Household Pulse Survey. 

Foundation For a Rapid Response, 

High-Frequency Household Data System

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Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology

Session F-6: Reporting on the Pulse of America –

Rapid Data and Collection and Information Sharing Initiatives in the 

Federal Government

October 26, 2022

Jason Fields, U.S. Census Bureau 

Jennifer Hunter Childs, U.S. Census Bureau 

Cassandra Logan, U.S. Census Bureau 

Any opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author and do not represent the views of the U.S. 

Census Bureau. All results are from the Household Pulse Survey website that notes the following: The U.S. Census 

Bureau reviewed this data product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and approved the 

disclosure avoidance practices applied to this release. CBDRB-FY22-426.
The Original Demographic High-Frequency Survey (DHFS): 

Household Pulse Survey 

• The Household Pulse Survey (HPS) was developed to address the need for ongoing and 

more timely insight into the impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on American households.

• The development of HPS involved collaboration with five other Federal agencies and 

OMB.

• Data collection was completed in one- then two-week and now monthly cycles using a 

single mode (the internet) because the Census Bureau had suspended its field and 

production center operations. 

• A sample of one million households was selected for each cycle. At the end of each cycle 

of data collection, the data were processed, and estimates released at national and state 

levels and for the 15 largest metropolitan areas, enabling policy-makers to track 

dynamics across multiple dimensions in near real time. 

• As the pandemic persisted survey questions were revised, removed or added as 

information needs changed.

• HPS represents a new approach for producing Federal statistics that are timely and 

relevant, while preserving the integrity and transparency for which Federal statistics are 

known. 

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Household Pulse Survey Overview

Household Pulse Survey (HPS)

Designed to understand impacts of Covid-19 on American 

families relating to employment, food security, housing, 

health and educational disruption

Timeline for HPS Data Collection

April 23, 2020 – Current

Partners

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

Department of Defense (DOD)

Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-ASPE)

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

USDA Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS)

USDA Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS)

The White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

The White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC)

Platform: Qualtrics

Frame

Census Contact Frame (Existing email and cell-phone frames)

Matched to Census Bureau’s Master Address File (MAF) 

records

Email and Text Invitations to Take an Online Survey

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Current Content

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Basic demographics

Age, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, educational attainment

SOGI (Census/OMB/DPC)

Disability status (NCHS/CDC)

Armed forces status (DOD)

Employment questions

Employment and employment income (BLS/Census)

Unemployment Insurance receipt (BLS)

Spending source of funds (BLS)

Series on expenditures and price increases (BLS) 

Essential worker occupations (NIOSH)

Telework (BTS)

Child Care Arrangements and Costs (HHS-ASPE)

Food security questions

Past and current food sufficiency (USDA-ERS)

Free meals (USDA-ERS)

SNAP receipt (USDA-ERS)

Access to Infant Formula (USDA-FNS)

Health questions

Health insurance (NCHS/Census) 

Vaccination receipt (CDC/HHS-ASPE)

Children’s vaccination receipt (CDC/HHS-ASPE)

Long Covid and Ability to Carry Out 

Day-to-Day Activities (NCHS)

Covid Testing and Diagnosis (HHS-ASPE)

Covid Treatments (HHS-ASPE)

Pediatric Mental Health (MCHB)

Difficulty with Self Care (NCHS)

Housing questions

Tenure (HUD)

Living quarters (HUD) 

Rent and mortgage current payment status (HUD) 

Eviction and foreclosure expectations (HUD)

Months behind on rent/mortgage (CFPB)

Use of rent assistance (CFPB)

Energy assistance and use (EIA)

Education questions

K-12 Enrollment (NCES)

Educational Catch-Up Activities (NCES)
Figure 1. Response

5

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5Week 6Week 7Week 8Week 9

Week 10Week 11Week 12Week 13Week 14Week 15Week 16Week 17Week 18Week 19Week 20Week 21Week 22Week 23Week 24Week 25Week 26Week 27Week 28Week 29Week 30Week 31Week 32Week 33Week 34Week 35Week 36Week 37Week 38Week 39Week 40Week 41Week 42Week 43Week 44Week 45Week 46Week 47Week 48Week 49

