Hello,
I am interested in linking annual ASEC 1970-1990 data to commuting zones. Is it possible to access comprehensive geographic data for these variables that is more specific than the state level? What I am interested in are counties, or otherwise PUMAs and county-groups (as in the IPUMS-USA variables CNTYGP97/CNTYGP98). Thank you very much for your time.
Unfortunately, geographic identification below the state level is difficult at best. This is due to several reasons. First, as with all public use data, geographic identification is limited by confidentiality restrictions. Second, the sample design and methods of weighting CPS data are generally geared towards producing estimates for the entire nation. Therefore, even if lower-level geographic variables were available these estimates would not be as reliable as estimates generated from the ACS survey available via IPUMS USA. Due to all of this, the only below-state geographic variables available for CPS ASEC samples between 1970 and 1990 are METRO, METAREA, and METFIPS.