1940 Census Form PDF Details

On April 2, 1940, the U.S. Census Bureau began mailing out more than 120 million census forms to households across the country. The forms were filled out by hand and returned by mail. This year, the bureau is releasing digitized versions of the forms as part of its effort to make all of America's history available online. To celebrate this release, we're taking a look at what life was like in 1940. Today, we'll focus on the census form itself and how it was used to collect data about Americans during that time. Stay tuned for more posts in this series!

QuestionAnswer
Form Name1940 Census Form
Form Length2 pages
Fillable?No
Fillable fields0
Avg. time to fill out30 sec
Other namesfillable census forms, census form download, census form fillable, census form d 308 fillable

Form Preview Example

STATE

COUNTY

TOWNSHIP OR OTHER DIVISION OF COUNTY

INCORPORATED PLACE

WARD OF CITY

 

LOCAT-

HOUSEHOLD DATA

 

 

ION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Line No.

Street, Avenue, road, etc.

 

House Number

No. of Household in order of visitation

 

Home owned (O) or rented (R)

 

Value of home or Monthly rental if rented.

 

Farm? (Yes or No)

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

2

3

 

4

 

5

 

6

1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLOCK NO.

NAME

RELATION

Name of each person whose usual

Relationship of

place of residence on April 1,

this person to the

1940, was in this household.

head of the

 

household, as

BE SURE TO INCLUDE:

wife, daughter,

father, mother-in-

1. Persons temporarily absent from household.

Write ―Ab‖ after names of such persons.

law, grandson,

2. Children under 1 year of age. Write ―Infant‖ if

lodger, lodger’s

child has not been given a first name.

wife, servant,

Enter x after name of person furnishing

hired hand, etc.

information.

 

7

8

 

 

1940 Federal Census

UNINCORPORATED PLACE

 

 

PERSONAL

 

EDUCATION

 

 

 

DESCRIPTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attended school or college at any time since March 1, 1940?

 

 

 

CODE (Leave Blank)

Sex

 

Color or Race

Age at Last Birthday

 

Marital Status

Highest grade of school completed

 

CODE (Leave Blank)

A

9

 

10

11

 

12

13

14

 

B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENUMERATION DISTRICT NO.

 

 

 

 

SHEET NO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPERVISOR’S DISTRICT NO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENUMERATED BY ME ON

 

 

 

 

 

, 1940

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

, ENUMERATOR

 

INSTITUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CITI-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLACE OF BIRTH

 

ZEN-

RESIDENCE, APRIL 1, 1935

 

 

 

 

SHIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If born in U.S. give state,

 

 

In what place did this person live on April 1, 1935?

territory or possession.

 

 

For a person who lived in a different place, enter city or

 

 

 

 

town, county, and State.

 

 

 

 

 

If foreign born, give country

 

the

City, town,

 

 

 

 

 

 

in which birthplace was

Blank)(LeaveCODE

or village

 

 

 

 

 

Blank)(LeaveCODE

Citizenshipof bornforeign

 

 

 

 

Farm?aOn N)or(Y

situated on Jan. 1, 1937.

having

 

State (or

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,600 or

County

Territory

 

 

 

 

Distinguish: Canada-French

 

 

more

or foreign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from Canada-English and

 

 

inhabitants

 

country)

 

 

 

 

Irish Free State from

 

 

If less, enter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Ireland.

 

 

―R.‖

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

 

C

16

17

18

19

 

20

D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Line No.

Was this person AT WORK for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Govt. work during week of March 24- 30? (Y or N)

If not, was he at work on, or assigned to, public EMERGENCY WORK (WPA, NYA, CCC, etc.) during week of March 24-30? (Y or N)

 

21

22

 

1.

 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

3.

 

 

 

4.

 

 

 

5.

 

 

 

6.

 

 

 

7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER – EMPLOYMENT STATUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

If seeking

OCCUPATION, INDUSTRY, AND CLASS OF WORKER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

work or

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a person at work, assigned to public emergency work, or with a job (―Yes‖

If neither at work nor

 

 

 

If at private or

assigned to

For persons answering

in col. 21, 22, or 24), enter present occupation, industry, and class of worker.

assigned to public

nonemergency

public

 

―No‖ to questions

 

 

For a person seeking work (―Yes‖ in col. 23): (a) if he has previous work

emergency work.

