SPMTOTRES is a 7-digit numeric variable.

Description

SPMTOTRES_19RYALT records the total economic resources of families and is used to construct the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). To estimate family resources, the value of in-kind benefits (e.g. food and nutrition program benefits and housing assistance) is first added to cash income. Then the value of federal and state tax liability, work, child care, and medical expenditures, and child support payments are subtracted to calculate SPMTOTRES_19RYALT. Poverty status is determined by dividing total resources by the SPM threshold available in SPMTHRESH_19RYALT. Poverty rates are defined for SPM family units which differ from the family units used to calculate official poverty; these units are identified in SPMFAMUNIT_19RYALT.

This variable is an alternative version of SPMTOTRES that was re-released for the 2020 ASEC which reflects methodological changes first introduced with the 2021 CPS ASEC sample. For more information, see our documentation on the re-release of the 2019 SPM research file in the 2020 ASEC that describes methodological improvements that impact SPM resource and threshold variables. The SPM reference year is the calendar year to which the income, taxes, transfers, expenses, and poverty thresholds apply.

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

SPMTOTRES_19RYALT is expressed in dollars of the given year, rather than in constant dollars adjusted for inflation. Users can adjust for inflation with Consumer Price Index adjustment factors.

Comparability

This variable is comparable over time.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables