vitrinethe median family's century

vitrine · bibliography

Bibliography — all sources

Every fact in the museum traces to one of these 95 sources. Each entry names the publisher, the publication year, the population actually measured, and a link to verify.

Current Population Reports, Consumer Income, Series P-60 No. 9: Income of Families and Persons in the United States: 1950
U.S. Census Bureau · 1951

Population measured: All US families (two or more related persons living together), CPS money income
https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1952/demographics/p60-09.pdf

Source notes
Kept for historical context — seed source for the skeleton. Plan 001 WI-1 supersedes the all-family median with the by-family-size series (Historical Income Tables, Table F-8) where its coverage window allows.
Historical Income Tables: Families
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024

Population measured: All US families (two or more related persons), CPS money income
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-families.html

Source notes
Landing page listing Tables F-1 through F-23. Continuously updated. Last revision Sep 2025 (2024 data).
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · U.S. Census Bureau, CPS Historical Income Tables (Table F-8)

Population measured: All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/tables/time-series/historical-income-families/f08ar.xlsx

Source notes
Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Current Population Reports, Consumer Income, Series P-60 (publication series)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024

Population measured: All US families and persons, CPS money income
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/time-series/p60.1989.List_1930924763.html

Source notes
Kept for reference even though individual P-60 reports are cited directly — this is the series landing page listing all P-60 reports from 1947 to present. Individual reports are also at www2.census.gov/library/publications/<year>/demographics/p60-<no>.pdf. Example: P-60 No. 69 (1970) at https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1970/demographics/p60-69.pdf.
Median Family Income in the United States (MEFAINUSA646N)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: U.S. Census Bureau) · 2024

Population measured: All US families, CPS money income (nominal)
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEFAINUSA646N

Source notes
Kept for cross-referencing — FRED republishes Census data. For provenance, cite the Census source (P-60 or Historical Income Tables) as primary. Coverage: 1953-2024. Useful for programmatic access and cross-referencing with wage/CPI series.
Real Median Family Income in the United States (MEFAINUSA672N)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: U.S. Census Bureau) · 2024

Population measured: All US families, CPS money income (CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars)
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEFAINUSA672N

Source notes
Kept for cross-referencing — real (inflation-adjusted) median family income from FRED. Coverage: 1953-2024. CPI-U deflation applied by FRED. Vitrine cites the nominal Census source directly; this is the real-value companion for comparison.
Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Total Private (AHETPI)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · BLS via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (AHETPI)

Population measured: Production and nonsupervisory employees, total private sector
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AHETPI

Source notes
Average (not median) hourly earnings. Coverage: 1964-present, monthly. BLS source code: CES0500000008. Useful for work-buys panel as proxy for median worker purchasing power.
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCNS)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS) · 2024

Population measured: All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCNS

Source notes
Not seasonally adjusted. Coverage: 1913-present, monthly. Use for deflation and real-wage calculations across all decades.
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: New Vehicles (CUUR0000SETA01)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · BLS CPI-U, New Vehicles (CUUR0000SETA01)

Population measured: All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, new vehicles
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0000SETA01

Source notes
Kept for CPI inflation — used to CPI-inflate the BEA 2020 car-price base to 2024 (Plan 012 WI-1). Not seasonally adjusted. Coverage: 1935-present, monthly. Annual averages computed as the mean of 12 monthly values.
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS) · 2024

Population measured: All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL

Source notes
Kept for trend analysis — seasonally adjusted. Coverage: 1947-present, monthly. Use for trend analysis; use CPIAUCNS for historical deflation pre-1947.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024

Population measured: All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)
https://www.bls.gov/cpi/

Source notes
BLS CPI homepage. Historical data and supplemental files at https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Historical article: https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2014/article/one-hundred-years-of-price-change-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-american-inflation-experience.htm
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024

Population measured: Consumer units (households) in the civilian noninstitutionalized population
https://www.bls.gov/cex/

Source notes
Continuous since 1980 (Interview + Diary surveys). Earlier surveys: 1960-61, 1972-73. Historical predecessors date to Commissioner of Labor surveys. FRASER has 1980-81 and 1982-83 reports. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
American Time Use Survey (ATUS)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024

Population measured: Civilian noninstitutionalized population age 15+
https://www.bls.gov/tus/

Source notes
Started 2003, annual. Covers work hours, commute time, daily activities. Primary source for the 'day' panel from 2000s onward. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Tables used: 2010 annual averages (a1_2010.pdf, a2_2010.pdf) for the 2010s room; 2024 annual averages (a1-2024.pdf) for the 2020s room. The survey year in fact labels identifies which annual average is cited.
American Housing Survey (AHS)
U.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD) · 2024

Population measured: U.S. housing units (national sample)
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html

Source notes
Started 1973, biennial/annual. Tracks tenure, rooms, amenities (plumbing, kitchen, telephone, automobile in some years), housing costs. Table Creator: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/interactive/ahstablecreator.html. Historical reports at HUDUser: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs/ahs_1999.pdf
American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024

Population measured: All US households / occupied housing units (ACS 1-year national sample)
https://data.census.gov/

Source notes
Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
Census of Population and Housing — Decennial Publications
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024

Population measured: All US housing units and residents (decennial census)
https://www2.census.gov/prod2/www/decennial.html

Source notes
Historical Census publications. Census of Housing 1940 was first to ask about amenities (plumbing, electricity, radio, refrigerator). Census 1930 asked about radio ownership — first census technology-diffusion question. Census 1950/1960 asked about TV, telephone, automobile, refrigerator, washing machine.
IPUMS USA: Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
IPUMS, University of Minnesota · 2024 · IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org

Population measured: Decennial census respondents (sample or full count, depending on year) + ACS 2001-present
https://usa.ipums.org/usa/

