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 V, Level of Living Items


 Tables 97 through 100 show the frequency with which farm, nonfarm,

white, and nonwhite households reported selected level of living items. The

derivation of a level-of-living index for households in various income classes

is in progress and will be presented in the final report.

 There were substantial differences in the level-of-living facilities

available in the homes and on the homesteads of the sample households in 1956.

Differences appear in the frequency with which various facilities were reported

by farm and nonfarm households, by white and nonwhite families and by family

income levels within the various household groups.

 For the entire sample, electricity was the facility most frequently

reported, followed closely by radio and refrigeration. On the average, 85 per-

cent of the households reported these items. The two items, sewing machine and

automobile or truck, were next in order of frequency; on the average, they were

found in 68 percent of the households. Washing machines and running water were

next in importance and were reported by 58 percent of the sample families.

Fifty-four percent of all households reported receipt of farm magazines. From

32 to 37 percent reported the following five items: television, newspaper,

bathtub or shower, deep freeze, and gas or oil heat.

 In general terms, more of the farm households had the selected level

 of living items than did nonfarm households. Differences in favor of farm

 households were most pronounced in the prevalence of deep freezers and magazines,

 The farms were substantially better off in terms of running water, newspapers,

 washing machines, automobiles or trucks, baths, and sewing machines. Differ-

 ences in favor of farms were less pronounced in reports of television, refrig-

 erators, electricity, radios, and gas or oil heat.

 White households reported level-of-living facilities more frequently