Deep Dive into the 1940 US Census
Where Can you Find the 1940 US Census ?
You can search the 1940 US Census at Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilySearch
What time period does the 1940 US Census cover?
The 1940 US census was taken in 1940.
What areas does the 1940 census cover?
The records in the 1940 US census cover the entire United States . The schedules cover the 48 states as well as Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
An example of the 1940 census
Here is a
What information can I learn from the 1940 US Census?
The 1940 US census contains a great deal of information of value to genealogists.
LOCATION:
Street, avenue, road, etc.
House number (in cities and towns)
HOUSEHOLD DATA:
Number of household in order of visitation
Home owned (O) or rented (R)
Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented
Does this household live on a farm? (Yes or No)
NAME:
Name of each person whose usual place of residence on April 1, 1940, was in this household
RELATION:
Relationship of this person to the head of the household, as wife, daughter, father, mother-in-law, grandson, lodger, lodger’s wife, servant, hired hand, etc.
PERSONAL DESCRIPTION:
Sex — Male (M), Female (F)
Color or race
Age at last birthday
Marital status — Single (S), Married (M), Widowed (Wd), Divorced (D)
EDUCATION:
Attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940? (Yes or No)
Highest grade of school completed
PLACE OF BIRTH:
If born in the United States, give State, Territory, or possession. If foreign born, give country in which birthplace was situated on January 1, 1937. Distinguish Canada-French from Canada-English and Irish Free State (Eire) from Northern Ireland.
CITIZENSHIP:
Citizenship of the foreign born
RESIDENCE, APRIL 1, 1935:
In what place did this person live on April 1, 1935?
City, town, or village having 2,500 or more inhabitants. Enter “R” for all other places.
County
State
On a farm?
PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Was this person AT WORK for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Govt. work during week of March 24–30? (Yes or No)
If not, was he at work on, or assigned to, public EMERGENCY WORK (WPA, NYA, CCC, etc.) during week of March 24–30? (Yes or No)
If neither at work nor assigned to public emergency work:
Was this person SEEKING WORK? (Yes or No)
If not seeking work, did he HAVE A JOB, business, etc.? (Yes or No)
For persons answering “No” to quest. 21, 22, 23, and 24:
Indicate whether engaged in home housework (H), in school (S), unable to work (U), or other (Ot)
If private or nonemergency Government work (“Yes” in Col. 21): Number of hours worked during week of March 24–30, 1940
If seeking work or assigned to public emergency work (“Yes” in Col. 22 or 23): Duration of unemployment up to March 30, 1940 — in weeks
OCCUPATION, INDUSTRY, AND CLASS OF WORKER
OCCUPATION: Trade, profession, or particular kind of work, as — frame spinner, salesman, laborer, rivet heater, music teacher
INDUSTRY: Industry or business, as — cotton mill, retail grocery, farm, shipyard, public school
Class of worker
Number of weeks worked in 1939 (Equivalent full-time weeks)
INCOME IN 1939 (19 months ending December 31, 1939)
Amount of money wages or salary received (including commissions)
Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary? (Yes or No)
Number of Farm Schedule
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS
For persons enumerated on Lines 14 and 29
NAME
PLACE OF BIRTH OF FATHER AND MOTHER
If born in the United States, give State, Territory, or possession. If foreign born, give country in which birthplace was situated on January 1, 1937. Distinguish Canada-French from Canada-English and Irish Free State (Eire) from Northern Ireland.
FATHER
MOTHER
MOTHER TONGUE (OR NATIVE LANGUAGE)
Language spoken in home in earliest childhood
VETERANS
Is this person a veteran of the United States military forces; or the wife, widow, or under-18-year-old child of a veteran?
If so, enter “Yes”
If child, is veteran father dead? (Yes or No)
War or military service
FOR PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER
SOCIAL SECURITY
Does this person have a Federal Social Security Number? (Yes or No)
Were deductions for Federal Old-Age Insurance or Railroad Retirement made from this person’s wages or salary in 1939? (Yes or No)
If so, were deductions made from (1) all, (2) one-half or more, (3) part, but less than half, wages or salary?
USUAL OCCUPATION, INDUSTRY, AND CLASS OF WORKER
USUAL OCCUPATION
USUAL INDUSTRY
Usual class of worker
FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED
Has this woman been married more than once? (Yes or No)
Age at first marriage?
Number of children ever born (Do not include stillbirths)
How do I cite the 1940 US Census?
The citation I use for the 1940 US Census:
United States Census Bureau, "Population Schedule, Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1940," digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 March 2023), entry for John Smith, Queens County, New York, enumeration district 41-1001, sheet 5B, household 96, line 51.
This citation includes the following elements:
Author: United States Census Bureau
Title: Population Schedule, Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1940
Format: Digital image
Publication information: Ancestry, accessed on 18 March 2023
Specific details: Entry for John Smith in Queens County, New York, in enumeration district 41-1001, on sheet 5B, in household 96, on line 51.
Note that the citation includes all the necessary information to identify and locate the specific record within the 1940 census.
Special Notes:
There were 134 million individuals enumerated this census year.
