THIS IS WHO WE WERE:
A COMPANION TO THE 1940 CENSUS
A companion resource to the 1940 Census recently released by the US National Archives, This is Who We Were provides the reader with a deeper understanding of what life was like in America in 1940 and how it compares statistically to life today. Using both original material from the 1940 Census, readers will find richly-illustrated Personal Profiles, Economic Data, and Current Events to give meaning and depth to what life was like in 1940 America as the country was emerging from depression, but on the verge of war. Next, a wide range of data from the 1940 and 2010 Census are put side-by-side so users can quickly and easily see differences and similarities over these past 70 years.
Family Profiles, Historical Snapshots, News Features & Census Data
Media Response
- An Official View of Proposed Questions for 1940 Census: The New York Times, March 3, 1940
- “Heads Will Fall Following New Nose-Count,”: The Gallup Independent, April 5, 1940
- “1940 Census Uncovers Statistical Oddities,”: The Racine Journal-Times Sunday Bulletin, February 2, 1941
- “Women Earners Up 20 Per Cent in Ten Years,”: The New York Times, March 23, 1941
- “Check of Census Shows Fewer Than 1 to 100 Missed By Enumerators,”: San Antonio Express, May 18, 1941
- “Nearly 4,000 Tell Census They Are Centenarians,”: The New York Times, June 23, 1943
Census Data
- Total Population
- White Population
- Black Population
- American Indian/Alaska Native Population
- Asian Population
- Hispanic or Latino Population
- Foreign-Born Population
- Males per 100 Females
- Median Age
- High School Graduation Rate
- College Graduation Rate
- One-Person Households
- Homeownership Rate
- Median Home Value
- Median Gross Rent
- Households Lacking Complete Plumbing
- White Population
Profiles
- Auto Factory Worker: Detroit, Michigan
- New York City Engineer: Radburn, New Jersey
- Founder of State Farm Insurance: Bloomington, Illinois
- Airline Industry Investor: Oberlin, Ohio
- Mexican Widow and Mother of Two: Los Angeles, California
- Pullman Porter and Domestic: Harlem, New York
- Welder for Government Dam Project: Norris, Tennessee
- Benefactor of Scottsboro Boys Trial: Scottsboro, Alabama
- Army Sargent During Peacetime: Washington, DC
- Innovative Boat Mechanic: Detroit, Michigan
- Canadian Boxer: Bangor, Maine
- Farming Family: York, South Carolina
- Popular Singer: Camden, New Jersey
- Female Judge: New York, New York
- Miner Turned Musician: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Church Supervisor: Huntington, West Virginia
- Fundamentalist Preacher: Stamford, Texas
- Glass Maker: Corning, New York
- Sportswriter: New York, New York
- Technical Engineer: Hollywood, California
- Bond Trader: New York, New York
- Jazz Pianist/Arranger: Kansas City, Missouri
- Television Engineer: Camden, New Jersey
- Radio Advertising Executive: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
- Tobacco Heiress: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Inventor: Bangor, Maine
Historical Snapshots
Economy of the Times
All Around Us—What We Saw, Wrote, Read & Listened To
Census Summary and Comparison Data