Compact Guide to the 1940 U.S. Census

Summary of the information given in the 1940 Census

• Address (street and house number)
• Home owned or rented, and value of home or monthly rent
• Name ("Name of each person whose usual place of residence on April 1, 1940, was in this household ... Enter ⊗ ['X' with a circle around it] after name of person furnishing information.")
• Relationship of this person to the head of household
• Sex
• Color or race (W=White, Neg=Negro, In=Indian, Chi=Chinese, Jp=Japanese, Fil=Filipino, Hin=Hindu, Kor=Korean, "other races spell out in full")
• Age at last birthday
• Marital status
• Education
  • Attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940?
  • Highest grade of school completed (0=none; 1-8=elementary school, 1st to 8th grade; H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4=high school, 1st to 4th year; C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4=college, 1st to 4th year; C-5=college, 5th or subsequent year)
• Place of Birth (state, territory or possession; or foreign country)
• Citizenship of the foreign born (Na=Naturalized, Pa=Having First Papers, Al=Alien, Am Cit=American Citizen Born Abroad)
• Where living on April 1, 1935
• Employment Status - Persons 14 Years Old and Over
  • Occupation and Industry
  • Class of Worker (PW=Wage/Salary Worker in Private Work, GW=Wage/Salary Worker in Gov't Work, E=Employer, OA=Working on Own Account, NP=Unpaid Family Worker)
  • Number of weeks worked in 1939
  • Income in 1939 (for 12 months ended 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)"

• Name
• Place of birth of mother and father
• 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 child, is veteran-father dead?
  • War or Military Service (W=World War [WWI]; S=Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection or Boxer Rebellion; SW=Spanish-American War and World War; R=Regular Establishment or Peace-Time Service; Ot=Other War or Expedition)
• Social Security questions, including: "Does this person have a Federal Social Security Number?"
• Usual Occupation, Industry, and Class of Worker
• For 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).