1930 Census of Population and Housing

Under the direction of William M. Steuart, Director of the Census, and in accordance with the Fifteenth Census Act, approved June 18, 1929, “a census of population, agriculture, irrigation, drainage, distribution, unemployment, and mines [was] taken by the Director of the Census” on April 1, 1930. The census encompassed each state and Washington, DC, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. A census of Guam, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands was taken in the same year by the islands’ respective governors, and a census of the Panama Canal Zone was taken by the governor of that area. [More/Less]

In addition to population data, the 1930 census also collected the following statistics:

Agriculture. Acreage of farm; value of land and buildings; mortgage debt; expenditures for labor, feed, and fertilizer; farm machinery and facilities; acreage, yield, and value of crops; quantity and value of livestock.
Manufacturing (with similar data collected from mines and quarries). Quantity and value of products; the number of salaried employees and wage earners; aggregate payments for salaries and wages; the cost of materials and fuel.
Distribution. Kind of business; type of operation; net sales; number of employees; total amount paid in salaries and wages; stocks on hand.
Construction. Data was collected from general contractors, subcontractors, and operative builders regarding value of construction; wage payments; cost of materials; and subcontract work performed or let.
Unemployment.

Data from families and establishments were transferred to punch cards—approximately 300,000,000 in all¹ —and were processed by electronic sorting and “automatic tabulating machine” at the rate of approximately 400 per minute. These tabulations provided the raw data necessary for the compilation of statistical tables prepared by clerks and statisticians.²

1930 Census of Unemployment

A census of Unemployment was conducted, in conjunction with the 1930 census, by an act of May 3, 1928. This special enumeration collected data on persons who usually worked for wages or a salary, but were not working at the time the census was taken.

William M. Steuart, Director of the Census, said “the results of the [unemployment] census will furnish a picture of the unemployment situation as indicated not only by the number of unemployed but by the attendant circumstance of unemployment. It will bring the answer to certain fundamental questions about which nothing definite is known at present. Obviously, something more than a mere knowledge of the number of persons out of work is needed, if we are to measure fairly and accurately, without exaggeration and without understatement, the gravity of the unemployment situation. We need the census to know the facts.³”

Enumerators were instructed to complete an unemployment schedule for every person responding “No” in column 25 of the general population schedule. The “unemployed” were grouped into two classes—those having a job but temporarily laid-off on account of a lack of orders, weather, sickness, etc.; and those who were unemployed but want to work.

The unemployment census provided data concerning the number of men and women unemployed the average age of the unemployed, how many of the unemployed were married and single, how long they had been out of work, and the leading reasons for unemployment in the United States. Data were made available for the Nation, individual segments of the population (i.e., by age, race, marital status, etc.), and for the foreign-born and native populations.

¹ Approximately 125,000,000 punch cards were used to tabulate the data for the population. Fifteen or more cards were required for each farm, thus, the census of agriculture comprised an additional 150,000,000 cards.

² William L. Austin, “Bureau of the Census,” reprinted from, The United States Department of Commerce—How it Serves You on Land, And Sea, And in The Air. Pp.4-5.

³ Undated memorandum, “The Census of Unemployment.” Pp. 3-4

1930 Census Information

Population
Vol. 1. Number and distribution of inhabitants. Total population for states, counties, and townships or other minor civil divisions; for urban and rural areas; and for cities and other incorporated places. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1931. iv, 1268 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 208.2 MB]

Vol. 2. General report. Statistics by subjects. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vi, 1407 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 276.3 MB]

Vol. 3. Reports by states, showing the composition and characteristics of the population for counties, cities, and townships or other minor civil divisions. 2 parts:
Part 1. Alabama-Missouri. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vii, 1389 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 328.8 MB]
Part 2. Montana-Wyoming. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. iii, 1395 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 302 MB]

Vol. 4. Occupations, by states. Reports by states, giving statistics for cities of 25,000 or more. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vii, 1796 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 400.8 MB]

