TX Rural School Children, San Augustine
County, Texas
1943
Rural farm residents had a median of 7.7 years of school in 1940, a full grade less than their urban counterpart.
Library of Congress
IL Working on the Cylinder of
a Locomotive, Chicago, Illinois
1942
The 1940s saw
high levels of
railway ridership,
as soldiers
headed off to war.
Library of Congress
PA Children of the Mill, Johnstown, Pennsylvania
1940
Thanks to the busy mills, most steel towns in the state had very low vacancy rates —only 1% of Johnstown’s housing units were empty in 1940.
Image courtesy of Indiana University Archives. Charles W. Cushman collection.
NM Cutting pies and cakes at the barbecue dinner at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair
1940
The population of the Land of Enchantment in 1940 was 531,818.
Library of Congress
WA Car in Bonneville, Washington
1938
The cost of a gallon of gas was around 10 cents in 1938.
Image courtesy of Indiana University Archives. Charles W. Cushman collection.
NY Union Square, 14th Street and Broadway, Manhattan
1936
Spending on advertising, including outdoor billboards, in the U.S. was about $2.1 billion in 1940.
Library of Congress
UT Servicing a floodlight that turns night into day at the big construction operations for a new steel plant
1942
A vast amount of steel was needed during World War II for the expansion of the U.S. defense.
Library of Congress
ID A slice of life on Main Street, Cascade, Idaho
1941
The average car in 1940 cost under $1,000.
Library of Congress
WI Guide at Little Norway, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
1942
There were 100.7 males per 100 females in the U.S. in 1940.
Library of Congress
IN “Top Women” at U.S. Steel, Gary, Indiana
1945
In 1940, women made 62 cents for each dollar a man earned.
U.S. National Archives
TN Crane Operator at TVA’s Douglas Dam, Tennessee
1942
Construction of the Douglas Dam took just 12 months and 17 days, a world’s record when it was completed in February 1942.
Library of Congress
KY Mountaineers and Farmers Trading Mules and Horses on Jockey Street, Campton, Kentucky
1940
By 1945, tractor power overtook horse power on American farms.
Library of Congress
NY A Typical Day on the Lower East Side
1941
The 1940 Census included the first census of housing, with questions about radios, flush toilets, lighting equipment, running water and more.
Image courtesy of Indiana University Archives. Charles W. Cushman collection.
On April 1, 1940 history was made as the 16th U.S. Census was taken in America and its territories. And today, each and every one of the 134 million records is ready for you to explore here on Ancestry.com. Simply search for your family member by name and you could find records that include details like address, age, occupation, income, education level and more. Almost 9 out of 10 Americans has a relative in the 1940 Census. See who you can discover, right now.
From sea to shining sea—and beyond—we’ve found interesting and surprising facts
about the states and territories from the 1940s era. Click on a location to learn more.
Actors, icons, captains of industry and more, the 1940 census is filled with some of the biggest names of the day. See who we discovered.
