There are two different versions of the 1950 U.S. Census of Population and Housing for San Diego that are available here: The Bogue data and the SSDC version of the Bogue data.

The Bogue data file was created under the direction of Dr. Donald Bogue from keypunching population and housing statistics (subject counts) from the printed "U.S. Census of Population: 1950 Vol.III, Census Tract Statistics, Chapter 48. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1952".

The SSDC data file was created from the Bogue version and differs in a few ways described in more detail below.

To accurately use either version of the data, you will need to refer to both the original printed Census publication and the data file documentation.

PRINTED CENSUS VOLUME:
The Census Bureau defined census tracts for part, but not all of San Diego County, CA. in 1950. There are tracts for the entire city (Census Tracts 1-91) and for "adjacent areas" of the county (Census Tracts 92-133). The printed publication contains population and housing counts for the city and all 133 census tracts in seven tables and uses the ellipsis "..." to indicate values (numbers or counts) that are not available, not shown or zero.

The printed volume has definitions of terms, explanation of methodology, footnotes, and other information essential for understanding the meaning of the numbers in the tables – and therefore essential in understanding the numbers in the data files. Also, note:

• Not available – There are no values for 1940 census tracts because San Diego was not tracted until 1950.
  (See table 1, footnote 1 in the printed volume).

• Not shown – Population per household not shown where number of households is less than 100.
  (See table 1, footnote 2 in the printed volume).

The SSDC 1950 Table Subject Counts lists all of the population and housing subject counts in Tables 1-3 of the printed Census volume and notes their availability in the Bogue and SSDC data files.

BOGUE DATA FILE:
As noted above, Bogue created the data file by keypunching numbers from the printed San Diego Census Bureau volume. The Bogue data file is not an exact copy of the printed volume, however. It omits some subject counts and computes other counts. Also, note:

• Included – The Bogue data includes most of the population and housing subject counts in tables 1-3 of the printed Census volume.

• Excluded – The Bogue data does not include counts for nonwhites by age in table 2 of the printed volume. The Bogue data file does not include tables 4-7 from the printed publication; those tables have detailed subject counts for nonwhites and the white population with Spanish surnames for selected census tracts.

• Keypunched values – Bogue keypunched the number zero whenever the printed Census volume has an ellipsis or a footnote. Bogue always keypunched whole numbers, even where numbers in the printed volume contain decimals.

• Computed values – Bogue computed (rather than keypunched) counts for the city (sums or averages or medians of counts across census tracts 1-91). City counts are included in the printed volume and are equivalent to Census Bureau city areas. Bogue also computed counts for a geographic area (Metro) not included in the printed Census volume. These Metro counts are sums or averages or medians of the counts across all census tracts in San Diego in 1950 (1-133) and are not equivalent to Census Bureau Standard Metropolitan Areas.

• Record layout – The first two records of the Bogue data file are longer than the remaining records in the data file.

As noted above, the SSDC 1950 Table Subject Counts lists all of the population and housing subject counts in Tables 1-3 of the printed Census volume and notes their availability in the Bogue data file.

SSDC DATA FILE:
SSDC staff restructured the Bogue data so that the population and housing subject counts mirror the order and organization of the subject counts in the printed Census volume. Staff excluded two Bogue geographic variables, included two new geographic variables and one new subject count, and computed six additional subject counts. Also, note:

• Data file layout – The SSDC data file has consistent field (variable) and record lengths, and assigns variable names and labels consistent with printed volume population and housing subject counts.

• Excluded – The first two geographic fields of the first two records in the Bogue data file are dropped because these two fields (FILE/RECORD TITLE, NUMBER OF TRACTS) are not consistent with the geographic fields used in the remaining records of the Bogue data file (TRACT ID, TRACT NUMBER).

• Included – The SSDC staff entered the values for two new geographic variables and one subject count excluded from the Bogue data:

1. Geographic variables TRACT_N (Tract Name) and PLACE_N (Place Name). Census tract names correspond to the names on the printed or PDF San Diego census tract maps. Place names are urban places within San Diego County (Chula Vista, Coronado, etc.) and are documented on page six of the printed Census volume.
2. Subject counts for “Married couples without own household” makes it possible to compute subject counts for “Married couples with own household” (head of household).

• Computed – Whenever possible, SSDC staff computed additional subject counts:

1. White native population.
2. Nonwhite population.
3. Families.
4. Married couples with own household.
5. Nonwhite males.
6. Nonwhite females.

