How do you decide which "subfam" unmarried partners are assigned to?

Hi IPUMS!

Can you explain the rules for assigning unmarried partners to either a subfamily (subfam>0) or not in a subfamily (subfam==0)? For example, in the 2016 ACS sample, there are 8,159 unmarried partners. 4,140 are in a subfamily (defined by subfam variable) and 4,019 are not in a subfamily. I’ve read through the subfamilies overview, and I still can’t seem to piece this together.

Thanks in advance for your time and assistance!

Kristin

This is an error. These observations should not be considered subfamilies, since their spouse is the household head. If you email ipums@umn.edu with your mailing address we will send you your free coffee mug.