Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released the microdata and codebook for the 2015 American Housing Survey, which includes the National Public Use File. The release  contains records for the national sample and the 15 largest metropolitan areas, as well as the Metropolitan Public Use File containing records for 10 additional metropolitan areas. Microdata are files containing individual responses to survey questions that can be used to create custom tabulations, allowing users to delve further into the rich detail collected in the American Housing Survey. In the microdata, the basic unit is an individual housing unit. Each record shows most of the information associated with a specific housing unit or individual, except for data items that could be used to personally identify that housing unit or individual. The 2015 American Housing Survey examined many characteristics, including:

• Housing costs for owners and renters.
• Remodeling and repair frequency.
• Reasons for moving.

Additionally, the latest survey data provide statistics about:

• Food insecurity.
• Health and safety hazards in the home.
• Use of housing counseling services.

Use the AHS Table Creator at census.gov to build customized tables showing housing characteristics for your metropolitan area. The new American Housing Survey interactive codebook is an online reference tool that includes descriptive information on all of the survey variables and should be used when working with the microdata. The codebook allows users to filter variables by survey year, topic and subtopic, and search by keyword. The American Housing Survey is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the most comprehensive housing survey in the nation.”