Source notes
Harmonized census microdata 1850-2020 + ACS. Tier B: statistics computed by this project from microdata. COMPLIANCE: See docs/ipums-compliance.md. IPUMS USA Sample data: may publish subsets for journal requirements; contact IPUMS for other redistribution. IPUMS USA Full Count data (1850-1950): WILL NOT BE REPUBLISHED. Vitrine publishes only derived aggregate statistics (medians, percentages), never raw microdata. Raw IPUMS extracts live in gitignored samples/ and are never committed. PREFERRED CITATION: Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Matthew Sobek, Daniel Backman, Grace Cooper, Julia A. Rivera Drew, Stephanie Richards, Renae Rodgers, Jonathan Schroeder, and Kari C.W. Williams. IPUMS USA: Version 16.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V16.0. Add publication to IPUMS bibliography at https://www.ipums.org/bibliography.
IPUMS USA: 1940 Decennial Census (Full Count)
IPUMS, University of Minnesota · 2024 · IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org

Population measured: All US residents, 1940 (132 million records, full count)
https://usa.ipums.org/usa/

Source notes
Kept for 1940s-room microdata work — the room currently cites published Census sources; this is the harmonized-microdata option for computed Tier B statistics, subject to IPUMS full-count terms. 1940 census was first to ask about income (wage/salary only — does not include self-employment, property income, or transfers). Housing variables: tenure, rooms, plumbing, electricity, radio, refrigerator, heating fuel. Procedural history: https://usa.ipums.org/usa/resources/voliii/enumproc1940.pdf. FULL COUNT DATA: subject to additional terms — will not be republished, not for genealogical research, will not link individual records with original enumeration images. Vitrine uses this data ONLY to compute aggregate statistics (medians, percentages) which are published as Facts; raw microdata is never committed.
BLS Bulletin No. 49: Cost of Living and Retail Prices of Food (18th Annual Report of the Commissioner of Labor)
U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Labor · 1903 · U.S. Bureau of Labor, Bulletin No. 49 (1903)

Population measured: 2,567 wage-earner families in 33 states, head earning <=$1,200/year, year 1901
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-commissioner-labor-6306/eighteenth-annual-report-commissioner-labor-608452

Source notes
Primary source for 1900s room. Average income $827.19, average expenditure $768.54, food $326.90 (42.54%). Rent 12.95%, clothing 14.04%, fuel and light 5.25%. Average family size 5.31. NOTE: the University of Missouri guide cited average income as $749 — the primary source says $827.19. The $749 figure is WRONG; this is the correct figure from the report itself. File: bls_v08_0049_1903.pdf (268 pages, text-extractable via pdftotext).
Sixth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Labor, 1890: Cost of Living of Industrial Workers in the United States and Europe
U.S. Department of Labor, Commissioner of Labor · 1891

Population measured: Industrial workers in selected industries (iron/steel, textiles, glass, coal) in 24 states — NOT a national median
https://archive.org/details/sixthannualrepor0000unse_l7h8

Source notes
Kept for planned 1890s room — surveyed 9,000+ families. The FRASER series page for Commissioner of Labor annual reports: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-commissioner-labor-6306. Every fact from this survey must carry the proxy-population caveat.
Eighteenth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Labor, 1903: Cost of Living and Retail Prices of Food
U.S. Department of Labor, Commissioner of Labor (Carroll D. Wright) · 1903

Population measured: Wage-earner families in selected industrial centers, 33 states — NOT a national median
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-commissioner-labor-6306

Source notes
Data collected 1901, published 1903. Surveyed ~25,000 families. Sometimes called 'the 1901 survey.' Referenced in BLS 'How American Buying Habits Change' (1959, on FRASER) and academic literature. Direct Internet Archive link not yet found — access via FRASER series page or library copy. Government Printing Office, 1904.
Changes in Cost of Living 1914-1919 (Monthly Labor Review, August 1919)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 1919

Population measured: Families of wage-earners in shipbuilding centers + 13 large cities — NOT a national median
https://archive.org/stream/changesincostofl00bure/changesincostofl00bure_djvu.txt

Source notes
Kept for potential 1910s-room use — the existing 1910s room cites bls-bulletin-49-1903 instead. Conducted during WWI, prices and availability distorted by wartime. FRASER: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/monthly-labor-review-6130/august-1919-604874/fulltext. Digitized microdata: ICPSR 8299, 'Cost of Living in the United States, 1917-1919' (BLS 1986) — Tier B potential with ICPSR access.
Consumer Expenditures in the United States: Estimates for 1935-36 (Study of Consumer Purchases)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics / NBER · 1939

Population measured: Urban and rural families in 42 cities + 66 rural areas — broadest pre-war survey but NOT a national median
https://archive.org/stream/consumerexpendit1939unitrich/consumerexpendit1939unitrich_djvu.txt

Source notes
Covered ~300,000 families. FRASER: 'Family Expenditures in Selected Cities, 1935-36' (Bulletin No. 648) at https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/family-expenditures-selected-cities-1935-36-4161. Digitized microdata: ICPSR 8908 (Tier B potential). NBER chapters use this data.
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau · 1975

Population measured: Various national aggregates (depends on table)
https://archive.org/details/HistoricalStatisticsOfTheUnitedStatesColonialTimesTo1970/page/n1231/mode/2up

Source notes
Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Historical Statistics: Average Hourly Earnings of Manufacturing Production Workers (Series D 766, D 765-767, D 802-804)
U.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Statistics (Series D)

Population measured: Production workers in manufacturing (national average, payroll data)
https://archive.org/details/HistoricalStatisticsOfTheUnitedStatesColonialTimesTo1970/page/n1231/mode/2up

Source notes
Series D 766 (hourly earnings 1890-1914), D 765-767 (manufacturing production workers 1909-1929), D 802-804 (all manufacturing 1919-1948). Pre-FRED CES wage data. Used as the wage anchor for 1900s-1930s rooms (Plan 013). The population skews urban, industrial, male — see the manufacturing-wage-proxy assumption.
Historical Statistics of the United States, Millennial Edition
Cambridge University Press · 2006

Population measured: Various national aggregates (depends on table)
http://hsus.cambridge.org/

Source notes
Kept for future research — behind institutional access. Expanded and revised edition of the Bicentennial Edition. 5 volumes. Some tables go back to 1790. Use Colonial Times to 1970 (free) where coverage overlaps; use this for post-1970 extensions and more detailed series.
MeasuringWorth: Calculators for the Relative Value of Money Over Time
MeasuringWorth (Lawrence Officer & Samuel Williamson) · 2024

