A two-stage probability sample of community subjects was developed with a full psychiatric examination employing DSM-III criteria in conjunction with the Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA) survey conducted in Baltimore, MD. This report details the observation on those subjects diagnosed with compulsive personality disorder and compulsive personality traits. The results indicate that this condition has a prevalence of 1.7% in a general population. Male, white, married and employed individuals receive this diagnosis most often. Our data suggest a dimensional rather than categorical character for this disorder. The disorder imparts a vulnerability for the development of anxiety disorders.