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SELECTED MONTHLY OWNER COSTS
The data on selected monthly owner costs were obtained from answers to long-form
questionnaire Items 45a-d, 47b, 48b, 49, 50, 52, and 53b, which were asked on a sample basis at
owner-occupied housing units. Selected monthly owner costs are the sum of payments for
mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including
payments for the first mortgage, second mortgage, home equity loans, and other junior
mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities
(electricity, gas, and water and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes,
B61
U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000
where appropriate, the monthly condominium fees or mobile home costs (installment loan
payments, personal property taxes, site rent, registration fees, and license fees). Selected monthly
owner costs were tabulated separately for all owner-occupied units, specified owner-occupied
units, and owner-occupied mobile homes and, usually, are shown separately for units with a
mortgage and for units not mortgaged.
Specified owner-occupied housing units. Specified owner-occupied units include only 1-family
houses on less than 10 acres without a business or medical office on the property. The data for
specified units exclude mobile homes, houses with a business or medical office, houses on 10
or more acres, and housing units in multiunit buildings.
Median selected monthly owner costs. This measure divides the selected monthly owner
costs distribution into two equal parts, one-half of the cases falling below the median selected
monthly owner costs and one-half above the median. Medians are shown separately for units
with a mortgage and for units not mortgaged. Median selected monthly owner costs are
computed on the basis of a standard distribution (see the Standard Distributions section under
Derived Measures). Median selected monthly owner costs are rounded to the nearest whole
dollar. (For more information on medians, see Derived Measures.)
Aggregate selected monthly owner costs. Aggregate selected monthly owner costs are
calculated by adding together all the selected monthly owner costs for occupied housing units in
an area. Aggregate selected monthly owner costs are subject to rounding, which means that all
cells in a matrix are rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. (For more information, see
Aggregate under Derived Measures.)
Comparability. The components of selected monthly owner costs were collected for the first
time in 1980. In 1990, the questions related to selected monthly owner costs were asked at
1-family, owner-occupied houses; mobile homes; and condominiums. In Census 2000, the
questions related to selected monthly owner costs were asked at all owner-occupied housing
units. Question 53a, Do you have an installment loan or contract on this mobile home? was
added in Census 2000 to determine the existence of installment loans or contracts on mobile
home units.
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