1940 United States census

The 1940 United States census was a big count of everyone living in the United States. It happened on April 1, 1940, and was done by the Census Bureau. This count showed that 132,164,569 people lived in the U.S. back then. That was a little more than in 1930.

The census asked new questions this time. People were asked where they lived five years before, how much school they finished, and how much money they made. Some people got extra questions about their jobs and homes.

The census helped us learn about the population in each state. New York had the most people, and California grew a lot. This information was important for planning and making things better for everyone.

The census also helped in some sad ways. During World War II, the government used census information to move many Japanese American families. This was a very hard time for them.

You can see old census records now. After 72 years, the details that don’t name people became public. This helps historians and others learn about the past. The Integrated Public Use Microdata Series has many of these records.

The biggest cities in 1940 included New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Los Angeles. These cities were growing and full of life. Many other towns and cities were also part of this important count.