Vol. 5. General report on occupations. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. iv, 591 * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 94.4 MB]

Vol. 6. Families. Reports by states, giving statistics for families and dwellings by counties, for urban and rural areas and for urban places of 2,600 or more. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vii, 1495 p., * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 283.3 MB]

Vol. 6 (Supplement) Special report on foreign-born white families by country of birth of head with an appendix giving statistics for Mexican, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese families. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. 217 p., * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 32.7 MB]

Metropolitan Districts
Metropolitan districts. Population and area. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. 253 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 32.7 MB]

Unemployment
Vol. 1. Unemployment returns by classes for states and counties, for urban and rural areas, and for cities with a population of 10,000 or more. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1931. v, 1112 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 300.0 MB]

Vol. 2. General report. Unemployment by occupation, April, 1930, with returns from the special census of unemployment, January, 1931. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vi, 618 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 59.5 MB]

Agriculture
Vol. 1. Farm acreage and farm values by townships or other minor civil divisions. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1931. iv, 706 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 185.9 MB]

Vol. 2. Reports by states, with statistics for counties and a summary for the United States. (3 parts)
Part 1: The Northern states. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. viii, 1385 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 272.2 MB]
Part 2: The Southern states. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. viii, 1609 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 301.1 MB]
Part 3: The Western states. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. viii, 585 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 114.5 MB]

Vol. 3. Type of farm. Reports by states, with statistics for counties and a summary for the United States.
Part 1: The Northern states. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vii, 1071 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 206 MB]
Part 2: The Southern states. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vi, 1125 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 201.2 MB]
Part 3: The Western states. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vi, 427 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 80.2 MB]

Vol. 4. General report. Statistics by subjects. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 205.2 MB]

Horticulture. Statistics for the United States and for States, 1929 and 1930. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. 153 pp. (unavailable)

Irrigation and Drainage
Vol. 1. Irrigation of agricultural lands. General reports, analytical tables, reports by states with statistics for counties, and a summary for the United States. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vi, 483 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 80.4 MB]

Vol. 2 Drainage of agricultural lands. Reports by states with statistics for counties, a summary for the United States, and a synopsis of drainage laws. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. vii, 453 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 82.4 MB]

Manufactures
Vol. 1. General report. Statistics by subjects. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vi, 345 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 62.7 MB]

Vol. 2. Reports by industries. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. xi, 1417 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 237.2 MB]

Vol. 3. Reports by states. Statistics for industrial areas, counties, and cities. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. xviii, 593 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 101.8 MB]

Mines and Quarries
Mines and quarries: 1929. General report and reports for states and for industries. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vi, 413 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 60.7 MB]

Distribution
Vol. 1. Retail distribution. (3 parts)
Part 1: Summary for the United States, and statistics for counties and incorporated places of 1,000 population and over. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. 988 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 231.8 MB]
Part 2: Reports by states. Alabama-New Hampshire. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1934, x, 1617 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 290.9 MB]
Part 3: Reports by states. New Jersey-Wyoming. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1934. x, 1478 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 274.3 MB]

Vol. 2. Wholesale distribution. State reports with statistics for cities and a summary for the United States including county statistics. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vii, 1611 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 275.5 MB]

Construction industry. Reports by states with statistics for counties and cities of 100,000 population and over, a summary for United States, and a study of the location and agencies of the construction industry. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. viii, 1362 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 243.1 MB]

Territories and Possessions
Outlying territories and possessions. Number and distribution of inhabitants, composition and characteristics of the population, occupations, unemployment, and agriculture. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1932. iv, 338 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 53.3 MB]

Special or Miscellaneous Reports

Population
Age of the foreign-born white population by country of birth. 1933. 77p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 13.6 MB]

The Indian population of the United States and Alaska. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1937. vi, 238 p. (unavailable)

Agriculture
Agriculture. Chickens and chicken eggs and turkeys, ducks, and geese raised on farms. Chickens and poultry products, with selected items by size of flock, for the United States, and counties, 1930 and 1929. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. vi, 563 p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 158.6 MB]