Population measured: Various (composite of BLS/Census historical series)
https://www.measuringworth.com/

Source notes
Kept for reference — provides calculators for relative value of money (CPI, GDP deflator, unskilled wage, etc.) and historical wage/price series. Useful for work-buys panel (converting wages to purchasing power) and cross-era deflation.
Prices and Wages by Decade
University of Missouri Libraries · 2024 · University of Missouri Libraries, Prices and Wages by Decade

Population measured: Various (links to primary sources)
https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/quotable-facts

Source notes
Secondary source — librarian-curated guide to primary sources by decade (1890s-2020s). Use as a finding aid; cite the underlying primary source, not this guide.
Falling Through the Net: Toward Digital Inclusion (October 2000)
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (U.S. Dept. of Commerce) · 2000

Population measured: U.S. households and individuals
https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/data/fttn00/front00.htm

Source notes
Fourth in the 'Falling Through the Net' series (1995, 1998, 1999, 2000). Measures telephone, computer, and internet access. 1995 report on Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/19970620103641/https://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fallingthru.html
NTIA Data Central
National Telecommunications and Information Administration · 2024

Population measured: U.S. households and individuals (via CPS supplements)
https://www.ntia.gov/topics/data-central

Source notes
Kept for reference — NTIA sponsors the CPS Computer and Internet Use supplement and publishes data and reports. Data Central hosts downloadable datasets and visualizations. The underlying CPS supplement is registered separately as cps-computer-internet.
Current Population Survey: Computer and Internet Use Supplement
U.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by NTIA) · 2023

Population measured: U.S. households and individuals, civilian noninstitutionalized
https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2023/demo/cps/cps-computer.html

Source notes
Kept for future 1990s/2000s room curation — conducted in: 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009-2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021-2023. Measures household access to computers, internet, broadband, and devices. Time series page: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/cps/cps-supp_cps-repwgt/cps-computer.html
Pew Research Center: Internet & Broadband Fact Sheet
Pew Research Center · 2025 · Pew Research Center

Population measured: U.S. adults (survey samples)
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/

Source notes
Pew's Internet & Technology program tracks internet, broadband, and smartphone adoption via periodic surveys. Compiles time-series adoption percentages. Coverage: ~2000-present. Pew 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Average Weekly Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Manufacturing (AWHMAN)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · BLS via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (AWHMAN)

Population measured: Production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AWHMAN

Source notes
Coverage: Jan 1939–present, monthly. BLS source code: CES3000000006. CSV API: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=AWHMAN. 1950 annual average: 40.5 hours. 2024 annual average: 40.7 hours.
Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Manufacturing (CES3000000008)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · BLS via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (CES3000000008)

Population measured: Production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES3000000008

Source notes
Coverage: 1939–present, monthly. Pre-1964 earnings series (AHETPI starts 1964). 1950 annual average: $1.32/hour. CSV API: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=CES3000000008.
Average Weekly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Manufacturing (CES3000000030)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · BLS via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (CES3000000030)

Population measured: Production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES3000000030

Source notes
Kept for series feed — feeds the weekly-earnings-manufacturing series (Plan 010). Coverage: 1939–present, monthly. BLS source code: CES3000000030. Weekly x 52 yields annual earnings without smuggling in a weekly-hours assumption. Not a room affordability anchor, so no measure is declared. CSV API: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=CES3000000030.
1950 Census of Housing: Series HC-5, No. 2 — Year Built, Household Equipment, and Cooking and Heating Fuel, for Dwelling Units in the United States: April 1, 1950
U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of the Census · 1951 · U.S. Census Bureau, 1950 Census of Housing (HC-5, No. 2)

Population measured: All U.S. dwelling units (preliminary sample data from 1950 Census of Housing, April 1, 1950)
https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/hc-5/hc-5-02.pdf

Source notes
Preliminary sample data. Contains: year built, television, kitchen sink, electric lighting, radio, refrigeration equipment (mechanical/ice/other/none), cooking fuel, heating equipment, heating fuel. Urban/rural-nonfarm/rural-farm breakouts. Published June 10, 1951. 8-page scanned image PDF — text extracted via tesseract OCR at 400 DPI (pdftotext and pymupdf returned 0 chars because pages are scanned images). Sampling variability ~8% for some categories. 1940 comparison data included.
Homeownership Rate by State: 1900 to 2000
U.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Homeownership Rates

Population measured: All U.S. occupied housing units (decennial census)
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/census-housing-tables/owner.pdf

Source notes
Time series of homeownership rates from 1900 to 2000 by state and nationally. 1950 national rate: 55.0%. 1940: 43.6%. 1960: 61.9%. Also see companion table: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/census-housing-tables/ownerchar.pdf
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Home Values (Unadjusted)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing, Home Values

Population measured: Owner-occupied housing units, median value (decennial census, nominal/unadjusted dollars), U.S. and by state
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/coh-values/values-unadj.txt

Source notes
Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
BLS Public Data API v2
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Public Data API

Population measured: Depends on series (CPI: all urban consumers; food prices: urban consumers)
https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/

Source notes
Direct API access to BLS time series. Used for: average food prices (APU series), CPI-U (CUUR0000SA0), wage and hours data. API key registered. Food price series (APU) available from ~1970s onward — no 1950 data. Rate limit: 100 queries/day for registered users.
Retail Prices of Food, 1950: Including Historical Tables of Item Indexes, 1939-50
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics · 1952 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin No. 1055

Population measured: 56 large U.S. cities (retail price survey)
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/retail-prices-food-1950-4182

Source notes
Annual average retail prices for ~40 principal food items in 1950, by month and by city. Historical item indexes 1939-50. Text layer is machine-readable (extracted via pymupdf). Prices in cents per pound/quart/dozen.
Income of Nonfarm Families and Individuals: 1946
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census · 1947 · U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Series P-60, No. 1

Population measured: Urban and rural-nonfarm families and individuals in private households (1946 CPS)
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/income-nonfarm-families-individuals-1946-5683