HPS Partial and Response Rate

Partial Rate

Weighted Response Rate

Cycle 13-49 Average= 33.3%

Cycle 13-49 Average= 6.8%

TOTAL 53,759,318 Sampled Units

3,813,610 Interviews
Frame

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Contact frame challenges

• Coverage

• Accuracy

• Gatekeeping

• Access

All Household Addresses 

146,600,000 

108,400,000 MAFIDs 

with at least one 

email

74%

All Household Addresses 

146,600,000 

126,100,000 records on 

our universe file that 

have an email, cell phone 

or both

86%

All Household Addresses 

146,600,000 

110,380,000 MAFIDs 

with at least one cell 

phone exist

75%
Weighting

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Figure 2. Percent of Adults Expecting Loss in Employment Income

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Source: Data from the Household Pulse Survey (April 23, 2020 – July 5, 2021).

Universe: 18+ Adults

41.4 41.0 40.1

38.2

39.9

34.7

37.1 37.8

39.7 41.3 42.3 42.8

29.5 29.3 28.0 27.2 27.9

30.6

35.5

38.4

36.4

31.9

30.1

25.6 24.0 22.4 21.1 20.2

18.0 17.1

15.3 15.5 14.7

43.6

41.9 40.7 40.0

37.8

36.1 34.8 36.0

39.1 38.0 39.4 39.1

29.7

27.8 27.4 26.7 26.2

30.7

34.8 34.3 34.4

28.7

27.0

24.8

22.9

20.7

17.0 15.7 15.0 14.5 13.5 13.4 13.9

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

Percent

Expect Loss in Employment Income Among Age 45-64 not Retired or Out of LF

Expect Loss in Employment Income Among Age 25-44 Men not Retired or Out of LF

Expect Loss in Employment Income Among Age 25-44 Women not Retired or Out of LF
Figure 3.Percentage of Adults in Households Having Difficulty Paying Energy Bill

15 Largest Metros: Cycle 34 - Cycle 38: July 21 - September 27, 2021

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, July 21 – September 27, 2021.

Universe limited to adults in households where ENERGY was in (1,2,3,4)

Percentage reporting one or more months limiting other expenses to pay energy bill in the last 12 months.

41.1

36.8

35.8

33.8

32.6

30.1

30.0

29.5

28.9

28.2

28.1

28.0

27.8

26.3

22.8

22.6

21.2

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

United States

Not in Metro Area

San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Percentage
Interactive Tool - Unable to Pay Energy Bill

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Detailed Housing Table 4 – Energy 

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Reimagining the Household Pulse Survey

• Development of the Demo High-Frequency Surveys (DHFS) Program

• Strengthening guidelines for content inclusion in the DHFS

• Refining sampling and data collection processes 

 Reduce collection frequency

 Revise SMS and email language

 Change contact distribution times

 Testing customized link shortener for SMS messages

 Analysis of contact frame quality

 Experiment with mail invitations

 Utilize adaptive design for targeted reminders and alternate contact methods

• Shifting content focus from COVID-19 to other emergent issues

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Developing a Sustainable High-Frequency Surveys Program

• We are prepared to transition from an “emergency” mindset to one that builds upon the 

capabilities developed from HPS and the other demonstration efforts in two ways

o Development of a new, high-frequency surveys program that becomes an established 

capability at the Bureau

o Establishment of a sustainable structure to enable rapid deployment of surveys or

production of non-survey data products as national, regional or state-level events demand

• High-frequency and rapid response outcomes would supplement data collected via established 

benchmark surveys 

• Build on partnerships with sister Federal statistical agenciesto develop a central service hub and 

associated assets that enable agencies to meet rapid response data needs as they arise

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DHFS Program: Purpose

The Demographic High-Frequency Surveys Program (DHFS Program) is established to produce and 

disseminate data in near real time to support rapidly emerging or changing program or policy 

needs

• Provides a platform to produce estimates that support data-driven decisions in a rapid, 

efficient, and independent manner

• Supplements traditional Federal surveys, which establish “gold standard” measurements but 

require a level of development and testing that can take years to implement

• High-frequency surveys are intended to be deployed quickly and for data to be released in near 

real-time

• The DHFS Program supports Census-appropriated surveys (e.g., the Household Pulse Survey) as 

well as other high-frequency surveys conducted for other Federal agencies on a costreimbursable basis (e.g., the School Pulse Panel)

