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Decennial Population and Housing Censuses Guide

1940 Census Reports


NCSU Libraries Guide to Census Data Resources - Provides links to online and other electronic data sources.
US Census Bureau 1940 Documents as PDFs

Questionnaire, instructions, and table headers
* Questionnaire description and Instructions to Enumerators - from Measuring America (Sept. 2002)
* Population Schedule - from 1940 Census of Population, vol. 3, pt. 1 (C3.940-5:P81/v.3,pt.1)
* Instructions to Enumerators for Population - from 1940 Census of Housing, vol. 3, pt. 1 (C3.940-5:P81/v.3,pt.1)
* Form of Schedule for Enumeration of Occupied Dwelling Units - from 1940 Census of Housing, vol. 2, pt. 1 (C3.940-5:H81/v.2,pt.1)
* Housing Instructions to Enumerators - from 1940 Census of Housing, vol. 2, pt. 1 (C3.940-5:H81/v.2,pt.1)

Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, Population, 4 vols. in 17
U.S. Documents C3.940-5:P81/v.1-4
* GEOGRAPHIES:   Nation, Divisions, States, Territories, Counties, Townships or other Minor Civil Divisions; Urban/Rural; Incorporated Places, Cities 5000+, Metropolitan Districts, Tracts
* CONTENTS:   Vol. 1, Number of Inhabitants, has 19 tables in the United States summary section.
* Most of vol. 1 contains data by state and territory in 8 tables:
  -   Population, 1790-1940, urban/rural
  -   Population, 1790-1940, for cities 10,000+
  -   Area and Population, 1890-1940, for counties, urban/rural
  -   Population, 1920-1940, for minor civil divisions of counties
  -   Population, 1930-1940, for incorporated places
  -   Population, 1940, for wards of cities 5,000+
  -   Population, 1930-1940, for metropolitan districts
  -   Population, 1940, for tracts of tracted cities

Vol. 2, Characteristics of the Population, is in 7 parts
* Part 1 includes a United States summary section
* Parts 2-7 contain, for each state, 52 tables with data for
  -   State
  -   Counties, Minor Civil Divisions, and Places less than 100,000
  -   Cities of 100,000 or more, and Metropolitan Districts
* Topics of the tables include:
  -   Sex, Age, Race
  -   Nativity, Citizenship
  -   Country of Birth of Foreign-Born White
  -   School Attendance
  -   Years of School Completed
  -   Employment Status
  -   Class of Worker
  -   Major Occupation Group
  -   Industry Group

Vol. 3, The Labor Force, is in 5 parts, with 26 tables per state
* Part 1 contains United States summary statistics
* Parts 2-5 have State tables that cover these topics:
  -   Employment Status and Class of Worker
  -   Occupation
  -   Wage or Salary Income in 1939
  -   Industry
  -   Hours Worked During Week of March 24-30, 1940
  -   Months Worked in 1939
  -   Duration of Unemployment

Vol. 4, Characteristics by Age, is in 4 parts, with 25 tables per state
* Part 1 contains United States summary statistics
* Parts 2-4 have State and smaller geography tables that cover these topics:
  -   Age, color, sex
  -   Citizenship
  -   Marital Status
  -   Household relationships
  -   School attendance

Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, Housing, 4 vols. in 13
U.S. Documents C3.940-5:H81/v.1-4
Vol. 1, Data for Small Areas, is in 2 parts
* Part 1 contains United States summary statistics for
  -   United States, Divisions, States, Urban/Rural
  -   Cities of 50,000+
  -   Metropolitan Districts
* Part 2 continues data for states and smaller geographies with 7 tables per state:
  -   Housing characteristics, 1940, State, urban/rural
  -   Rent or Mortgage, 1940, Urban and rural nonfarm
  -   Lighting, water, toilet, 1940, Rural-farm
  -   Housing characteristics, 1940, Urban places and wards of cities 10,000+
  -   Housing characteristics, 1940, Counties, by minor civil division, and Incorporated places 1,000+
  -   Housing characteristics, 1940, Rural-farm, by minor civil division
  -   Housing characteristics, 1940, Metropolitan districts, by minor civil division

Vol. 2, General Characteristics, is in 5 parts
* Part 1 contains United States summary statistics at the same geographies found in vol. 1, part 1
* Parts 2-5 contain data for states and smaller geographies with 29 tables per state on these topics:
  -   Occupancy and Tenure Status
  -   Value of Home or Monthly Rent
  -   Size of Household and Race of head
  -   Type of Structure
  -   Exterior Material
  -   Year Built
  -   Conversion
  -   State of Repair
  -   Number of Rooms
  -   Housing Facilities and Equipment
  -   Mortgage Status

Vol. 3, Characteristics by Monthly Rent or Value, is in 3 parts
* Part 1 contains United States summary statistics at the same geographies found in vol. 1, part 1
* Parts 2-3 have data for states with 11 tables on:
  -   Dwelling units
  -   Owner and Tenant-occupied dwelling units, urban and rural non-farm
  -   Owner and Tenant-occupied dwelling units, rural farm
  -   Non-White Owner and Tenant-occupied dwelling units (reported only in the South)
  -   Single family structures
  -   Converted structures, those needing major repair or without private bath, vacant dwelling units for urban, rural non-farm, and rural-farm

Vol. 4, Mortgages on Owner-occupied Nonfarm Homes, is in 3 parts
* Part 1 again contains United States summary statistics
* Parts 2-3 contain data for states with 10 tables each
  -   Three tables are for smaller geographies: county, tracts or wards, metropolitan districts

Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, Territories and Possessions, 12 vols.
* Final volume never issued (Cook's Dubester, p. 105)
* Twelve pamphlets published with these individual call numbers:
  -   Alaska: Population U.S. Documents C3.940-13/2:Al1s
  -   American Samoa: Population, Agriculture U.S. Documents C3.940-17:Am3
  -   Guam: Population, Agriculture U.S. Documents C3.940-17:G93
  -   Hawaii: Population U.S. Documents C3.940-13/2:H31
  -   Hawaii: Housing U.S. Documents C3.940-32:H31
  -   Panama Canal Zone: Population U.S. Documents C3.940-39:P19
  -   Puerto Rico: Population. Number of inhabitants U.S. Documents C3.940-13:P96
  -   Puerto Rico: Characteristics of the Population U.S. Documents C3.940-13/2:P96
  -   Puerto Rico: Occupations and other characteristics by age U.S. Documents C3.940-37:P96
  -   Puerto Rico: Migration between municipalities U.S. Documents C3.940-39:P96
  -   Puerto Rico: Housing U.S. Documents C3.940-32:P96
  -   Virgin Islands: Population and Housing U.S. Documents C3.940-38:V81/2

From the 1870 Census forward, the number of published volumes grew each decade.   A comprehensive list of all these volumes is beyond the scope of this guide that focuses on the volumes addressing population and housing topics.

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