Source notes
First P60 report. Median money income: $2,659 (1946), $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945). Civilian wages: $1,389 (1939) to $2,697 (1944). Scanned images — OCR'd via GLM-OCR. 11 pages.
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Plumbing
U.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Plumbing

Population measured: All occupied housing units in the United States (decennial census)
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/coh-plumbing.html

Source notes
Complete plumbing = hot and cold piped water + flush toilet + bathtub/shower for exclusive use. Lacked complete plumbing (US row of plumbing-tab.txt, verified 2026-07-07): 1940 45.3%, 1950 35.5%, 1960 16.8%, 1970 6.9%, 1980 2.7%, 1990 1.1%. Exact data file: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/coh-plumbing/plumbing-tab.txt. The 1940 Census of Housing was the first to ask about plumbing.
Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel
U.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel

Population measured: Occupied housing units reporting heating fuel (decennial census)
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/coh-fuels.html

Source notes
Heating fuel data from 1940-1980 decennial census. Files: fuels1940.txt through fuels1980.txt at www2.census.gov. Coal dominated 1940 (55%), gas overtook by 1960 (43%), electricity rose from 0.7% (1950) to 18.4% (1980).
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones
U.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones

Population measured: Occupied housing units (decennial census)
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/coh-phone.html

Source notes
Telephone in unit: 1960 78.5%, 1970 87.0%, 1980 92.9%, 1990 94.8%. Note: 1970 Census figure (87.0%) differs from Historical Statistics Vol 2 (90.5%) due to population definition (housing units vs households).
National Vital Statistics System: Life Tables and Infant Mortality
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2024 · NCHS, National Vital Statistics System

Population measured: U.S. resident population (death certificates)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/life-expectancy.htm

Source notes
NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
ACS Table B25045: Tenure by Vehicles Available by Age of Householder
U.S. Census Bureau · 2023 · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (latest 5-year estimates)

Population measured: All occupied housing units in the United States
https://censusreporter.org/tables/B25045/

Source notes
Retrieved via Census Reporter API. 132.7M households: 91.5% with 1+ vehicles, 8.5% with no vehicle. Owner no-vehicle: 2.88M (3.3% of owners). Renter no-vehicle: 8.43M (18.3% of renters).
ACS Table B25077: Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (B25077)

Population measured: Owner-occupied housing units (ACS 1-year estimates)
https://censusreporter.org/tables/B25077/

Source notes
Median home value: 2010 $179,900, 2014 $181,200, 2019 $240,500, 2024 $360,600. Retrieved via Census Reporter API.
Poverty in the United States: 2024 (Current Population Reports P60-287)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau, P-60 No. 287

Population measured: U.S. resident population and families (CPS ASEC)
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p60-287.html

Source notes
Official poverty rate 2024: 10.6% (35.9M people). SPM: 12.9%. Down from 11.1% official in 2023. For families: 7.0% poverty rate (married-couple 3.5%, female-householder 18.6%).
Census of Manufactures, 1905: Part I
U.S. Census Bureau · 1907 · U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Manufactures, 1905

Population measured: Wage-earners in manufacturing establishments, United States
https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03421399v4ch6.pdf

Source notes
1905 special Census of Manufactures. Part I, page lxxxix reports average weekly earnings by sex: men $11.16/week, women $6.17/week — a 55% gap. Women's earnings were $4.17 above the minimum and $4.90 below the maximum. Cited in 'Earnings of Wage-Earners' chapter (Census.gov PDF). Also confirmed by Hutchinson, 'Women's Wages' (archive.org) and Missouri Prices & Wages guide.
Early American Automobile Manufacturer Prices (1901–1910)
Manufacturer records compiled by automotive historians · 2008 · Automotive historical records (Oldsmobile, Ford, Rambler)

Population measured: Manufacturer list prices for the US market
https://www.conceptcarz.com/s10036/oldsmobile-model-r-curved-dash.aspx

Source notes
Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout: $650 (1901–1904), best-selling car in America. Ford Model A (first Ford): $750–$850 (1903). Rambler: $650 (1902–1913). Prices from manufacturer records compiled by ConceptCarz, RM Sotheby's, and PreWarCar. Tier C: manufacturer list prices verified through multiple automotive history sources. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the old /vehicle/v31303,10036/ deep link now redirects to an error page with HTTP 200 (caught by the redirect advisory); repointed at the same car's live model page, content re-verified (1902 Model R Curved Dash valuation/specs).
Time Spent in Home Production in the Twentieth-Century United States: New Estimates from Old Data
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History) · 2009 · Ramey, J. Econ. History 69(1), 2009

Population measured: Prime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~vramey/research/Home_Production_published.pdf

Source notes
Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Time Spent in Home Production in the 20th Century: New Estimates from Old Data (NBER Working Paper w13985)
National Bureau of Economic Research · 2008 · Ramey, NBER w13985, 2008

Population measured: Prime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
https://www.nber.org/papers/w13985

Source notes
Kept for reference — draft companion to the published version (ramey-2009). 63 pages. Data tables numerically identical to published version. The published version (ramey-2009) is the primary source for all facts; this is the NBER working paper draft.
Computer Use in the United States: October 1997 (CPS P20-522)
U.S. Census Bureau · 1999 · Census Bureau, P20-522, 1999

Population measured: Civilian noninstitutional population, households and adults 18+
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/1999/demo/p20-522.pdf

Source notes
Current Population Survey (CPS) Computer Use Supplement, October 1997. By Eric C. Newburger. First CPS to include Internet questions. Household computer ownership: 8.2% (1984), 15.0% (1989), 22.8% (1993), 36.6% (1997). Table A: households with computers. Table C: adults 18+ by computer and Internet use.
Mobile Cellular Subscriptions (World Bank/ITU)
World Bank (International Telecommunication Union data) · 2024 · World Bank/ITU, FRED series ITCELSETSP2USA

Population measured: All mobile cellular subscriptions in the United States
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ITCELSETSP2USA

