Definition of "CITYERR Error Class" variable?

USA
1

In the “large_place_PUMA2020_match_summary.xlsx” file (https://usa.ipums.org/usa/resources/volii/large_place_PUMA2020_match_summary.xlsx) there is a column titled “CITYERR Error Class”, but I can’t locate a definition of that variable. What does the ‘Class’ represent? Thanks!

2

CITYERR is an IPUMS USA variable that identifies the level of mismatch error between each CITY code and the corresponding city. For more background, see the CITYERR Description, and for a key to the CITYERR class codes, see the CITYERR Codes.

3

Also note: We are working on getting an update out this week that will make some corrections to our CITY and CITYERR variables for 2022 ACS records in IPUMS USA samples. You may want to check for that update in the Revision History before making any new data requests for these variables.

4

Thanks - we noticed in the 2022 ACS IPUMS USA sample that some cities were included that have CITYERR Code = 0 in the match summary. Is this related to the corrections you’re making this week?

5

To my knowledge, what you describe may exist in the 2022 5-year sample but doesn’t exist in the 2022 1-year sample, and even in the 5-year sample, if the scope is limited to only the 2022 responses, then it doesn’t exist there either. (In the 5-year sample, a few cities are identified for 2018-2021 responses but not 2022 responses, and this is the only situation where I’d expect a city with CITYERR = 0 in the 2022 match summary to be identified in the 5-year sample.)

In other words, I haven’t found any cases in IPUMS USA’s 2022 ACS responses where CITY currently identifies a city that has CITYERR = 0 in the corresponding match summary.

There are, however, errors in the opposite direction: cases that have a 0 in the sample (for CITY and CITYERR) but not in the match summary. We will be correcting these cases with the planned update, newly identifying 13 cities in the 2022 ACS samples where the CITYERR value was nonzero in the match summary. (The match summary accurately describes what should be in the sample, and what will, after this update, be in the sample.)

If you’re finding something different, please let us know. Thanks!

1 Like