Household Pulse Survey: Measuring Social and Economic Impacts during the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Household Pulse Survey: Measuring Social and Economic Impacts during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Data collection for Phase 3.8 of the Household Pulse Survey started on March 1, 2023 and is scheduled to continue until May 8, 2023. This latest version of the survey will continue with a two-weeks on, two-weeks off collection and dissemination approach, with data releases scheduled for March 22, April 19, and May 17, 2023.

Overview

The Household Pulse Survey is a 20-minute online survey studying how the coronavirus pandemic and other emergent issues are impacting households across the country from a social and economic perspective.

The HPS continues asking about core demographic household characteristics (including sexual orientation and gender identity), as well as asking questions about the following topics:

Access to infant formula
Childcare arrangements and cost
COVID-19 vaccinations and long COVID symptoms and impact
Education, specifically K-12 enrollment
Employment
Food sufficiency
Housing security
Household spending, including energy expenditures and consumption
Inflation concerns and changes in behavior due to increasing prices
Physical and mental health
Rental assistance from state and local governments
Transportation, including behavioral changes related to the cost of gas
Health insurance coverage (including Medicaid)
Impact of living through natural disasters

In order to support the nation’s recovery, we need to know the ways this pandemic has affected people’s lives and livelihoods. Data from this survey will show the widespread effects of the coronavirus pandemic on individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Your participation will help federal and state officials direct aid, assistance, and support to the people and places that need it most. This survey provides information that cannot be collected elsewhere. Your response is key.

Prior data collections phases

Phase 1: April 23, 2020 - July 21, 2020

Phase 2: August 19, 2020 - October 26, 2020

Phase 3: October 28, 2020 - March 29, 2021

Phase 3.1: April 14, 2021 - July 5, 2021

Phase 3.2: July 21, 2021 – October 11, 2021

Phase 3.3: December 1, 2021 – February 7, 2022

Phase 3.4: March 2, 2022 – May 9, 2022

Phase 3.5: June 1, 2022 – August 8, 2022

Phase 3.6: September 14, 2022 – November 14, 2022

Phase 3.7: December 9, 2022 – February 13, 2023

How was I selected to be in this survey?

The Census Bureau randomly chose your address, not you personally, to participate in this survey. A limited number of addresses from across the country were scientifically selected to represent the entire population.

Your participation is important, and your response cannot be replaced by one from another household address.

How do I complete the survey?

If you have been selected to participate in the Household Pulse Survey, you will receive an email from COVID.survey@census.gov or a text message from 39242* (message and data rates may apply) with a link to complete the survey. If we have not received a response from you, you may receive up to 3 follow-up reminders.

Only those whose addresses have been selected to participate can complete the survey. A limited number of addresses across the country have been invited to answer the Household Pulse Survey.

Email communications from the Census Bureau regarding the Household Pulse Survey will originate from a census.gov email address. Text messages will be sent from 39242. The link to the survey will include survey.census.gov in the URL.

*Respondents may Reply “Stop” to opt out of receiving text messages.

Related Information

Household Pulse Survey Questionnaire (In Field Beginning March 1, 2023) [< 1.0 MB]

Encuesta del Pulso de los Hogares (In Field Beginning March 1, 2023) [< 1.0 MB]

How do I know my information is safe? Can I be identified by my responses?

The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law to protect your information. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you. We are conducting this voluntary survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 182 and 193 to study the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Federal law protects your privacy and keeps your answers confidential (Title 13, United States Code, Section 9). Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.

Your privacy is protected by the Privacy Act (Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 552a). Routine uses of these data are limited to those identified in the Privacy Act System of Record Notice titled, “SORN COMMERCE/Census-3, Demographic Survey Collection (Census Bureau Sampling Frame).” The Census Bureau can use your responses only to produce statistics, and is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you.

Is this survey authorized by law?

This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This eight-digit OMB approval number, 0607-1013, confirms this approval and expires on 10/31/2023. We are required to display this number to conduct this survey.

We estimate that completing this survey will take 20 minutes on average. Send comments regarding this estimate or any other aspect of this survey, including suggestions for reducing the time it takes to complete this survey to adrm.pra@census.gov.

Who is conducting this survey? How will my responses be used?

The Census Bureau is the designated federal statistical agency conducting this survey.

The HPS continues to be a collaborative undertaking and is fielded in partnership with the following federal agencies:

All information that you provide is used only to create accurate, relevant statistics about the nation’s people, places, and economy. These statistics help inform officials and policymakers about communities and individuals across the United States impacted by the pandemic.