The Household Mail Survey (HMS) is a multi-year research study funded by the United States Postal Service. The study surveys a representative sample of approximately 5,200 households each year (on a government fiscal year basis) to provide a comprehensive and continuous description of the mail originating and destinating in American households.

The survey is currently collecting data for 2025, and findings will be published in a report titled "The Household Mail Survey" in 2026. Households volunteering to participate in the survey are first administered a recruitment questionnaire and then asked to enter information about the mail sent from and received at their residences over a one-week period.

Information gathered includes mail class, general contents, and mail flow between mailing sectors and industries. All information from participants is confidential. In addition, the report provides information on household attitudes toward the mail as well as household demographics.

The 2023 Household Diary Study report is available on the Postal Regulatory Commission’s website. The 2024 study is scheduled for release in June 2025.