Source notes
Subscriptions per 100 people. Source: ITU (International Telecommunication Union) via World Bank. US data originally from CTIA/FCC filings. 1990: 2.1, 1995: 12.7, 1998: 25.1, 2000: 38.9 per 100 people. Does not equal household penetration (multiple subscriptions per household are common after 2000).
Cable History Timeline (NCTA/Syndeo Institute)
Syndeo Institute (formerly NCTA Foundation) · 2022 · NCTA/Syndeo Institute, Cable History Timeline

Population measured: U.S. households with cable television subscriptions
https://syndeoinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cable-History-Timeline-Narrative_2022.pdf

Source notes
National cable penetration milestones from industry trade association. 1988: 50.5% penetration. 1989: more than 52M cable customers, 9,050 systems. 1999: 66.7M customers. Tier C: industry self-reported statistics, but the standard reference for historical cable penetration. NOTE: The 1990s cable fact previously cited this source with a '~60%' figure that could not be verified against the NCTA timeline PDF; it has since been corrected to cite FCC 97-423 (59.3%, Tier A). No fact currently cites this source for 1990s data.
Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)
U.S. Energy Information Administration · 2020

Population measured: U.S. housing units (sampled)
https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/index.php

Source notes
Started 1978, triennial/quadrennial. Tracks appliance ownership (refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioning) and housing characteristics. AC diffusion: 1993 RECS 68%, 2009 RECS 87%, 2015 RECS 87%. Useful for diffusion and home panels as complement to AHS.
Historical Poverty Tables (Census API: histpov2)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables

Population measured: All U.S. population (official poverty measure, CPS ASEC)
https://api.census.gov/data/timeseries/poverty/histpov2.html

Source notes
Official poverty rate from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), accessed via Census API endpoint histpov2. Covers 1959-present. PCTPOV = percentage of all people below poverty level. PCTFAMPOV = percentage of people in families below poverty level. The official poverty measure uses pre-tax money income vs. poverty thresholds by family size and age. Data starts 1959 (first year of official poverty measure).
Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming (FCC Reports, 1994–2017)
Federal Communications Commission · 2017 · FCC, Annual Video Competition Report

Population measured: U.S. households subscribing to multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) services
https://www.fcc.gov/general/media-bureau-reports-industry

Source notes
FCC's annual report on video competition. Subscriber data from SNL Kagan (industry analyst). Key data: 1992: 59.3% of TV households (55.2M subscribers, FCC 97-423 Table B-1, local archive ~/vitrine-research/09-fcc/fcc97423.pdf). 1997: 64.2M cable, 73.6M total MVPD, 75.9% of TV households (FCC 1997 report). 2006: 65.3M basic cable, 95.8M total MVPD, 87% of TV households (FCC 07-206, 13th Report, local archive ~/vitrine-research/09-fcc/FCC-07-206A1.txt). 2015: 53.2M cable (53.1% of MVPD), 33.1M DBS, 13.0M telco, 99.4M total MVPD (FCC DA 17-71, 2017, local archive ~/vitrine-research/09-fcc/DA-17-71A1.pdf). MVPD subscriber losses began 2013 — cord-cutting era. Cable's share of MVPD declined from 89% (1997) to 68.2% (2006) to 53.1% (2015). The landing page at fcc.gov/general/media-bureau-reports-industry links to all annual reports; individual report years cited in fact notes.
Statistical Abstract of the United States: Average Retail Prices of Selected Foods
U.S. Census Bureau (data from BLS) · 1970 · Statistical Abstract, Table: Average Retail Prices of Selected Foods

Population measured: U.S. urban households, retail food prices collected by BLS in 51-56 cities
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/time-series/statistical_abstracts.html

Source notes
Table 530 in the 1970 Statistical Abstract (91st edition). Data originally from BLS Retail Food Prices by Cities. Prices in cents per pound unless otherwise indicated. Covers 1950-1970 (April). Milk in cents per quart (delivered). Eggs in cents per dozen. Coffee in cents per 10 oz. Cross-checked against BLS Bulletin 1055 for 1950 values — exact match.
Employment, Hours, and Earnings, United States, 1909-84, Volume II: Establishment Survey Data
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics · 1985 · BLS Bulletin 1312-12 (March 1985)

Population measured: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/employment-hours-earnings-united-states-1909-84-establishment-survey-data-5745

Source notes
BLS benchmark publication. Volume II (Establishment Survey Data), page 287: 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' Annual averages: 1947: $1.131, 1948: $1.225, 1949: $1.275, 1950: $1.335, 1960: $2.09, 1970: $3.23. Digitized by FRASER. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Healthier Mothers and Babies (MMWR Vol. 48, No. 38)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · 1999 · CDC, MMWR 48(38), 1999

Population measured: U.S. resident population (birth and death certificates)
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4838a2.htm

Source notes
CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article summarizing 20th-century declines in infant and maternal mortality. Key data: 1900 infant mortality ~100 per 1,000 live births; 1997 rate 7.2 per 1,000. Total decline 1915-1997: >90%. Includes Table 1 with percentage reductions by decade period. Also reports 1997 infant deaths: 28,045.
Share of Households by Vehicles Available: 1960-2023 (BTS Figure 2-7)
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics · 2024 · U.S. DOT, BTS, 2024 Transportation Statistics Annual Report, Figure 2-7

Population measured: All U.S. occupied housing units
https://www.bts.gov/browse-statistical-products-and-data/info-gallery/share-household-vehicles-available-1960-2023

Source notes
Data compiled by BTS from U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Census (1960-2000) and American Community Survey (2010-2023). Table B08201 (Household Size by Vehicles Available). Excel file: F2-7 Share of Household by Vehicle Available.xlsx. Figures verified against the Census Bureau source data. The 1960-2000 data are from the decennial census long form; 2010+ from ACS. The concept is consistent across the span: '% of occupied housing units with N vehicles available.'
EIA Annual Energy Review: Household Appliances (Table 8.3 / Table 2.6)
U.S. Energy Information Administration · 1988 · EIA Annual Energy Review 1988, Table 8.3 (republished in Census Bureau, 1991)

