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FAMSIZE counts the number of the person's own family members living in the household with her/him, including the person her/himself. These include all persons related to the person by blood, adoption, or marriage as indicated by the census forms or inferred from them.
FAMSIZE is calculated from the units identified in the IPUMS constructed variable FAMUNIT (family unit membebership). The primary family is defined as all persons related to the head in the RELATE variable. Secondary families are individuals or groups of persons linked together by the IPUMS constructed pointer variables SPLOC, MOMLOC, and POPLOC (location of spouse, mother, and father).