Shedding Light on Survey Accuracy—A Comparison between SHED and Census Bureau Survey Results

The annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) receives substantial research attention for topics related to household finances and economic well-being. To assess the reliability of data from the SHED, we compare aggregate statistics from the SHED with prominent, nationally representative surveys that use different survey designs, sample methodologies, and interview modes. Specifically, we compare recent statistics from the SHED with similar questions in U.S. Census Bureau surveys, including the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Community Survey (ACS). Overall, aggregate responses to the SHED benchmark well against nationally representative surveys, particularly for questions with nearly identical wording. However, we also note that subtle differences in wording of survey questions for broadly similar indicators can prompt moderate variations across data sources.