# Median housing values, nominal or real dollars?

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/median-housing-values-nominal-or-real-dollars/2334>\
**Category:** NHGIS\
**Created:** [May 9, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/median-housing-values-nominal-or-real-dollars/2334 "2018-05-09T19:38:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rjerch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@rjerch](https://forum.ipums.org/u/rjerch)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/median-housing-values-nominal-or-real-dollars/2334/1 "2018-05-09T19:38:00Z")

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Are the median housing values in current or real dollars? For instance, are the value categories provided under the dataproduct “Specificed Onwer-Occupied Nonconodminium Housing Units” as of 1980 (in dataset code 1980\_STF1, NHGIS id ds104) in current (ie 1980) dollars? Or real dollars?

Kind regards,

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**Author:** ![Michelle\_Pratt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/michelle_pratt/32/194_2.png) [@Michelle\_Pratt](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Michelle_Pratt)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 8:29pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/median-housing-values-nominal-or-real-dollars/2334/2 "2018-05-09T20:29:00Z")

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According to the technical documentation found [here](https://www.nhgis.org/documentation/tabular-data) for tabular data sources , it looks like median values are calculated using current (i.e. 1980) dollars. Specifically, I am looking at the 1980 [documentation for Summary Tape File 1](https://www.nhgis.org/sites/www.nhgis.org/files/original-data/modern-census/1980STF1.pdf) (STF1).