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The Sixteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 132,164,569, an increase of 7.3 percent over the 1930 population of 123,202,624 persons. The census date was April 1, 1940. A number of new questions were asked including where people were 5 years before, highest educational grade achieved, and information about wages. This census introduced sampling techniques; one in 20 people were asked additional questions on the census form. Other innovations included a field test of the census in 1939.

Microdata and aggregate data derived from the 1940 census are available from U.S. government agencies.^[1] On April 1, 2012 the detailed data available from the United States Census of 1940 enumeration sheets will be released to the public by the National Archives and Records Administration.^[2][3]

Census questions

The 1940 census collected the following information^[4]:

• address
• home owned or rented
  • if owned, value
  • if rented, monthly rent
• whether on a farm
• name
• relationship to head of household
• sex
• race
• age
• marital status
• school attendance
• educational attainment
• birthplace
• if foreign born, citizenship
• location of residence five years ago and whether on a farm
• employment status
• if at work, whether in private or non-emergency government work, or in public emergency work (WPA, CCC, NYA, etc.)
  • if in private or non-emergency government work, hours worked in week
  • if seeking work or on public emergency work, duration of unemployment
• occupation, industry and class of worker
• weeks worked last year
• wage and salary income last year

In addition, a sample of individuals were asked additional questions covering age at first marriage, fertility, and other topics. Full documentation on the 1940 census, including census forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

Data availability

Microdata from the 1940 census are freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

Because of confidentiality concerns, access to personally identifiable information from census records is limited or restricted by Title 13 of the U.S. Code.^[5] On April 1, 2012 the detailed data available from the United States Census of 1940 enumeration sheets will be released to the public by the National Archives and Records Administration.^[2][3]

State rankings

Notes

1. ^ Carolyn Stewart, ACSD. "Census of Population and Housing: 1940 Census". Washington DC: US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. http://www.webcitation.org/5iRBWc0kx. Retrieved 2 July 2009.  
2. ^ ^{a b} Weinstein, Allen (April 2008). "Access to genealogy data at NARA grows" (PDF). NARA Staff Bulletin. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.archives.gov/about/speeches/staff-bulletin/2008-bulletin/nara-staff-bulletin-archivist-column-april08.pdf. Retrieved 2 July 2009.  
3. ^ ^{a b} Weinstein, Allen (Summer 2008). "Finding Out Who You Are: First Stop, National Archives". Prologue magazine, vol. 40, no. 2. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2008/summer/archivist.html. Retrieved 2 July 2009.  
4. ^ "Library Bibliography Bulletin 88, New York State Census Records, 1790-1925". New York State Library. October 1981. pp. 45 (p. 51 of PDF). http://purl.org/net/nysl/nysdocs/9643270.  
5. ^ "Historical Background". US Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/mso/www/bkgrnd.htm. Retrieved 2 July 2009.  

External links

• 1941 U.S Census Report Contains 1940 Census results
• 1940 Census Questions & Facts about life in the 1940s
• 1940 Census for Genealogy Research
• Historic US Census data
• FAQs on 1940 Forms/Links/Utilities

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