Population measured: U.S. occupied housing units
https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/

Source notes
Appliance ownership data (% of households with each appliance) from the EIA Annual Energy Review. Data for 1978-1987 sourced from RECS (Form EIA-84). Table republished in the Census Bureau's 'Statistical Abstract: USSR and USA 1990' (1991), Table 8.3. Covers: color/B&W TV, clothes washer, clothes dryer, microwave oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning (central + room), gas appliances, VCRs. Data are consistent with RECS microdata.
Characteristics of New Single-Family Houses Completed (Census C-25 / Series H-150)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · U.S. Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing, annual reports (C-25 / H-150)

Population measured: New single-family houses completed in the United States
https://www.census.gov/construction/chars/

Source notes
Annual data on median square feet of floor area in new single-family houses completed, from the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (SOC). Data available 1973-present. The C-25 annual reports (c25ann2003.pdf through c25ann2017.pdf) and H-150 reports (h150-73A.pdf through h150-89.pdf) are archived in vitrine-research/20-census-construction/. They contain the historical table 'Median and Average Square Feet of Floor Area in New Single-Family Houses Completed.' Pre-1999 reports use Series H-150 designation. Note: this measures NEW construction only, not the existing housing stock — the AHS measures the entire stock and yields lower medians because older, smaller homes remain in the inventory.
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Gross Rents
U.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Gross Rents

Population measured: All specified renter-occupied housing units in the United States paying cash rent
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/coh-grossrents.html

Source notes
National and state median gross rent from the Census of Housing, 1940-2000. Files: grossrents-unadj.txt (nominal), grossrents-adj.txt (CPI-U-RS adjusted to 2000 dollars). Cross-verified against NHGIS national-level data (1980: $199 contract rent STF1, $243 gross rent STF4Hb; 1990: $447 FA4001 STF4b). URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: the registered direct-PDF link (www2.census.gov .../housing/grossrents.pdf) 404s; repointed at the table's landing page, which links the same files.
ACS Table B25064: Median Gross Rent
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (B25064)

Population measured: Renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent (ACS 1-year estimates)
https://censusreporter.org/tables/B25064/

Source notes
Median gross rent (USD/month): 2010 $855, 2015 $959, 2019 $1,097, 2022 $1,300, 2023 $1,406, 2024 $1,487. Retrieved via Census API (api.census.gov). Successor to the decennial Census of Housing gross rents series, which ends at 2000 ($602) — the long-form census question was replaced by the ACS.
National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary · 2024 · CMS, National Health Expenditure Accounts

Population measured: US resident population and total national health spending (all payers)
https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data

Source notes
CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
NCHS Data Brief No. 548: Mortality in the United States, 2024
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2026 · NCHS, Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026)

Population measured: U.S. resident population (death certificates, final 2024 data)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm

Source notes
Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2017, Table 2.9: All Cancer Sites — Relative Survival by Year of Diagnosis
National Cancer Institute (NIH), Surveillance Research Program · 2020 · NCI SEER, Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2017, Table 2.9

Population measured: Patients diagnosed with cancer in SEER 9 registry areas (San Francisco, Connecticut, Detroit, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico, Seattle, Utah, Atlanta), all races, both sexes
https://seer.cancer.gov/archive/csr/1975_2017/results_merged/topic_survival_by_year_dx.pdf

Source notes
5-year relative survival rates by year of diagnosis, 1975-2016. SEER 9 registries cover ~10% of US population. Ederer II method.
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer of Any Site
National Cancer Institute (NIH) · 2026 · NCI SEER, Cancer Stat Facts — All Sites

Population measured: Patients diagnosed with cancer (all sites) in SEER registry areas
https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html

Source notes
5-year relative survival 70.5% for 2016-2022 diagnoses. Updated annually.
Health, United States, 2016, Table 37: Five-year Relative Cancer Survival Rates for Selected Cancer Sites
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2017 · CDC/NCHS, Health, United States, 2016, Table 37

Population measured: Cancer patients in SEER 9 registry areas, by race (White, Black) and sex
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/037.pdf

Source notes
Kept for future health panel curation — survival by diagnosis period: 1975-77, 1981-83, 1987-89, 1999-2001, 2006-12. Includes all sites, breast, lung, prostate, colon, leukemia, NHL, pancreas.
American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2024
American Cancer Society · 2024 · American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2024

Population measured: U.S. cancer patients (SEER-based estimates with ACS analysis)
https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2024/2024-cancer-facts-and-figures-acs.pdf

Source notes
Key statement: 'The 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined has increased substantially since the early 1960s, from 39% to 69% among White people.' Pre-SEER figure derives from NCI End Results Group (1956-72).
Average Transaction Price per New Car (Domestic and Import), 1970-2020
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2021 · U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Average Transaction Price per New Car (ORNL TEDB Table 11.13)

Population measured: All new passenger cars sold in the United States (domestic and import), excluding pickups, vans, and SUVs
https://tedb.ornl.gov/data/

Source notes
Compiled in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table 11.13. Data are based on an average car and do not include prices for pickups, vans, or sport utility vehicles. Annual average transaction prices in current dollars. Total (domestic + import) current-dollar prices: 1970 $3,543, 1980 $7,557, 1990 $15,033, 2000 $21,030, 2010 $24,907, 2020 $27,366.
Census Historical Tables: Educational Attainment (Table A-1/A-2)
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · U.S. Census Bureau, Educational Attainment Historical Tables (Table A-1, A-2)

Population measured: U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 25 and over (CPS/ACS)
https://www.census.gov/topics/education/educational-attainment.html

Source notes
Table A-1: Years of school completed by age and sex (1940-present). Table A-2: Percent of population 25+ with specified years of school completed (high school graduate or more, bachelor's degree or more). 1940-2000 data from decennial census; 2001+ from CPS ASEC. Data series updated annually. Files: taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx, taba-2-pct-high-school.xlsx. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the old /data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment.html deep link now redirects to the generic /data/tables.html landing (caught by the redirect advisory); repointed at the Educational Attainment topic page, which links the A-1/A-2 time-series tables.
Census Historical Table MS-2: Median Age at First Marriage
U.S. Census Bureau · 2023 · U.S. Census Bureau, Table MS-2

