“The householder refers to the person (or one of the people) in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented (maintained) or, if there is no such person, any adult member, excluding roomers, boarders, or paid employees. If the house is owned or rented jointly by a married couple, the householder may be either the husband or the wife. The person designated as the householder is the “reference person” to whom the relationship of all other household members, if any, is recorded. The number of householders is equal to the number of households. Also, the number of family householders is equal to the number of families” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004).
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Fertility & Family Statistics Branch. (2004). Current Population Survey: Definitions and explanations. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/population/www/cps/cpsdef.html