 

Govt. work.

emergency

21-24.

 

 

experience, enter last occupation, industry, and class of worker; or (b) if he does

(―No‖ in cols. 21 &22)

 

 

―Yes‖ in col. 21

work.

 

 

 

 

 

not have previous work experience, enter ―New worker‖ in Col. 28, and leave

 

 

 

 

 

 

―Yes‖ in col.

 

Cols. 29-30 blank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22 or 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

personthisWas SEEKING WORK? N)or(Y

seekingnotIf hedidwork, JOB,AHAVE business,etc.? N)or(Y

whetherIndicate engagedhomein housework(H),in unable(S),school or(U),workto .(Ot)other

 

CODE

Numberhoursof workedduring Marchofweek24- 1940.30,

Durationunof- employmentupto 194030,March–

weeks.in

OCCUPATION

INDUSTRY

WorkerofClass

blank)(leaveCODE

 

Trade, profession, or

Industry or business, as—

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

particular kind of work, as –

Cotton mill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame spinner

Retail g rocery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salesman

Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laborer

Shipyard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rivet heater

Public school

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music tea cher

 

 

 

23

24

25

 

E

26

27

 

28

29

30

F.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INCOME IN 1939

 

 

 

 

(12 months ending

 

Number of weeks worked in 1939 (Equivalent full-time weeks)

Dec. 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 (Y or N)

Number of Farm Schedule

31

32

33

34

 

 

 

 

National Archives and Records Administration

NA 14129 (6-09)

NARA’s web site is http://www.archives.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY

QUESTIONS

FOR PERSONS OF ALL AGES

FOR PERSONS 14 YEARS OLD AND OVER

FOR ALL WOMEN

WHO ARE OR

HAVE BEEN

MARRIED

For Persons Enumerated

on Lines 14 and 29.

PLACE OF BIRTH OF FATHER AND MOTHER

If born in U.S. give state, territory or possession. If foreign born, give country in which birthplace was situated on Jan. 1, 1937.

MOTHER

TONGUE

Language spoken in

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?

SOCIAL SECURITY

USUAL OCCUPATION, INDUSTRY, AND CLASS OF WORKER Enter that occupation which the person regards as his usual occupation and at which he is physically able to work. If the person is unable to determine this, enter that occupation at which he has worked longest during the past 10 years and at which he is physically able to work. Enter also usual industry and usual class of worker.

Name

Line No.

Distinguish: Canada- French from Canada- English and Irish Free State from Northern Ireland.

Father

Mother

CODE (leave blank)

home in

earliest childhood.

CODE (leave blank)

If so enter ―Yes‖

If child, is veteran- father dead? (Y or N)

War or Military Service

CODE (leave blank)

Usual

Occupation

Usual

Industry

Usual class of worker

CODE

(leave blank)

35

14

29

36

37

G

38

H

39

40

41

I

42

43

44

45

46

47

J

48

49

50

Col. 5 VALUE OF HOME, IF OWNED:

Col. 10 COLOR OR RACE:

Col. 11 AGE AT LAST BIRTHDAY:

Col. 14 HIGHEST GRADE OF SCHOOL COMPLETED:

Col. 16 CITIZENSHIP OF THE FOREIGN BORN:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where owner’s household occupies

 

White

W

Enter age of children born on or after April 1,

None

0

Naturalized

Na

only a part of a structure, estimate value

Negro

Neg

1939, as follows. Born in:

 

 

Elementary school, 1st – 8th

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

 

Having first papers

Pa

of portion occupied by owner’s

 

Indian

In

April 1939

11/12

 

High school, 1st – 4th year

H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4

Alien

Al

household. Thus the value of the unit

 

Chinese

Chi

May 1939

10/12

 

College, 1st – 4th year

C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4

American citizen born abroad

Am Cit

occupied by the owner of a two-family

Japanese

Jp

June 1939

9/12

College, 5th or subsequent year

C-5

 

 

house might be approximately one-half

Filipino

Fil

July 1939

8/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

the total value of the structure.

