1940 Census released

[brickell]

And fun times were had by all... Looks like the rise of the Sunbelt.

http://www.census.gov/1940census/

On April 2, the National Archives and Records Administration will make individual records from the 1940 Census available to the public for the first time. We invite you to explore our site to see how America has changed since the 1940s. We use compelling links, infographics, and photos to compare the 1940 Census with corresponding information about the 2010 Census. Additionally, be sure to check out our Facts for Features to learn about some of the major innovations in development for the 2020 Census that will control costs and improve efficiency.

src: http://www.census.gov/1940census/194...visualization/

[brickell]

src: http://www.census.gov/1940census/then_and_now/

[MolsonExport]

^love statistical comparisons. Could read these all day.

[the urban politician]

Damn, rent at 30 bucks a month, that would rule! Of course, if I were making $956 per year that wouldn't be such a bargain.

At around $80 per month (pretax), a rent of $30 takes quite a chunk out of the paycheck

[LeftCoaster]

Using nominal figures is just useless.

Otherwise very cool side by side.

One weird thing, why is waste management services included in the same industry bubble as "professional, scientific, management and administrative services"?

[JivecitySTL]

Great stuff. It's cool to know that St. Louis was the largest city in the world BY FAR in 1940.

[brickell]

Top 20 counties for growth counties in the period 1930-1940

California	Los Angeles	26.1	577151
New York	Queens	20.2	218505
District Of Columbia	District Of Columbia	36.2	176222
Texas	Harris	47.2	169633
New York	Kings	5.4	137884
New York	Bronx	10.2	129453
Michigan	Wayne	6.7	126677
Florida	Miami-Dade	87.3	124784
New York	Nassau	34.2	103695
Illinois	Cook	2	81219
California	San Diego	38	79689
Texas	Dallas	22.4	72873
Missouri	St Louis	29.6	62637
Georgia	Fulton	17.2	57627
Hawaii	Honolulu	27	54809
Florida	Duval	35.1	54640
Maryland	Baltimore City	6.7	54226
New York	Westchester	10.1	52611
California	Kern	63.6	52554

[brickell]

And another infographic

[novawolverine]

Very interesting.

[ChiSoxRox]

The twenty largest cities in 1940, with areas (square miles) and densities, from the Census Bureau:

1 New York city, NY ...... 7,454,995......299.0...... 24,933
2 Chicago city, IL......... 3,396,808......206.7......16,434
3 Philadelphia city, PA.... 1,931,334......127.2......15,183
4 Detroit city, MI......... 1,623,452......137.9......11,773
5 Los Angeles city, CA..... 1,504,277 ......448.3......3,356
6 Cleveland city, OH....... 878,336 ......73.1......12,016
7 Baltimore city, MD....... 859,100......78.7...... 10,916
8 St. Louis city, MO....... 816,048 ......61.0 ......13,378
9 Boston city, MA.......... 770,816 ......46.1...... 16,721
10 Pittsburgh city, PA...... 671,659 ...... 52.1......12,892

11 Washington city, DC...... 663,091 ...... 61.4......10,800
12 San Francisco city, CA... 634,536......44.6......14,227
13 Milwaukee city, WI....... 587,472 ......43.4...... 13,536
14 Buffalo city, NY......... 575,901 ......39.4...... 14,617
15 New Orleans city, LA..... 494,537......199.4 ...... 2,480
16 Minneapolis city, MN..... 492,370 ......53.8...... 9,152
17 Cincinnati city, OH...... 455,610......72.4 ......6,293
18 Newark city, NJ.......... 429,760......23.6......18,210
19 Kansas City city, MO..... 399,178......58.6......6,812
20 Indianapolis city, IN.... 386,972......53.6 ......7,220

Of these twenty cities, six have larger populations in the city limits in 2010 (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Indianapolis).

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Dralcoffin

The twenty largest cities in 1940, with areas (square miles) and densities, from the Census Bureau:



Of these twenty cities, five have larger populations in the city limits in 2010 (New York, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Indianapolis).

Well, and of those, KC and Indy (and maybe Milwaukee, dunno) have massively expanded municipal boundaries.

[ChiSoxRox]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

Well, and of those, KC and Indy (and maybe Milwaukee, dunno) have massively expanded municipal boundaries.

Milwaukee does as well, with the city nearly doubling in size (50 to 91 square miles) in the 1950s as it annexed surrounding suburbs. LA in 1940 had a dense urban core but had vast rural areas within its boundaries (especially the San Fernando Valley), so of those twenty, New York City and San Francisco are the only ones that were built out by 1940, but has continued to densify.

[brickell]

Ancestry is running a free week of searches for the 1930 and 1940 census. You can actually see the forms that are filled out. Kind of neat. I was able to track down a couple of ancestors.

From 1930
My grandfather lived on Grant street in Wilkes-Barre. He was a coal miner and owned the house.
Another lived in Versaille, Pittsburgh. He was a car salesman.
and another on Beecher St in Pittsburgh. He was a steetcar motorman.

check it out here http://www.ancestry.com/1940-census

[Segun]

Originally Posted by Dralcoffin

Milwaukee does as well, with the city nearly doubling in size (50 to 91 square miles) in the 1950s as it annexed surrounding suburbs. LA in 1940 had a dense urban core but had vast rural areas within its boundaries (especially the San Fernando Valley), so of those twenty, New York City is the only one that was built out by 1940, but has continued to densify.

You're forgetting San Francisco.

[ChiSoxRox]

Originally Posted by Segun

You're forgetting San Francisco.

Whoops. Fixed.