Daily AncestorThe 1940 U.S. Census
The 1940 census, dated April 1, 1940, asked two people on each page extra 'sample line' questions and marks who gave the answers to the enumerator.
The sixteenth census was taken as of April 1, 1940, and opened to the public on April 2, 2012. It is a snapshot of the late Depression: who was working, who was looking for work, who had a WPA, CCC, or NYA job, and what wage earners were paid in 1939.
It also tried sampling. Two of the 40 lines on each side of every census sheet were marked as sample lines, and the people whose names fell there were asked extra questions, about 5 percent of the population.
The questions, column by column
| Street, house number, owned or rented, value or monthly rent, on a farm | Helps you find the house today. |
|---|---|
| Name | A circled X after a name marks the person who answered for the household. |
| Relationship, sex, color or race, age, marital status | As in 1930. |
| School since March 1, 1940, and highest grade completed | The first question on how far people went in school. |
| Place of birth and citizenship of the foreign born | Foreign birthplaces were named by the country as it stood on January 1, 1937. |
| Residence on April 1, 1935 | Same house, same place, or a named city, county, and state. |
| Work in the week of March 24 to 30, hours, weeks out of work, occupation, industry | For persons 14 and older. |
| Weeks worked and wages in 1939 | Income in dollars. |
| Sample lines (such as lines 14 and 29) | Parents' birthplaces, mother tongue, veteran status, Social Security, usual occupation, and for women ever married, age at first marriage and children born. |
New this census
- Sample line questions.
- Highest grade completed.
- Residence five years earlier.
- Wage income.
- A mark showing who gave the answers.
Watch out for
- Parents' birthplaces appear only for the two sample-line people per page.
- The circled X tells you whose knowledge you are relying on; answers depend on what that person knew.
- A birthplace given as a 1937 country may not match the country on older records.
Other schedules
- A separate housing census was taken at the same time by the same enumerator.
Where to see it
- Free in the National Archives Catalog by county and enumeration district, with district maps and descriptions. FamilySearch and Ancestry have name indexes.