Census of Agriculture. Farm real-estate values in the New England States, 1850-1930. 18933. 123p. (unavailable)

Census of Agriculture. Large-scale farming in the United States, 1929. 1933. 106p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 9.0 MB]

Census of Agriculture. The Negro Farmer in the United States. 193_. 84p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 12.4 MB]

Census of Agriculture. Taxes on farm property in the United States. 1933. 120p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 13.7 MB]

Census of Agriculture. Types of farming in the United States. 1933. 225p and2 maps. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 27.8 MB]

Manufactures
Location of manufactures, 1899-1929. A study of the tendencies toward concentration and toward dispersion of manufactures in the United States. 1933. 67p. (unavailable)

Materials used in manufactures: 1929. 1933. 58p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 16.1 MB]

Distribution
Census of Distribution. Agricultural commodity series. 1932-1934.
The assembling of agricultural commodities by retailers. 1933. 155p * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 40.3 MB]
Assembling of butterfat through cream stations. 1932. 36p. (unavailable)
Cooperatives as a factor in the distribution of agricultural commodities. 1934. 65p. (unavailable)
Distribution of butter, cheese, evaporated and condensed mil, and ice cream. 1933. 102p. (unavailable)
Distribution of grain. 1934. 45p. (unavailable)
Distribution of livestock. 1933. 49p. (unavailable)

Census of Distribution. Products of manufacturing industries, 1929. 160p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 22.1 MB]

Census of Distribution. Retail distribution. Retail chains. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1933. 270 p. (unavailable)

Census of Distribution. Retail distribution. Special series. Employment and wages in the retail industry, 1933. 45p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 4.2 MB]

Census of Distribution: 1930. Wholesale distribution. Definitions and classification. 1931. 32p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 3.1 MB]

Census of Distribution. Wholesale Distribution. Special series. Multiple types of wholesaling;...establishments engaged in two or more types of wholesaling. 1933. 44p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 4.6 MB]

Census of Distribution. Wholesale distribution (Trade series) 1932-33. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 31.5 MB]
Groceries and food specialties 95p.
Motion picture films. 26p.
Radio sets, parts and accessories, 30p.
Wholesale electrical trade.68p
Wholesale hardware trade. 55p.
Wholesale trade in paints and varnishes. 33p.

Census of Distribution. Small City and rural trade series., Analyzing the small city and rural market area. 1933. 126p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 20.2 MB]

Distribution of sales manufacturing plants. 1932. 96p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 11.8 MB]

General Reports

Census of Manufactures: 1929. Industry classifications. 1930. 71p. (On cover: Industry classifications for the Census of Manufactures, 1929). * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 4.1 MB]

Families in the United States by type and size: 1930. May 17, 1940. 16p. * - Full Document [PDF, 2.5 MB]

Types of families in the United States by number of gainful workers: 1930. July 19, 1940. 11p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 1.8 MB]

Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930. Alphabetical index of occupations. 1930. 527p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 68.6 MB]

Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930. Classified index of occupations. 1930. 205p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 24.7 MB]

Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930. Plan of publication of census. [1931] 4p. (unavailable)

Index of data tabulated from the 1930 Census of population including unemployment. 1940. 47p. (unavailable)

A socio-economic grouping of gainful workers in cities of 500,000 or more: 1930. [1938] 14p. (Supplement to “Index of data tabulated… “) * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 2.1 MB]

A socio-economic grouping of gainful workers of the United States. Gainful workers of 1930 in socio-economic groups by color, nativity, age, and sex, and by industry, with comparative statistics for 1920 and 1910. 18938. 246p. (unavailable)

1930 Census. Description of bound reports containing final figures: Population, unemployment, agriculture, irrigation, drainage, manufactures, mines and quarries, distribution, outline of publication plans. 9131. 21p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 1.5 MB]

Abstract of the Fifteenth Census of the United States. 1933. 968p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 189.3 MB]