SSDC staff compared Bogue city subject counts and city counts in the printed Census volume to determine if Bogue values (numbers) were consistent with values published in printed volume. Whenever a discrepancy was identified, staff compared the values of the components of the city and metro counts (census tracts 1-133) in the Bogue file and the printed volume to determine the cause of the discrepancy. As a result of this process, some Bogue numbers were changed in the SSDC Bogue data file. These SSDC city and census tract subject count values are consistent with values published in the printed volume. Also, note:

• Corrected keypunch values – Bogue errors were corrected for these city and census tract subject counts in the SSDC data file:

1. Number of households.
2. Institutional population.
3. Unrelated individuals.
4. Dwelling units reporting persons per room.
5. Dwelling units 1.01 or more persons per room.
6. Renter occupied dwelling units reporting monthly contract rent.
7. Owner occupied dwelling units reporting value of structure.

• Decimal numbers – SSDC staff entered or computed decimal values for the following city and census tract subject counts:

1. Population per household (two decimals).
2. Median years of school completed (one decimal).
3. Median contract monthly rent in dollars (two decimals).

• Suppressed numbers – While comparing Bogue city values with numbers published in the printed volume, SSDC staff discovered that Bogue computed, rather than keypunched, these values (city = sum or average or median of values across census tracts 1-91). These computations are not a generally accepted practice because the Census Bureau routinely suppresses numbers in small geographic areas (census tracts) and includes these numbers in larger geographic areas (cities). SSDC staff corrected these city values and added values for suppressed dwelling units in tract N-64 (for items 1-2) in the following subject counts:

1. Dwelling units for rent $20-$29.^[1]
2. Dwelling units for rent $40-$49.^[1]
3. Dwelling units value $3000-$3999.
4. Dwelling units value $15000 +.

• Missing value indicators – As mentioned previously, Bogue always keypunched the value zero whenever a printed Census volume count value is an ellipsis or footnote. There are two cases below where the value of zero was incorrectly keypunched by Bogue. In each of these cases, the SSDC staff replaced the number zero with a missing value indicator in the SSDC Bogue data file.

1. Counts not shown – The printed Census volume has one footnote that documents counts not shown for population per household where the population in households is less than 100. The SSDC staff identified additional subject counts where values are not shown by examining the range of numbers for these subject counts.
   1. Median income in dollars is not shown where total families and unrelated individuals is less than 500.
   2. Median contract monthly rent in dollars is not shown where dwelling units reporting contract rent is less than 100.
   3. Median value of structures in dollars is not shown where dwelling units reporting units for sale is less than 100.

2. Counts incorrectly calculated – The glossary of the printed Census volume documents median values that cannot be calculated from published values because the median value is based on a more detailed distribution of numbers than the numbers published in the printed volume. Bogue calculations for city counts were replaced with the numbers published in the printed volume and Bogue Metro counts were replaced with a missing value indicator (rather than computed) for these subject counts in the SSDC Bogue data file:
   1. Median income in dollars.
   2. Median contract monthly rent in dollars.
   3. Median value of structures.^[2]

Bogue computed values for Metro counts (Metro = sum or average or median of values across all 133 census tracts). Whenever a Bogue census tract value was changed in the SSDC file, staff re-computed (if possible) the SSDC Metro count.

There are three versions of the SSDC Bogue data file:

1. In the SPSS Portable file, missing values are coded as system missing values which SPSS displays
   as a period ".".
2. In the Excel file, the ellipsis "..." is used to indicate suppressed or missing counts.
3. In the ASCII data file, the data file contains blanks (spaces) to indicate missing values.

These four files document the population and housing table subject counts (variables) and values (numbers):

1. Printed Census Volume Tables (PDF) - Tables 1-7 and census tract maps extracted from the printed Census Bureau publication.
2. SSDC Table Subject Counts (HTML) - Subject counts available in the printed volume, the Bogue data and the SSDC data.
3. SSDC Variable Value Corrections and Modifications (Excel) - This spreadsheet documents all Bogue subject count values corrected or modified in the SSDC data file.
4. SSDC Bogue Codebook (PDF) - Additional documentation for the SSDC Bogue data file.

The SSDC "bogue_to_ssdc" SPSS syntax file documents the transition of Bogue data to SSDC data. This file can be run with the ICPSR Bogue data file to create the three versions of the SSDC Bogue data. This file is available in the SSDC archive of working files.

 

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^[1] There are two suppressed dwelling units in tract N-64. The city values for rent $20-$29 and $40-49 are one unit more than the sum of their city components (census tracts 1-91). The city values for other rents are equal to the sum of the city components. These suppressed dwelling units are not included in the printed Census publication or the Bogue data.

^[2] The median value of owner occupied one-unit structures for sale in census tract T-83 is 20,000+ dollars in the printed Census publication. This value is 20000 in the Bogue and SSDC data files.