Why did some area median family income (MFI) estimates decrease in FY2008 even though the OMB definition of the area did not change?
Some area median family incomes changed because incomes are falling in the area. The FY 2008 MFI estimation relies on 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) data as well as 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) wage data. The manner in which the ACS data are used depends on the type of data available, which differs by place size. Local ACS MFI estimates are available for areas with populations of 65,000 or more, but the statistical reliability of these estimates differs. When local MFI estimates are available, HUD MFI estimates are based partly on local ACS estimates and partly on state-level ACS estimates. The higher the statistical reliability of local estimates, the more heavily they are used. Local ACS MFI estimates are used in inverse proportion to the size of their margins of error (the numbers computed by adding and subtracting the published margins of error, or MoEs, from the median family income estimates form the “90 percent confidence intervals” for the estimates. There is a 9
Related Questions
- Why did some area median family income (MFI) estimates decrease in FY2008 even though the OMB definition of the area did not change?
- Why did some area median family income estimates decrease in FY2006 even though the OMB definition of the area did not change?
- Why do area definitions change for the income limits and median family income estimates?
