1940 U.S. Census
The 1940 census was taken on April 1, 1940. The official census population count was 132,164,569 for the US proper but doesn't include the populations of the territories of the US. The 1940 census became available to the public on Monday, April 2, 2012.
Contents
Questions Asked in the 1940 Census
The 1940 Census form called for the street, avenue, road, and house number; the number of dwelling house and family in order of visitation; whether the home was owned or rented; the value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented; whether the family lived on a farm; the name of each person whose usual place of residence on April 1, 1940 was with this family; the relationship of this person to the head of the family; each person's sex; color or race; age at last birthday; marital condition; whether he or she attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940; highest grade of school completed; his or her place of birth; citizenship of the foreign-born; place of residence on April 1, 1935; his or her trade, profession, or particular kind of work done, and the industry of business with which he or she was involved, and his or her class of worker and number of weeks worked in 1939; wages or salary received in 1939 and whether or not $50 or more was earned from non-wage or non-salary sources; It also includes, if applicable, the number of the corresponding farm schedule.
Supplementary questions were asked of those enumerated on two designated lines on each sheet: name of the individual; place of birth of both parents; native language; if the person is a veteran or the wife, widow or minor child of a veteran; if a minor child, if their veteran father is dead; war or military service of veteran; if the person has a social security number; if old-age insurance or railroad retirement deductions were taken from their wages or salary in 1939 and if so, were they made from all, half or more, or less than half the wages or salary; his or her usual trade, profession, or particular kind of work done, and the usual industry of business with which he or she was involved, and his or her usual class of worker; for all women, whether they have been married more than once, age at first marriage and number of live births she has had.
Other Significant Facts about the 1940 Census
Coming soon...
Research Tips for the 1940 Census
For additional information on the 1940 census, see the 1940 Census Records website.
Comparison of Census Information, 1790-1940
| Personal Info on Census | 1790 | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 |
| Name of family head only | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Headcount by age, gender, ... | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Standard census form | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Names of all individuals | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Age | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Sex | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Color | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Profession or occupation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Place of birth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Attended school that year | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Highest grade completed | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Married that year | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
| Read or write | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Deaf, blind, insane, idiotic, ... | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
| Real estate value | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Personal estate value | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
| Separate slave schedule | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
| Father of foreign birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Mother of foreign birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Month of birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Month of birth that year | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
| Male citizen over 21 years | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Male over 21 denied vote | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Visitation number of dwelling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Visitation number of family | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Street name in city | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| House number in city | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Relationship to family head | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Marital status | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
| Month of marriage that year | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| No. of months unemployed | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
| Father's birthplace | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | sup | |||||||||
| Mother's birthplace | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | sup | |||||||||
| Sickness on census day | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Year of birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| No. of years present marriage | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
| Mother how many children | ✔ | ✔ | sup | ||||||||||||
| Number of children living | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
| Year of immigration to US | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||
| No. of years in US | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
| Naturalization status | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Months attended school | ✔ |
