Household Pulse Survey

Survey Phases

Since April 2020, the Household Pulse Survey has undergone four phases. The distinction between these phases is important because the collection periods and survey questions are subject to change. For example, the first phase was collected and disseminated weekly, but all subsequent phases have had two-week collection and dissemination periods.  

During Phases 1 through 3.0 (before Phase 3.1), the survey asked participants about whether children in their households were enrolled in “public/private” or “homeschool.” However, this question may have been confusing because it did not clarify homeschool as “NOT enrolled in public or private school” until Phase 3.1. U.S. Census Bureau researchers note that respondents may have marked homeschool thinking that it was the same as virtual learning, which is why they later changed the wording to better clarify this distinction. 

Enrollment by School Type

In week 49 of the Household Pulse Survey, the first week of Phase 3.6, the question regarding the school type enrollment of school-aged children in participating households was updated to reflect student enrollment during the 2022 – 2023 school year. This question specifically stated, “During the school year that began in the Summer / Fall of 2022, how many children in this household were enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade or grade equivalent?” The response options that participants were given were as follows: “number enrolled in a public school,” “number enrolled in a private school,” “number homeschooled, that is not enrolled in public or private school,” and “none.” The participants also had the option to not answer this question, which was marked as “did not report” in the data file. 

National Findings

Considering data from weeks 49 through 60, we are able to make approximate national and statewide estimates on the share of students that homeschooled during the Summer / Fall of 2022 compared to other schooling options. During these weeks, the percentages of school-aged children in households that were reported as homeschooled ranged from 5.14% to 6.66% at the national level. When taking the average of all these weeks together, the share of school-aged children reported as homeschooled was 5.82%. This compares to 10.06% of students in private schools, and 84.12% in public schools.

It is important to note that these percentages reflect the responses of household members that chose to participate in the survey, and not actual state enrollment numbers. 

In addition, after consulting with researchers from the U.S. Census Bureau, we decided to remove respondents that chose “none” or that did not respond to the question. We did this because we were specifically interested in comparing enrollment percentages among public, private, and homeschooled students. While the “none” category may have included students in alternative education paths, it also likely included households with children below Kindergarten age, or respondents that did have students enrolled in school but that misunderstood the question. Excluding the “did not report” responses ensures accurate calculations. 

State Data

According to the Household Pulse Survey, the states with the highest percentages of homeschooled students during the Fall / Summer of 2022 include Alaska (12.56%), Tennessee (9.02%), and West Virginia (8.89%). The states with the lowest percentages were Rhode Island (2.86%), Massachusetts (3.14%), and New York (3.23%). 

Comparing this to the student enrollment data that we have collected from NCES and the state departments of education, the states with the greatest discrepancies were Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Kansas. In Tennessee, the Household Pulse Survey estimates were 7.58% higher than those we estimated from NCES and DOE data. In Washington, D.C., the Household Pulse Survey estimates were 7.54% higher than those we estimated from NCES and DOE data. In Kansas the Household Pulse Survey estimates were 5.07% higher than those we estimated from NCES and DOE data. The states with the lowest discrepancies were Maine (0.80% discrepancy), Kentucky (0.74% discrepancy), and Nebraska (0.38% discrepancy). 

It is important to note that the data from NCES and the state departments of education represents student enrollment in the Fall of 2021, while the Household Pulse Survey data is student enrollment for the Fall / Summer of 2022. 

Participant Demographics

The Household Pulse Survey not only helps us understand the enrollment number of homeschooled students, but also provides demographic information about the survey participants. Considering data from weeks 52 through 60, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the demographics of households with students that homeschool. It is important to note that we can only consider weeks 52 through 60, excluding weeks 49 through 51, because the Pulse data from these weeks has not been organized by participants’ demographic characteristics.  

Here we look specifically at participant characteristics of age, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, education level, and household income. This information is particularly important because the vast majority of states do not ask homeschooling families to report demographic information, and thus, very little is known about these characteristics of homeschooling families. 

Age

The survey asked participants, “What year were you born?” and participants were asked to fill in their birth year. This data was then organized into five categories: “18-24,” “25-39,” “40-54,” “55-64,” and “65 and above.” Considering only respondents that reported having homeschooled students in their household, 5% of participants were between ages 18-24, 38% were between ages 25-39, 42% were between ages 40-54, 7% were between ages 55-64, and 8% were 65 and above.

Race and Ethnicity

Participants were asked to report their race and ethnicity on two survey questions. The first question asked, “Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?” The second question asked, “What is your race? Please select all that apply.” The response options for race included fourteen distinct options, but researchers later organized them into five categories. Considering only respondents that reported having homeschooled students in their household, 19% of participants were Hispanic or Latinx (of any race), 60% were white (not Hispanic), 12% were Black (not Hispanic), 2% were Asian (not Hispanic), and 7% were two or more or other races (not Hispanic).

Gender and Sexuality

Several questions on the survey asked participants information about their gender and sexuality. Participants were asked to report their sex assigned at birth, their gender, and their sexuality. Gender was limited to “Male,” “Female,” “Transgender,” and “None of these.” Sexuality was categorized as “Gay or lesbian,” “Straight, that is not gay or lesbian,” “Bisexual,” “Something else,” and “I don’t know.” This data was simplified into a single category labeled “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender” and the response options were “Yes,” “No,” “Other,” and “Did not report.” Considering only respondents that reported having homeschooled students in their household, 7% of participants reported “Yes,” 85% reported “No,” 6% reported “Other,” and 2% did not report.

Education Level

In regard to education, participants were asked, “What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed?” Participants could select one of seven options, but the researchers later combined this data into just four categories: “less than high school,” “high school or GED,” “some college / associate’s degree,” and “bachelor’s degree or higher.” Considering only respondents that reported having homeschooled students in their household, 11% of participants had less than high school, 29% had a high school diploma or GED, 33% had some college or an associate’s degree, and 27% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Household Income

The survey asked participants, “In 2022 what was your total household income before taxes? Select only one answer.” The survey offered eight distinct salary ranges, starting at “less than $25,000” and ending with “200,000 and above.” Researchers added an additional category for participants that did not respond to the question. Considering only respondents that reported having homeschooled students in their household, 8% made less than $25,000, 8% made between $25,000-34,999, 9% made between $35,000-49,999, 13% made between $50,000-74,999, 11% made between 75,000-99,999, 12% made between 100,000-149,999, 5% made between 150,000-199,999, 6% made 200,000 and above, and 28% did not report.