 

Hindu

Hin

August 1939

7/12

 

 

 

 

SYMBOLS

 

Korean

Kor

September 1939

6/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 1939

5/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND

 

Other races, spell out in full.

November 1939

4/12

 

 

 

 

EXPLANATORY

 

 

 

December 1939

3/12

 

 

 

 

 

Other races, spell out in full

January 1940

2/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

 

 

February 1940

1/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 1940

0/12

 

 

 

 

Col. 21 WAS THIS PERSON AT WORK ?

Col. 24 DID THIS PERSON HAVE A JOB ?

(Do not include children born on or after April 1, 1940.

Cols. 30 and 47 CLASS OF WORKER:

Col. 41 WAR OR MILITARY SERVICE:

 

Enter ―Yes‖ for persons at work for pay or profit in

Enter ―Yes‖ for a person (not seeking work)

 

 

Wage or salary worker in private work

PW

World War

W

private or nonemergency Government work.

who had a job, business, or professional

 

 

Wage or salary worker in Gov’t work

GW

Spanish -American War; Philippine

 

Include unpaid family workers – that is, related

enterprise, but did not work during week of

 

 

Employer

E

Insurrection or Boxer Rebellion

S

members of the family working without money

March 24–30 for any of the following

 

 

Working on own account

OA

Spanish-American War & World War

SW

wages or salary on work (other then housework or

reasons: Vacation; temporary illness;

 

 

Unpaid family worker

NP

Regular establishment (Army, Navy or

 

incidental chores) which contributed to the family

industrial dispute; layoff not exceeding 4

 

 

 

 

Marine Corps) Peace-Time Service only

R

income.

weeks with instructions to return to work at a

 

 

 

 

Other war or expedition

Ot

 

specific date; layoff due to temporarily bad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

weather conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Archives and Records Administration

 

 

 

NARA’s web site is http://www.archives.gov

 

 

NA 14129 (6-09)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Edit 1940 Census Form Online for Free

You could prepare fillable census forms effortlessly by using our online PDF tool. To keep our tool on the forefront of efficiency, we aim to put into action user-oriented capabilities and enhancements regularly. We're at all times pleased to get suggestions - join us in reshaping PDF editing. In case you are looking to start, this is what it will take:

Step 1: Click the "Get Form" button above on this webpage to get into our editor.

Step 2: As you open the PDF editor, you will find the form prepared to be filled out. Other than filling in different blanks, you could also perform other sorts of actions with the PDF, such as adding your own words, modifying the initial text, inserting illustrations or photos, putting your signature on the PDF, and more.

It is straightforward to complete the document using out detailed guide! Here is what you should do:

1. The fillable census forms needs specific details to be typed in. Make sure the subsequent blanks are filled out:

Writing part 1 of blank census form

2. The subsequent stage would be to submit all of the following fields: t v o G, o N e n i L, n i t i f o r p, f I, o t, A Y N, k r o w o t, G N K E E S, K R O W, f I, k r o w, B O J A E V A H, c t e s s e n i s u b, r e h t e h w e t a c i d n I, and d e g a g n e.

Completing segment 2 in blank census form

3. The following part is mostly about Col VALUE OF HOME IF OWNED, Where owners household occupies, Col COLOR OR RACE, White Negro Indian Chinese, W Neg In Chi Jp Fil Hin Kor, Other races spell out in full, Other races spell out in full, SYMBOLS, AND, EXPLANATORY, NOTES, Col WAS THIS PERSON AT WORK , Col DID THIS PERSON HAVE A JOB , Col AGE AT LAST BIRTHDAY Enter, and April May June July August - fill out every one of these blank fields.

blank census form completion process outlined (portion 3)

Be very careful while filling out W Neg In Chi Jp Fil Hin Kor and AND, because this is the part in which most people make errors.

Step 3: Prior to finishing the form, make sure that all form fields were filled out correctly. Once you’re satisfied with it, click “Done." Right after setting up a7-day free trial account with us, you'll be able to download fillable census forms or send it via email without delay. The file will also be accessible from your personal cabinet with your every single edit. Here at FormsPal.com, we endeavor to make certain that all your information is stored protected.

1940 Census Form isn’t the one you’re looking for?

Related Documents