The U.S. Census Bureau released new data on Apr. 23 from the Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey, known as HTOPS, covering a range of topics such as employment, food sufficiency, housing status, household expenses, and use of Artificial Intelligence.
The release provides insight into the socioeconomic conditions faced by households across the United States. Policymakers and agencies can use this information to assess current trends and inform operational or policy decisions.
According to the Census Bureau, the survey sampled about 30,000 households in June 2025. The data cover both national trends and smaller geographic areas defined by the agency. The public can access HTOPS datasets for custom analysis or view pre-made tables that address subjects including loss of employment income, teleworking habits, food sufficiency for families with children, health insurance coverage, risk of foreclosure or eviction for homeowners and renters, transportation access issues, changes in consumer prices, stress due to price increases, opinions on AI usage based on experience with these systems—including opting out—and more.
HTOPS is described as an experimental product collected every other month on both core topics—such as those listed above—and rotating topics that change over time. This approach aims to keep pace with evolving challenges facing American households.
Future releases from later rounds of HTOPS conducted in 2025 are expected in coming months. The Census Bureau said these ongoing updates will continue providing timely data for federal agencies monitoring household well-being.
