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Description

GQTYPE reports the type of group quarters for households in the U.S. 1850-1910 census, identified as group quarters under the IPUMS rules (households with a GQ code of 2 or 4) and for the Canada 1891 census.

With this variable, users can distinguish between institutions and non-institutional group quarters, identify broad categories of institutions (e.g., mental institutions versus correctional institutions), and, for some years, isolate very specific types of group quarters (e.g., old soldiers' home).

Comparability

The detail with which group quarters types were identified varied considerably across years in the American census.

Units that contained 10 or more people unrelated to the head are classified as group quarters in the NAPP rules for identifying group quarters. The British census has slightly different rules, and users can distinguish which households fall into each category of group quarters using the GQ variable. Some group quarters units contain a primary family but also include 10 or more persons unrelated to the head. These units are classified as "other group quarters" in the GQ variable, but they can be identified by their GQTYPE code of 010. Other large units consist entirely of unrelated individuals. These units are also considered "other group quarters" in GQ, but they have a GQTYPE code of 020.

The Canada 1891 sample includes labels that are very different from the US samples. For more details on the Canada sample, please check CA91A021.

Universe

Availability

• Canada: 1891
• United States: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1880, 1900, 1910