Codes and Frequencies
Description
GEO2_US identifies the 0010 Consistent PUMAs (2010 based Consistent Public Use Microdata Areas). Each PUMA is an aggregation of one or more 2010 U.S. Census PUMAs (Public Use Microdata Areas) that, in combination, align closely (within a 1% population mismatch tolerance) with a corresponding set of 2000 PUMAs. PUMAs are effectively the smallest geographic units that can be consistently identified from the geographic codes available in U.S. Census PUMS from 2000 and later (until 2020 PUMAs take effect sometime after the 2020 Census). Note that the 2020 sample uses experimental weights to correct for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 2020 data collection. More details on construction of PUMAs can be found in IPUMS USA website. The following excel file lists GEO2_US and their relationship to CPUMA0010.
A separate variable, GEO2ALT_US, identifies sets of 1980 county groups and 1990 and 2000 PUMAs that comprise comparable populations for samples from 1980 through 2011. GEO2ALT_US corresponds with CONSPUMA variable in IPUMS USA .
GEO2_US is spatially harmonized to account for these boundary changes. Some detail is lost in harmonization; see the comparability discussion. A GIS map (in shapefile format), corresponding to GEO2_US can be downloaded from the GIS Boundary files page in the IPUMS International web site.
The full set of geography variables for the United States can be found in the IPUMS International Geography variables list. For cross-national geographic analysis on the first and second major administrative level refer to GEOLEV1, and GEOLEV2. More information on IPUMS-International geography can be found here.
Comparability — General
PUMAs and Consistent PUMAs
PUMAs are the smallest geographic units identified in U.S. Census Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) since 1990. PUMA definitions are altered after each decennial census, so PUMA codes are not consistently comparable across time.
To support spatio-temporal analysis of PUMS data, IPUMS defines consistent PUMAs as minimally aggregated sets of PUMAs that, when consolidated, align well across samples.
More on PUMAs and the construction of PUMAs can be found in the IPUMS USA website.
Universe
- All households
Availability
- United States: 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020
