Using Restricted-Access Census Data to Study Economic Opportunity and Marriage Formation

Catherine A. Fitch, University of Minnesota
J. Michael Oakes, University of Minnesota
Steven Ruggles, University of Minnesota

We investigate the relationship of male and female economic opportunity to marriage formation in 2000, examining how relationships vary with race and ethnicity. To address these issues, we carry out multi-level analysis of the effects of local economic conditions on the marriage decisions of young men and women. We will compare results obtained using the 5% sample of Census 2000 from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) with those from an analysis of restricted access census files available only through Census Bureau Research Data Centers (RDCs). The internal files allow the identification of small geographic regions to measure local economic conditions. This analysis will help gauge the value of the restricted access data by presenting a benchmark using public data.