The first 12 questions on the housing section of the 1980 census questionnaire were asked of all respondents. The rest were asked only to a sample. As with previous censuses, some questions had set answers for the respondent to choose from; where relevant, those answers have been listed. The 1980 census of housing collected the following information, listed by question number:
The following information was collected from all respondents:
- Did you leave anyone out of Question 1 [in the population section of the questionnaire] because you were not sure if the person should be listed?
- Did you list anyone in Question 1 who is away from home right now?
- Is anyone visiting here who is not already listed?
- How many living quarters, occupied or vacant, are at this address?
- Do you enter your living quarters-
- Directly from the outside or through a common or public hall?
- Through someone else's living quarters
- Do you have complete plumbing facilities in your living quarters, that is, hot and cold piped water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower?
- Yes, for this household only
- Yes, but also used by another household
- No, have some but not all plumbing facilities
- No plumbing facilities in living quarters
- How many rooms do you have in your living quarters?
- Are your living quarters-
- Owned or being bought by you or by someone else in this household?
- Rented for cash rent?
- Occupied without payment of cash rent?
- Is this apartment (house) part of a condominium?
- If this is a one family house-
- Is this house on a property of 10 or more acres?
- Is any part of the property used as a commercial establishment or medical office?
- If you live in a single family home or a condominium unit which you own or are buying; What is the value of this property, that is, how much do you think this property (house and lot or condominium) would sell for if it were for sale?
- If you pay rent for your living quarters; What is the monthly rent?
The following questions were asked on a sample basis:
- Which best describes this building?
- A mobile home or trailer
- A one-family house detached from any other house
- A one-family house attached to one or more houses
- A building for 2 families
- A building for 3 or 4 families
- A building for 5 to 9 families
- A building for 10 to 19 families
- A building for 20 to 49 families
- A building for 50 or more families
- A boat, tent, van, etc.
- How many stories (floors) in this building?
- If more than four stories, does the building have an elevator?
- Is this building...
- On a city or suburban lot, or on a place of less than 1 acre
- On a place of 1 to 9 acres
- On a place of 10 acres or more
- Last year (1979) how much did sales of crops, livestock, and other farm products from this place amount to?
- Do you get water from-
- A public system (city water department, etc.) or private company
- An individual drilled well
- An individual dug well
- Some other source
- Is this building connected to the public sewer?
- Yes, connected to public sewer
- No, connected to septic tank or cesspool
- No, use other means
- About when was this building originally built?
- When did the person listed in column 1 move into this house or apartment?
- How are your living quarters heated?
- Steam or hot water system
- Central warm air furnace with ducts to individual rooms
- Electric heat pump
- Other built-in electric units
- Floor, wall, or pipeless furnace
- Room heaters with flue or vent, burning gas, oil or kerosene
- Room heaters without flue or vent, burning gas, oil or kerosene
- Fireplaces, stoves, or portable room heaters of any kind
- No heating equipment
- Which fuel is used most for house heating?
- Gas from underground pipes serving the neighborhood
- Gas: bottled, tank, or LP
- Electricity
- Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.
- Coal or coke
- Wood
- Other fuel
- No fuel used
- Which fuel is used most for water heating?
- Gas from underground pipes serving the neighborhood
- Gas: bottled, tank, or LP
- Electricity
- Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.
- Coal or coke
- Wood
- Other fuel
- No fuel used
- Which fuel is used most for cooking?
- Gas from underground pipes serving the neighborhood
- Gas: bottled, tank, or LP
- Electricity
- Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.
- Coal or coke
- Wood
- Other fuel
- No fuel used
- What are the costs of utilities and other fuels in your living quarters?
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.
- Do you have complete (a sink with piped water, a range or cook stove, and a refrigerator) kitchen facilities?
- How many bedrooms do you have?
- How many bathrooms do you have?
- Do you have a telephone in your living quarters?
- Do you have air conditioning?
- yes, 1 individual room unit
- yes, 2 or more individual room units
- Yes, a central air-conditioning system
- No
- How many passenger automobiles are owned or regularly used by members of your household?
- None
- 1 automobile
- 2 automobiles
- 3 automobiles or more
- How many vans or trucks of one-tone capacity or less are kept at home for used by members of your household?
These questions were for owners of one-family homes only, not including mobile homes, houses on 10 or more acres, condominium units, or houses with commercial establishments on property
- What were the real estate taxes on this property last year?
- What is the annual premium for fire and hazard insurance on this property?
- Do you have a mortgage, deed of trust, contract to purchase, or similar debt on this property?
- If yes, do you have a second or junior mortgage on this property?
- How much is your total regular monthly payment to the lender?
- Does your regular monthly payment include payments for real estate taxes on this property?
- Does you regular monthly payment include payments for fire and hazard insurance on this property?