Table 1 Definitions for census-based population characteristics
From: Changes in population characteristics and their implication on public health research
| Characteristics | Definitions |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Population size | All persons living in a given census tract |
| Female-headed families | Percent of families maintained by a female householder with no husband present |
| Male | Percent of male population |
| Non-Hispanic white | Percent of persons who identify them as White and non-Hispanic origin |
| Non-Hispanic African-American | Percent of persons who identify them as African-American and non- Hispanic origin |
| Hispanic | Percent of persons who identify them as "Hispanic" or "Latino" |
| 15–44 age group | Percent of persons who are 15-to-44 years old |
| Never married | Percent of persons >= 15 years old who are never married |
| Foreign born population | Percent of persons who are not U.S. citizens at birth |
| Socioeconomic status | |
| Unemployment rate | Percent of persons >= 16 years old who are in the labor force and unemployed |
| Working class | Percent of employed persons>= 16 years old in the following occupations: sales; administrative support; service except protective service; precision production, craft, and repair; operators, fabricators, and laborers. |
| High school dropout rate | Percent of persons 16–19 years old neither enrolled in nor graduated from high school |
| Below a high school degree | Percent of adults >= 25 years old whose highest level of schooling is less than a 12th graduate |
| Income (1999 $) | The sum of reported incomes |
| Per capita income | The average individual income |
| Median family income | The middle value of income in the family income distribution |
| Median household income | The middle value of income in the household income distribution |
| Income inequality (gini coefficient) | Calculated based on the household income distribution using method provided by Shryock [34] with the range of 0–1. |
| Poverty | The total income for an individual, a family or a household below the federal poverty threshold. |
| 1989 threshold for an individual: $6,310 | |
| 1999 threshold for an individual: $8,499 | |
| 1989 threshold for a 4-person family (household): $12,674 | |
| 1999 threshold for a 4-person family (household): $17,030 | |
| Individuals below poverty | Percent of population below the poverty level |
| Families below poverty | Percent of families below the poverty level |
| Households below poverty | Percent of households below the poverty level |
| Households with interest, dividend, and rental income | Percent of households with interest, dividend, and rental income |
| Housing | |
| Home ownership | Percent of housing units occupied by owners |
| Median house value (1999 $) | The middle value of owner-occupied houses |
| Vacant housing units | Percent of housing units with no one living in |
| House crowding | Percent of occupied housing unit with > 1 person per room |