benefits such as food stamps or benefits from SNAP or rental assistance.