Population measured: U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (CPS/decennial census)
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/marital.html

Source notes
Table MS-2: Median age at first marriage by sex, 1890 to present. Decennial census data 1890-2000; CPS data for intervening years and 2010+. File: ms2-median-age-first-marriage.xls. The median age at first marriage declined from ~26 (men) / ~22 (women) in 1890 to a mid-century low of ~22.5 / 20.3 in 1956, then rose steadily to ~30+ / ~28+ by 2023.
Statistical Abstract of the United States, Table 596: Labor Force Participation Rates by Marital Status, Sex, and Age
U.S. Census Bureau (data from BLS Current Population Survey) · 2010 · U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract, Table 596 (BLS CPS data)

Population measured: U.S. civilian noninstitutional population 16+, by marital status (CPS annual averages)
https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2010/compendia/statab/130ed/tables/11s0596.xls

Source notes
Table 596 from the 2011 Statistical Abstract (130th edition). Annual averages of monthly CPS figures. Covers 1960-2009. 'Married, spouse present' = married civilians with spouse present in the household. File: 11s0596.xls (downloaded and verified). The series is the direct continuation of Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 49-62 (which ends at 1970). The 1970 figure (40.5%) is close to but not identical to the Hist Stats figure (40.8%) due to CPS processing differences.
Women in the Labor Force: A Databook
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2022 · BLS, Women in the Labor Force: A Databook

Population measured: U.S. civilian noninstitutional population 16+, by sex and marital status (CPS annual averages)
https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-databook/2022/

Source notes
BLS periodic report compiling CPS labor force data for women by marital status, age, race, parental status, and occupation. The databook's Table 4/5 series show 'married women, spouse present' labor force participation rates. Editions: 2017 (Report 1063, covers 2016 data), 2022 (Report 1080, covers 2021 data). The underlying data is from the CPS (same as statab-lfpr-marital), but the databook is the primary publication for post-2009 marital-status LFPR figures.
Studies in the National Balance Sheet of the United States, Vol. I
National Bureau of Economic Research / Princeton University Press · 1963 · Goldsmith, Lipsey & Mendelson (1963), Table 1

Population measured: U.S. nonfarm household sector (aggregate, Goldsmith reconstruction)
https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c3926/c3926.pdf

Source notes
Table 1: Main Balance Sheet Components by Sector, 1900-1958. Benchmark years: 1900, 1912, 1922, 1929, 1939, 1945, 1958. Sector I.1 = Nonfarm households. Provides total assets, tangible assets, financial assets, debt, and net worth in current dollars. Goldsmith's balance sheet construction uses Census wealth data, Federal Reserve flow of funds, and tax return compilations. Aggregate household sector, NOT median. Tier D (scholarly reconstruction). Downloaded as NBER chapter c3926.
Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States (Flow of Funds)
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System · 2024 · Federal Reserve, Z.1 Financial Accounts, Table B.101.h

Population measured: U.S. households and nonprofit organizations (aggregate, sector-level)
https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/

Source notes
Table B.101.h: Balance Sheet of Households and Nonprofit Organizations. Quarterly from Q4 1945. Assets include: real estate, consumer durables, deposits, corporate equities, mutual fund shares, pension fund reserves, life insurance reserves. Liabilities include: home mortgages, consumer credit. Net worth = assets minus liabilities. Aggregate sector-level data (NOT median). Available on FRED as TNWBSHNO (net worth), TABSHNO (assets), TLBSHNO (liabilities). Tier A (official series).
Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System · 2022 · Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances

Population measured: U.S. families (survey sample, ~6,500 families per wave)
https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex.htm

Source notes
Triennial survey of U.S. family finances. Provides median and mean net worth by income quintile, age, family structure. Full asset/liability composition: home equity, vehicles, financial assets (deposits, stocks, retirement accounts), business equity, and debt (mortgage, credit cards, installment loans). Survey years: 1983, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022. Interactive tables at federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/table/. Tier A (official survey).
Surveillance for Selected Tobacco-Use Behaviors -- United States, 1900-1994
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 1994 · CDC MMWR Surveillance Summary, Tobacco Use 1900-1994

Population measured: U.S. adults ≥18 years (NHIS) and total U.S. cigarette consumption (USDA)
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00033881.htm

Source notes
MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3. Table 1: per capita cigarette consumption 1900-1994 from USDA Economic Research Service (based on BATF tax data, imports, Census population). Table 2: adult smoking prevalence 1965-1991 from NHIS. Per capita = cigarettes per adult ≥18 per year.
Adult Tobacco Consumption in the U.S., 2000-Present
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 2024 · CDC, Adult Tobacco Consumption 2000-Present

Population measured: U.S. adults ≥18 years (per capita consumption based on taxable removals)
https://data.cdc.gov/CDC/Adult-Tobacco-Consumption-In-The-U-S-2000-Present/rnvb-cpxx

Source notes
Dataset on data.cdc.gov. Annual per capita cigarette consumption 2000-2023 based on Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) taxable removals data and Census adult population estimates. Downloads as CSV via Socrata API.
National Health Interview Survey: Adult Cigarette Smoking Prevalence, 1965-2022
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2024 · CDC NCHS, NHIS Adult Smoking Prevalence (compiled by American Lung Association)

Population measured: U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults ≥18 years (NHIS household interview survey)
https://www.lung.org/research/trends-in-lung-disease/tobacco-trends-brief/data-tables/ad-cig-smoke-rate-sex-race-age

Source notes
NHIS data 1965-2022. Pre-1997 from published NCHS Series 10 reports; 1997-2022 from ALA analysis of NHIS public-use files using SPSS. Current smoker defined as smoked ≥100 cigarettes and currently smoking every day or some days. 2025 preliminary: 9.1% (CDC FastStats). Survey redesign in 1997 means pre/post may not be directly comparable.
Earnings time series of mean gross weekly earnings from 1938 to 2025
Office for National Statistics · 2025 · ONS, Mean gross weekly earnings 1938–2025 (historical / ASHE)

