# Representative Subsamples - What Variables?

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/representative-subsamples-what-variables/2899>\
**Category:** CPS\
**Created:** [March 27, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/representative-subsamples-what-variables/2899 "2019-03-27T17:53:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Emma\_Broming](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Emma\_Broming](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Emma_Broming)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/representative-subsamples-what-variables/2899/1 "2019-03-27T17:53:01Z")

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My read of the documentation indicates that the variable CBSASZ contains representative subsamples from a geographic perspective because it’s based on core based statistical areas. Is this correct? Thank you!

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**Author:** ![JeffBloem](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/jeffbloem/32/40_2.png) [@JeffBloem](https://forum.ipums.org/u/JeffBloem)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/representative-subsamples-what-variables/2899/2 "2019-03-28T13:26:00Z")

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I am not exactly sure what you mean when you say “representative sub-samples,” so feel free to follow up with additional detail if necessary. The [CBSASZ](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/CBSASZ#description_section) variable identifies the total population size (broken down into intervals) for metropolitan statistical areas. So, for every household or person in a given sample, this variable will identify: if a household is either not identifiable or not in a metropolitan area (see [METRO](https://cps.ipums.org/cps-action/variables/METRO#codes_section)for more detail on this) or if a household is in a metropolitan area represented by one of five different population size intervals.

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**Author:** ![Emma\_Broming](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Emma\_Broming](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Emma_Broming)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/representative-subsamples-what-variables/2899/3 "2019-03-28T16:35:36Z")

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Thanks, Jeff. We are using those variables in our research.