Demographics · 2024 ACS PUMS variable
WAOB
World area of birth
- Type
- Categorical
- Length
- 1
- Value codes
- 8
- Survey
- 2024 ACS 1-Year
WAOBis the U.S. Census Bureau's ACS PUMS variable for world area of birth. It is a categorical field with 8 possible category codes, released in the 2024 Public Use Microdata Sample. The full list of value codes and their labels is below.
WAOB value codes
| Code | Label |
|---|---|
| 1 | US state (POBP = 001-059) |
| 2 | PR and US Island Areas (POBP = 061-099) |
| 3 | Latin America (POBP = 303,310-399) |
| 4 | Asia (POBP = 158-159,161,200-299) |
| 5 | Europe (POBP = 100-157,160,162-199) |
| 6 | Africa (POBP = 400-499) |
| 7 | Northern America (POBP = 300-302,304-309) |
| 8 | Oceania and at Sea (POBP = 060,500-554) |
Work with WAOB in PUMSdata
Instead of decoding WAOBby hand, map and cross-tabulate it across every state and PUMA — correctly weighted, no setup. Free while we're in beta.
WAOB — FAQ
What is the WAOB variable in PUMS?+
WAOB is the 2024 ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) variable for "World area of birth". It is a categorical field 1 character long.
What are the WAOB codes?+
WAOB has 8 value codes in the 2024 dictionary, each mapping a numeric code to a category label — all of them are listed on this page.
Where does the WAOB variable come from?+
WAOB is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 2024 ACS PUMS data dictionary. PUMSdata is an independent product that makes this microdata easy to explore, and is not affiliated with the Census Bureau.