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DHFS Program: Scope 

• Distinguished from other survey operations by a streamlined survey lifecycle facilitated by a 

lighter infrastructure (e.g., minimal processing, data product limitations) for instrument 

development, data processing, and dissemination

• Results in surveys having at least one of these characteristics:

 Rapid Response: rapidly developed, deployed, and produces data close to real time in 

response to emergent events that impact the social and/or economic well-being of the U.S. 

public (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2008 housing market collapse) 

 High Frequency: produces data released on a high-frequency, cyclical basis when there is a 

need to measure rapidly changing circumstances

• Produces data on a time-limited basis; once the events prompting the needs have passed, the 

content is moved off the survey; not intended as a permanent data collection vehicle

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Appropriate Use of the DHFS Program

High level guidance for the appropriate use of high-frequency 

surveys includes: 

• Subject matter of inquiry must be in the public interest and 

must be appropriate for inclusion in a government-run survey.

• The information must be needed urgently and be otherwise

unavailable from existing surveys, censuses, or administrative 

data sources within the timeframe needed. 

• The questions should be of factual nature rather than gathering 

opinions.

For agencies interested in having the Census Bureau conduct a 

high-frequency survey for them on a cost-reimbursable basis, the 

Interagency Agreement will include language that sets forth the 

features, benefits, and limitations of this approach.

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Criteria for determining whether proposed content is 

appropriate for inclusion 

A Information needs are highly time-sensitive and critical to an 

agency’s ability to carry out its mission in pressing 

circumstances.

B Inclusion of content must be feasible without jeopardizing 

resources and infrastructure needed to support other demands 

for the HFDP survey platform.

C Content must be consistent with the Census Bureau’s mission.

D Content must have a positive or neutral effect on the Census 

Bureau’s reputation.

E Requests must be consistent with the Census Bureau’s 

commitment to privacy and confidentiality.

F Requests must be consistent with the Census Bureau’s 

commitment to transparency.

G Should the use of administrative records be proposed in 

conjunction with a HFDP survey, such use is in keeping with 

source agency requirements.

H Sensitive populations and topics are addressed thoughtfully.
DHFS Program: Key Features

• Only asks questions that meet specific criteria for urgency, compelling need, and are not

collected elsewhere

• Incorporates a core set of questions (e.g., basic demographics), along with additional content that 

meets the criteria set forth in the guidelines

 Questions will be removed once the need is reduced, funding is insufficient, or a longer-term operation 

is identified for data collection

 Not intended to serve as a vehicle for content over the long term

• May not meet all the Census Bureau’s statistical quality standards, such as having lower response 

rates or imprecise coverage

• Limitations will be clearly documented and made publicly available

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Census Quality Standards

U.S. Census Bureau Statistical Products

Core Experimental Research-based

Information products with 

a production system, 

regular funding, regular 

release schedule, and 

active user base. 

Examples:

• Decennial Census

• Economic Census

• Principal Federal 

Economic Indicators

Information products that 

are not core or 

experimental products.

Examples:

• Professional papers

• Working papers

• Technical reports

• Research presentations

New or innovative products 

developed to satisfy 

emerging data user needs.

Examples:

• HPS

• BTOS

• PSEO

• MSRS

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Moving the DHFS Program Forward

To strengthen the high frequency data program, the Census Bureau must continue to:

• Mature the Census Bureau’s Contact Frame (household phone numbers and email addresses) to 

improve quality of respondent contact, and aid in adaptive respondent contact strategies

• Establish a management team to sustainably negotiate, plan and execute high-frequency and as 

needed, rapid response data production

• Explore and expand on use of third-party data sources to supplement or replace direct collection, 

and facilitate high-frequency surveys

• Establish a mechanism that enables the Census Bureau to support the rapid response data needs of 

other agencies with a minimum of bureaucracy, akin to the School Pulse Panel

• Evaluate and develop methods to adjust for response and selection biases including the 

development and integration of auxiliary data and data from multiple collection sources

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Household Pulse Resources

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Household Pulse Survey main page: 

https://www.census.gov/householdpulsedata

Technical Documentation: 

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/household-pulse-survey/technical-documentation.html

Survey Respondent overview: 

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/household-pulse-survey.html