Population measured: Adult full-time employees in Great Britain whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/earningstimeseriesofmeangrossweeklyearningsfrom1938to2022

Source notes
Long-run weekly earnings series. 1938–1968 from Annual Abstract of Statistics (adult manual workers); 1968–2003 New Earnings Survey (NES); 2004+ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), weighted to LFS population totals. Male/female reported separately for 1938–1969; a combined all-employee series is available from 1970. Discontinuities at each methodology change are documented in the file. Data file resolves at /file?uri=.../current/19382025.xlsx (HTTP 200 verified).
Home ownership down and renting up for the first time in a century
Office for National Statistics · 2015 · ONS, A century of home ownership and renting (England and Wales, 1918–2011)

Population measured: Households in England and Wales
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/homeownershipdownandrentingupforfirsttimeinacentury/2015-06-19

Source notes
ONS analysis of tenure 1918–2011 from the Census of England and Wales, interpolated between census years. Reported as % of households: owned (owner-occupied), private rented, socially rented. Data CSV at https://static.ons.gov.uk/visual/2015/06/data.csv (HTTP 200 verified and byte-identical to the local copy). Figures are for households, not families — single-person and low-income households pull the tenure mix differently than a median four-person family would.
General Lifestyle Survey: 40 years of data collection (Figure 40.2 — consumer durables and cars)
Office for National Statistics · 2013 · ONS, General Household Survey 40-year overview, Figure 40.2 (durable goods)

Population measured: Households in Great Britain (General Household Survey / General Lifestyle Survey)
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/compendium/generallifestylesurvey/2013-03-07/40yearsofdatacollection

Source notes
Figure 40.2: percentage of households with consumer durables and cars, 1972–2011. Reports colour television, home computer, telephone, and car or van (the fuller durable basket — central heating, refrigerator, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher — is in a separate table not included in this overview). Unweighted data. The GHS covered Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland); the survey was discontinued after 2012. Values transcribed from the figure's underlying data CSV (ghs-data-chart3.csv); an OCR pass of the figure misread two cells (telephone 42→43, colour TV 61→60), confirming the CSV, not the OCR, is authoritative.
UK television receiving licences (annual counts, from 1946)
BBC / TV Licensing (compiled by terramededia.co.uk) · 2024 · BBC / TV Licensing, UK television receiving licences (terramedia.co.uk compilation)

Population measured: UK television receiving licence holders at 31 March each year (one licence required per household operating any TV set)
https://www.terramedia.co.uk/reference/statistics/television/television_licences.htm

Source notes
Annual count of television receiving licences, at 31 March. A TV licence was mandatory for any household operating a television set, so the count is a close proxy for TV-owning households (slight undercount from evasion). Combined sound-and-television licences were introduced 1 June 1946; colour TV licences from 1968. terramededia.co.uk compiles the BBC / TV Licensing administrative series (URL resolves HTTP 200, verified 2026-07). The count is NOT a household percentage and is not directly comparable to the post-1972 GHS household-% diffusion series without a household-count denominator.
Family Income and Expenditure Survey (家計調査) — long-run time-series tables
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Statistics Bureau, FIES long-run tables (家計調査)

Population measured: Two-or-more-person households (workers' households and all households), Japan. Urban-only before 1962; national from 1963.
https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kakei/

Source notes
Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Statistics Bureau, NSFIIE durable goods summaries (全国消費実態調査)

Population measured: Two-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/zensho/index.html

Source notes
Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Monthly Labour Survey (毎月勤労統計調査) — long-term actual data
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) · 2025 · MHLW / e-Stat, Monthly Labour Survey long-term series (毎月勤労統計)

Population measured: Establishments with 30 or more regular workers, all surveyed industries (total), Japan. Calendar year averages.
https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/statistics/00450071

Source notes
Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Housing and Land Survey (住宅・土地統計調査) — via Japan Statistical Yearbook
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Statistics Bureau, HLS via JSY tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 (住宅・土地統計調査)

Population measured: Dwellings and households in sampled enumeration districts nationwide. Excludes diplomatic facilities, Imperial property, jails, SDF/US military bases.
https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jyutaku/index.html

Source notes
Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Information and Communications White Paper (情報通信白書) — English summaries
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2015 · MIC, Information and Communications White Paper (情報通信白書)

Population measured: Households and individuals in Japan (varies by chapter — household penetration vs individual users)
https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/whitepaper/index.html

Source notes
Annual white paper since 1973. English online summaries available 2001–2024. Key data: household penetration of mobile phones, PCs, fax, car navigation, broadband; internet users and penetration. Pre-2001 English summaries not available online (may be Japanese-only or print). Chapter PDFs downloaded for 2001 (ch.2), 2005 (ch.2), 2010 (ch.4), 2015 (ch.5).
Consumer Price Index (消費者物価指数) — long-term series
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Statistics Bureau / e-Stat, CPI long-term series (消費者物価指数)

Population measured: All households in Japan (index base 2020 = 100)
https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/cpi/

Source notes
Kept for future Japan deflation — Official 'All items' (総合) series begins 1970. For 1955 and 1965, 'All items, less imputed rent' (持家の帰属家賃を除く総合) is the closest available series — not identical to 'All items' and flagged when used for deflation. Downloaded: cpi-all-items-less-imputed-rent-1947-recent.csv, cpi-indices-of-items-1970-recent.csv.
Japan Statistical Yearbook (日本統計年鑑) — historical tables
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Statistics Bureau, Japan Statistical Yearbook (日本統計年鑑)

Population measured: Varies by table — see individual source registrations for each survey.
https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/

Source notes
Annual compendium republishing data from all major surveys in consolidated form. JSY 2016 (65nenkan) covers 1988–2013; JSY 2026 (75nenkan) covers 2013–2023. Historical wage data for 1955/1965 from scanned JSY 1966 table 255 (image file ys1965_t213.jpg, ys1966_t210.jpg). Used as the retrieval vehicle for HLS housing data (tables 21-1, 21-5, 21-6, 21-8) since the English HLS pages publish only outlines.