Codes

This is a 7-digit numeric variable.

Description

SPMFTOTVAL reports total cash income for the family and is used in the construction of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). This variable is measured at the level of the SPM family unit.

Amounts for SPMFTOTVAL are expressed in dollars of the given year, rather than in constant dollars adjusted for inflation. Users can adjust for inflation using Consumer Price Index adjustment factors.

For more information on calculation of the SPM, see the Census Bureau's "The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure" report.

Comparability

Aside from the effects of inflation, SPMFTOTVAL is comparable across years from 2010 to 2018.

In 2019, the Census Bureau implemented a new processing system to accommodate survey changes. These changes affect income and relationship variables, making poverty measurements before and after 2019 incomparable. For more information on this overhaul, see our guide to the 2019 ASEC updates.

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Unharmonized Variables