Assets & Debts and Net Worth
This database provides a unique glimpse into household finances – the type and amounts of household assets, the types and amounts of household debts, and the distribution of net worth by neighborhood. The data are derived from a statistical and geographic analysis of a Census Bureau survey known as the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF).The current survey release is the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances.
For assets (e.g. transaction accounts, life insurance with cash value, primary residence value) and debts (e.g. mortgage, credit card), separate tabulations are available for:
• Number of households with each asset or debt type
• Percentage of households with each asset or debt type
• Aggregate value of assets and debts
• Average value of assets and debts
The survey includes a wide range of demographic attributes related to “consuming units” (generally households), which have been modeled separately for each discrete expenditure category. The older surveys were first inflated to current price levels using the detailed consumer price index series. For each individual expenditure category in the survey, summary statistics were calculated for each separate element in the list below. In several cases, it was possible to utilize cross tabulation data (e.g. income by age of head of household).
Survey Variables:
• geographic region (Northeast, South, Midwest, West)
• metropolitan status (metropolitan, nonmetropolitan) and size (e.g. > 4 million)
• housing tenure (owner or renter)
• age of head of household (<25 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-54 years, 55-64 years, 65-74 years, and 75+ years)
• size of household (1 person, 2 persons, 3 persons, 4 persons, 5 persons, 6+ persons)
• household income (<5000, 5-10000, 10-15000, 15- 20000, 20-30000, 30-40000, 40-50000, 50-70000, 70000+)
• race (White, Black, American Indian, Asian)
• number of vehicles (none, 1, 2+ vehicles per household)
Methodology and Data Sources
The primary source of this database is the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances, issued by the Census Bureau.
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