Questions Asked on the 1940 Census

Scan of the 1940 census document
PDF version of the actual instructions given to enumerators


  1. 1. Street, Avenue, Road, etc
  2. 2. House Number

Household Data

  1. 3. Number of household in order of visitation
  2. 4. Home owned (O) or rented (R)
  3. 5. Value of home or monthly rental if rented
  4. 6. Farm? (Yes or No)


  1. 7. Name of each person whose usual place of residence on April 1, 1940, was in this household.


  1. 8. Relationship of this person to the head of the household

Personal Description

  1. 9. Sex
  2. 10. Color or Race
  3. 11. Age at Last Birthday
  4. 12. Marital Status
  5. 13. Attended school or college at any time since March 1, 1940?
  6. 14. Highest grade of school completed

Place of Birth

  1. 15. Place of Birth [Note: supposed to list the state or foreign country]


  1. 16. Citizenship of the foreign born

Residence, April 1, 1935

  1. 17. City, town or village having 2,600 or more inhabitants. If less, enter "R"
  2. 18. County
  3. 19. State (or Territory or foreign country)
  4. 20. On a farm? (Y or N)

For Persons 14 Years Old and Over – Employment Status:

  1. 21. Was this person at work for pay or profit in private or nonemergency Govt. work during the week of March 24-30? (Y or N)
  2. 22. If not, was he at work on, or assigned to, public Emergency Work (WPA, NYA, CCC, etc.) during the week of March 24-30? (Y or N)
  3. If neither:
  4. 23. Was this person seeking work? (Y or N)
  5. 24. If not seeking work, did he have a job, business, etc.? (Y or N)

For Persons Answering "No" to questions 21-24:

  1. 25. Indicate whether engaged in home housework (H), unable to work (U), or other (O).

If "Yes" in Column 21:

  1. 26. Number of hours worked during week of March 24-30, 1940

If "Yes" in Column 22 or 23:

  1. 27. Duration of unemployment up to March 30, 1940 – in weeks

Occupation, Industry, and Class of Worker:

  1. 28. Occupation
  2. 29. Industry
  3. 30. Class of worker
  4. 31. Number of weeks worked in 1939 (equivalent full-time weeks)

Income in 1939 (12 months ending Dec. 31, 1939):

  1. 32. Amount of money, wages, or salary received
  2. 33. Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary (Y or N)
  3. 34. Number of Farm Schedule

Supplemental Questions (asked of 5% of the population):

  1. 35. Name
  2. 36. Birthplace of father
  3. 37. Birthplace of mother
  4. 38. Language spoken in home in earliest childhood
  5. Veteran Status:
  6. 39. Is this person a veteran of the United States military forces; or the wife, widow, or under 18-year-old child of a veteran?
  7. 40. If child, is veteran father dead? (Y or N)
  8. 41. War or military service
  9. For persons 14 years old and over:
  10. Social Security:
  11. 42. Does this person have a Federal Society Security Number? (Yes or No)
  12. 43. Were deductions for Federal Old-Age Insurance or Railroad Retirement made from this person's wages or salary in 1939? (Yes or No)
  13. 44. If so, were deductions made from all, ½ or more, part but less than 1/2, of wages or salary?
  14. Usual Occupation:
  15. 45. Usual occupation
  16. 46. Usual industry
  17. 47. Usual Class of worker
  18. For All women who are or have been married:
  19. 48. Has this woman been married more than once? (Yes or No)
  20. 49. Age at first marriage
  21. 50. Number of children ever born (Do not include stillbirths)


Column 10 (Color or Race)
Code Name
W White
Neg Negro
In Indian
Chi Chinese
Jp Japanese
Fil Filipino
Hin Hindu
Kor Korean
Column 14 (Highest Grade of School Completed)
Code Name
0 None
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Elementary school, 1st – 8th
H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4 High school, 1st – 4th year
C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 College, 1st – 4th year
C-5 College, 5th or subsequent year
Column 16 (Citizenship of Foreign Born):
Code Name
Na Naturalized
Pa Having first papers
Al Alien
Am Cit American citizen born abroad
Columns 30 and 47 (Class of worker):
Code Name
PW Wage or salary worker in private work
GW Wage or salary working in government work
E Employer
OA Working on own account
NP Unpaid family worker
Column 41 (War or Military Service):
Code Name
W World War
S Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection or Boxer Rebellion
SW Spanish-American War & World War
R Regular establishment (Army, Navy or Marine Corps) Peace-time service only
Ot Other war or expedition
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