COUNTY is a five-digit numeric variable. The first two digits give the FIPS state code; the last three digits give the FIPS county code. For a list of counties identified in each state, follow the following links for the appropriate years:

September, 1995-April, 2004
May, 2004-July,2005
August, 2005 onward

00000 = Not identified

Description

COUNTY gives the FIPS state and county codes for the respondent's county of residence. To preserve respondent confidentiality, not all counties are identified; however, about 45 percent of households in recent years are located in a county that is identified.

Comparability

This variable is completely comparable across all years.

Note, though, that a few counties have undergone changes over time. Prince George's county, MD lost a city July 1, 1997. Boulder, Jefferson and Weld counties, CO lost area and population to form Broomfield County on November 15, 2001. Newport News city, VA added population from York County, VA on July 1, 2007. For more information from the Census Bureau, see here. Any analysis of these counties across time may have to take these changes into account.

In January 2023, the Census Bureau made a significant change to the way confidentiality is protected for individuals in small geographic areas. Geography is now partially synthesized for areas with a population below the threshold of 100,000. This change will be phased in as new respondents enter the CPS, beginning with month-in-sample 1 in January 2023. These changes affect the following geographic variables: METFIPS, COUNTY, METRO, INDIVIDCC, and CBSASZ. For more information, see the Census Bureau’s 2023 Current Population Survey User Note.

Comparability with IPUMS-USA

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_CNTYFP_A1
• UH_CNTYFP_A2
• UH_CNTYFP_A3
• UH_CNTYFP_B1
• UH_CNTYFP_B2