Bulletins - Population
First series … Number and distribution of inhabitants. 1930. 53 pamphlets. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 1.5 MB]

First series. United States summary. Total population for States and counties, for urban and rural areas, and for incorporated places of 1,000 and over. 1931. 81p. * - PDF, Full Document [ZIP, 10.7 MB]

Second series. Composition and characteristics of the population. 1930-1932. 51 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Second series. United States summary. Composition and characteristics of the population. 1931. 79p. (unavailable)

Delaware., Detailed age classification, mother tongue, State of birth, etc. 1931. 28p. (unavailable)

Occupation Statistics. Abstract Summary for the United States. 1932. 20p. * - Title Page [PDF], ZIP [4.9 MB]

Families. United States Summary. 1933. 83p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 1.5 MB]

Bulletins - Unemployment
Unemployment returns by classes. 1930-1931. 49 pamphlets (unavailable)

United States summary. Unemployment returns by classes. 1931. 84p. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Agriculture
Number farms, farm acreage, and values of farm land and buildings, farm buildings, farmers’ dwellings and farm implements and machinery by minor civil divisions. 1930-1931. 48 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Statistics by counties. First series. Farms, acreage, values and selected livestock and crops. 1930-1931. 49 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Statistics by counties. Second series. Selected crops and livestock, mortgages, taxes, etc. 1931. 48 pamphlets. (unavailable)

General Statistics. Summary for the United States, 1929 and 1930. 1932. 111p. (unavailable)

Statistics by counties. Third series. Type of Farm.. 1931-1932. 48 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Type of Farm. Summary for the United States, 1929-1920. 1932. 64p. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Irrigation and Drainage
Irrigation of agricultural lands… Statistics for State and counties. 1931-1932. 19 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Irrigation. Summary for the United States, 1929 and 1930. 1932. 22p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 6.5 MB]

Drainage of agriculture lands. Statistics for State and counties. 1931-1932. 35 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Drainage . Summary for the United Sttes, 1929 and 1930. 1932. 32p. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Manufactures
Manufactures: 1929. Consumption of fuel and electric energy in manufacturing industries. 1931. 32p. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Mines and Quarries
Census of mines and quarries: 1929…[Industry series]. 1932-33 6. pamphlets. (unavailable)
Coal. 1933. 35p.
Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. 1933. 25p.
Iron ore. 1932. 15p.
Phosphate rock, gypsum, clay, miscellaneous mineral industries. 1933. 21p.
Sand and gravel. 1932. 16p.
Stone. 1933. 43p.

Bulletins - Distribution, Retail
Census of Distribution. Retail distribution. State series… 1932-1933. 49 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Retail - Retail distribution. Summary for the United States. 1933. 179p. (unavailable)

Retail - Census of Distribution. Retail distribution. How to use commodity sales data in State reports and the significance of such data. 1932. 13p. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Distribution, Wholesale
Census of Distribution. Wholesale Distribution. State series… 1932-1933. 49 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Wholesale distribution. Summary for the United States. 137p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 37 MB]

Bulletins - Distribution, Construction
Construction Industry. State series… 1931-1933. 49 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Construction Industry. Summary for the United States. 180p. * - Title Page [PDF], Full Document [ZIP, 35 MB]

Construction Industry. An analysis of the construction industry of the United States. 1932. 8p. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Distribution, Hotels
Census of Distribution. Hotels. 1931. 49 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Bulletins - Distribution, Territories and Possessions
Agriculture… Number of Farms, acreage, tenure, value, mortgage debt, and livestock. 1931-32. 2 pamphlets. (unavailable)

Bulletin - Population - Agriculture
Composition and characteristics of the population, number of farms, acreage, tenure, value, production, and livestock. * - Title Page [PDF], ZIP [11 MB]
Alaska. 24p
American Samoa. 12p.
Guam. 13p.
Virgin Islands. 26p.

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CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING 1930 Census

1930 Census Information

Special or Miscellaneous Reports

General Reports

CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING
1930 Census