Safekipedia1960 United States census
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The 1960 United States census, carried out by the Census Bureau, counted the number of people living in the United States at that time. It found that 179,323,175 people lived in the country, which was a growth of 19 percent compared to the 151,325,798 people counted in the 1950 census. This census was important because it helped decide how many votes each state would have in the next two presidential elections, in (/wiki/1964_United_States_presidential_election) and (/wiki/1968_United_States_presidential_election).
It was also a special moment because every state had more than 200,000 people for the first time ever. During this time, New York was still the state with the most people living there. However, some cities, like Detroit, saw big changes, losing 220,000 residents during the 1950s, which was the largest drop between two censuses at that time.
Census questions
The 1960 census asked everyone for basic information like their address, name, age, and more. About a quarter of households also received a longer form with many extra questions. You can find all the details about the 1960 census, including the forms used, from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.
Data availability
Microdata from the 1960 census can be freely accessed through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. You can also download aggregate data for smaller areas and electronic boundary files from the National Historical Geographic Information System. Personal information from the census will become available in 2032.
State rankings
| Rank | State | Population as of 1960 census | Population as of 1950 census | Change | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New York | 16,782,304 | 14,830,192 | 1,952,112  | 13.2% |
| 2 |  California | 15,717,204 | 10,586,223 | 5,130,981 | 48.5% |
| 3 |  Pennsylvania | 11,319,366 | 10,498,012 | 821,354 | 7.8% |
| 4 |  Illinois | 10,081,158 | 8,712,176 | 1,368,982 | 15.7% |
| 5 |  Ohio | 9,706,397 | 7,946,627 | 1,759,770 | 22.1% |
| 6 |  Texas | 9,579,677 | 7,711,194 | 1,868,483 | 24.2% |
| 7 |  Michigan | 7,823,194 | 6,371,766 | 1,451,428 | 22.8% |
| 8 |  New Jersey | 6,066,782 | 4,835,329 | 1,231,453 | 25.5% |
| 9 |  Massachusetts | 5,148,578 | 4,690,514 | 458,064 | 9.8% |
| 10 |  Florida | 4,951,560 | 2,771,305 | 2,180,255 | 78.7% |
| 11 |  Indiana | 4,662,498 | 3,934,224 | 728,274 | 18.5% |
| 12 |  North Carolina | 4,556,155 | 4,061,929 | 494,226 | 12.2% |
| 13 |  Missouri | 4,319,813 | 3,954,653 | 365,160 | 9.2% |
| 14 |  Virginia | 3,966,949 | 3,318,680 | 648,269 | 19.5% |
| 15 |  Wisconsin | 3,951,777 | 3,434,575 | 517,202 | 15.1% |
| 16 |  Georgia | 3,943,116 | 3,444,578 | 498,538 | 14.5% |
| 17 |  Tennessee | 3,567,089 | 3,291,718 | 275,371 | 8.4% |
| 18 |  Minnesota | 3,413,864 | 2,982,483 | 431,381 | 14.5% |
| 19 |  Alabama | 3,266,740 | 3,061,743 | 204,997 | 6.7% |
| 20 |  Louisiana | 3,257,022 | 2,683,516 | 573,506 | 21.4% |
| 21 |  Maryland | 3,100,689 | 2,343,001 | 757,688 | 32.3% |
| 22 |  Kentucky | 3,038,156 | 2,944,806 | 93,350 | 3.2% |
| 23 |  Washington | 2,853,214 | 2,378,963 | 474,251 | 19.9% |
| 24 |  Iowa | 2,757,537 | 2,621,073 | 136,464 | 5.2% |
| 25 |  Connecticut | 2,535,234 | 2,007,280 | 527,954 | 26.3% |
| 26 |  South Carolina | 2,382,594 | 2,117,027 | 265,567 | 12.5% |
| 27 |  Oklahoma | 2,328,284 | 2,233,351 | 94,933 | 4.3% |
| 28 |  Kansas | 2,178,611 | 1,905,299 | 273,312 | 14.3% |
| 29 |  Mississippi | 2,178,141 | 2,178,914 | −773  | −0.0% |
| 30 |  West Virginia | 1,860,421 | 2,005,552 | −145,131 | −7.2% |
| 31 |  Arkansas | 1,786,272 | 1,909,511 | −123,239 | −6.5% |
| 32 |  Oregon | 1,768,687 | 1,521,341 | 247,346 | 16.3% |
| 33 |  Colorado | 1,753,947 | 1,325,089 | 428,858 | 32.4% |
| 34 |  Nebraska | 1,411,330 | 1,325,510 | 85,820 | 6.5% |
| 35 |  Arizona | 1,302,161 | 749,587 | 552,574 | 73.7% |
| 36 |  Maine | 969,265 | 913,774 | 55,491 | 6.1% |
| 37 |  New Mexico | 951,023 | 681,187 | 269,836 | 39.6% |
| 38 |  Utah | 890,627 | 688,862 | 201,765 | 29.3% |
| 39 |  Rhode Island | 859,488 | 791,896 | 67,592 | 8.5% |
| — |  District of Columbia | 763,956 | 802,178 | −38,222 | −4.8% |
| 40 |  South Dakota | 680,514 | 652,740 | 27,774 | 4.3% |
| 41 |  Montana | 674,767 | 591,024 | 83,743 | 14.2% |
| 42 |  Idaho | 667,191 | 588,637 | 78,554 | 13.3% |
| 43 |  Hawaii | 632,772 | 499,794 | 132,978 | 26.6% |
| 44 |  North Dakota | 632,446 | 619,636 | 12,810 | 2.1% |
| 45 |  New Hampshire | 606,921 | 533,242 | 73,679 | 13.8% |
| 46 |  Delaware | 446,292 | 318,085 | 128,207 | 40.3% |
| 47 |  Vermont | 389,881 | 377,747 | 12,134 | 3.2% |
| 48 |  Wyoming | 330,066 | 290,529 | 39,537 | 13.6% |
| 49 |  Nevada | 285,278 | 160,083 | 125,195 | 78.2% |
| 50 |  Alaska | 226,167 | 128,643 | 97,524 | 75.8% |
| — |  United States | 179,323,175 | 151,325,798 | 27,997,377 | 18.5% |
City rankings
Locations of 50 most populous cities
Location of 50 largest cities by population in the United States in 1960
!New York
!Chicago
!Los Angeles
!Philadelphia
!Detroit
!Baltimore
!Houston
!Cleveland
!Washington
!St. Louis
!Milwaukee
!San Francisco
!Boston
!Dallas
!New Orleans
!Pittsburgh
!San Antonio
!San Diego
!Seattle
!Buffalo
!Cincinnati
!Memphis
!Denver
!Atlanta
!Minneapolis
!Indianapolis
!Kansas City
!Columbus
!San Juan
!Phoenix
!Newark
!Louisville
!Portland
!Oakland
!Fort Worth
!Long Beach
!Birmingham
!Oklahoma City
!Rochester
!Toledo
!Saint Paul
!Norfolk
!Omaha
!Honolulu
!Miami
!Akron
!El Paso
!Jersey City
!Tampa
!Dayton
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on 1960 United States census, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.