Questions asked on the 1940 US Census (16th)

1940 US Census Questions (see blank form) (see Census site here for 1940)

U.S. President: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Population: 132,164,569
Census date:
Time allowed
US States: 48

“The following questions were those included on the Population Schedule for the 1940 Census.

The header of each Population Schedule reads “Department of Commerce — Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940″ and includes fields for State, County, Incorporated place, Township or other division or county, Ward of city, Block Nos., Unincorporated place, Institution, Supervisor District Number (S.D. No.), Enumeration District Number (E.D. No.), date of ectual enumeration, name of enumerator, and sheet number.”

  1. LOCATION: Street, avenue, road, etc.
  2. LOCATION: House number (in cities and towns)
  3. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Number of household in order of visitation
  4. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Home owned (O) or rented (R)
  5. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented
  6. HOUSEHOLD DATA: Does this household live on a farm? (Yes or No)
  7. NAME: Name of each person whose usual place of residence on April 1, 1940, was in this household.
  8. 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.
  9. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Sex — Male (M), Female (F)
  10. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Color or race
  11. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Age at last birthday
  12. PERSONAL DESCRIPTION: Marital status — Single (S), Married (M), Widowed (Wd), Divorced (D)
  13. EDUCATION: Attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940 (Yes or No)
  14. EDUCATION: Highest grade of school completed
  15. 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.
  16. CITIZENSHIP: Citizenship of the foreign born
  17. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: City, town, or village having 2,500 or more inhabitants. Enter “R” for all other places
  18. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: County
  19. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: State (or Territory or foreign country
  20. RESIDENCE APRIL 1, 1935: On a farm? (Yes or No)
  21. 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)
  22. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: 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)
  23. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Was this person SEEKING WORK? (Yes or No)
  24. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: If not seeking work, did he HAVE A JOB, business, etc.? (Yes or No)
  25. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Indicate whether engaged in home housework (H) in school (S), unable to work (U), or other (O)
  26. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Number of hours worked during week of March 24-30, 1940
  27. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Duration of unemploymen up to March 30, 1940 – in weeks
  28. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Occupation: Trade, profession, or particular kind of work
  29. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Industry: Industry of business
  30. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Class of worker
  31. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Number of weeks worked in 1939 (Equivalent full-time weeks)
  32. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: INCOME IN 1939: Amount of money wages or salary received (including commissions)
  33. PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER — EMPLOYMENT STATUS: INCOME IN 1939: Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary? (Yes or No)
  34. Number of Farm Schedule Each 1940 Population Schedule has 40 numbered lines (numbered along both the left and right edges of the form). There is a list of SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS, which would be asked of those individuals recorded usually on Lines 14 and 29 (although other lines were also designated for such use and was presumably to ensure a random sampling).
    The Supplementary Questions were as follows:
  35. NAME
  36. PLACE OF BIRTH OF FATHER AND MOTHER: FATHER
  37. PLACE OF BIRTH OF FATHER AND MOTHER: MOTHER
  38. MOTHER TONGUE (OR NATIVE LANGUAGE): Language spoken in home in earliest childhood
  39. 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”
  40. VETERANS: If child, is veteran-father dead (Yes or No)
  41. VETERANS: War or military service
  42. SOCIAL SECURITY: Does this person have a Federal Social Security Number? (Yes or No)
  43. SOCIAL SECURITY: Were deductions for Federal Old-Age Insurance or Railroad Retirement made from this person’s wages or salary in 1939? (Yes or No)
  44. SOCIAL SECURITY: If so, were deductions made from (1) all, (2) one-half or more, (3) part, but less than half, of wages or salary?
  45. USUAL OCCUPATION
  46. USUAL INDUSTRY
  47. Usual class of worker
  48. FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED: Has this woman been married more than once? (Yes or No)
  49. FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED: Age at first marriage?
  50. FOR ALL WOMEN WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN MARRIED: Number of children ever born (Do not include stillbirths)

Source of questions:

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