1. THE 1940 CENSUS
Tips and Tricks for Accessing
Erin Apostolos
Meredith Public Library
April 3, 2012

2. About the Census
 Information on Census is as of April 1, 1940. If
a family moved or a child was born after this
date, that information is not recorded.
Anything after that date will not be in the
Census.
 There are thirty-four question; 5% of the
population answered five additional
questions.
 Not yet indexed

3. About the Census
 If someone wasn’t home, the Census taker would
come back. Those people are at the end of the
list.
 People living in hotels and trailer camps are on a
separate pages, taken April 8 and 9.
 Government wanted to know about internal
migration: asked where they lived in 1935.
 Wanted to know if New Deal programs were
working; asked questions related to that.
 Learn more:
http://1940census.archives.gov/about/

4. Types of Questions Asked
 Address, Names and relationships to Head of
Household, Sex, Race, Age at last birthday,
marital status, attended school last year,
place born, citizenship, Residence info,
Employment info, Occupation, Industry,
salary
 Two people on each census page were asked:
place of birth, language spoken in childhood,
Veteran status, Social Security info, marriage
and children info

5. Getting Started
 The 1940 Census is not yet indexed so you will
need to figure out residency of those you’re
searching for.
 List all relatives you want to find in the
Census
 Pinpoint their Residence
 Figure out their Enumeration District

6. How to Pinpoint a Residence
 Use City Directories-many are available on
Ancestry.com, Cyndi’s List
http://www.cyndislist.com/directories/us/,
NEHGS, libraries.
 Use the 1930 Census to find an address; may
be living in same place.

7. Figuring out the ED
 In order to find your relatives, you will have to
know their Enumeration District (a
geographic area assigned to a Census taker.)
 Use stevemorse.org/census/unified.html
 The more you can narrow down the
neighborhood, the fewer images you will
have to search.

8. Steve Morse’s Site
Click on “See
Map” to figure
out the cross
streets.

9. Keep Narrowing to one ED
Add Cross and
back streets
until you see
one ED.

10. Jot down the ED
 Jot down the ED’s next to each person or
family that you are looking for. In my
example, I am looking for 15-15. Eventually
Steve Morse’s site will take you to that ED in
the 1940 Census, but at 10:30 this morning, it
wasn’t. It will take you to the ED description
and the streets in that 1940 ED.

11. Go to Archives.org
 http://1940census.archives.gov/
 Currently, it is quite bogged down; be patient
 Click on “Get Started” at bottom

12. Input Enumeration District
State and ED.
Click on
“View it”
Alternatively
enter ED for
1930 Census

13. Click on “Census Schedules”

14. Click on Image
Choose “Quick View”, Full Screen or
Download. Choose “Full Screen” for
optimal browsing.

15. Other 1940 Site Options
 Ancestry.com-Will eventually have them all.
As of this morning: American Samoa,
Delaware, DC, Guam, Indiana, Maine,
Nevada, Panama Canal Zone, Virgin Islands
Check Here:
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?d
bid=2442

16. Other 1940 Site Options
 Family Search-Will eventually have them all.
Working with volunteers to index it. As of this
morning: Colorado, Delaware, Kansas,
Oregon, Virginia.
 Check here:
https://www.familysearch.org/1940census/

17. Other 1940 Site Options
 Myheritage.com-As of this morning:
California, Illinois , Massachusetts , Maine ,
Michigan , New Jersey , New York , Nevada ,
Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , Texas , Virginia
 http://www.myheritage.com/research/collecti
on-10052/1940-united-states-federal-census-
images

18. Myheritage.com Search

19. Myheritage.com Result

20. I Found my Mom!
Erin’s Mom-Age 3

21. Help Out Indexing
 You can volunteer to help index the 1940
Census, which will remain freely available to
the public.
 https://the1940census.com/getting-started/

22. More on the 1940 Census
 Compact Guide to the Census
http://www.germanroots.com/1940-census-
records.html
 1940 Enumerator Form
http://usa.ipums.org/usa/voliii/form1940.shtml
 1940 Enumerator Instructions
http://usa.ipums.org/usa/voliii/inst1940.shtml
 1940 Census Video Tutorial
http://www.familytreeuniversity.com/free-1940-
census-genealogy-video-class

23. Uncle Sam Yourself
Be patient and
relax. Everyone
and their Great-
Uncle is trying to
access the 1940
Census. Try
“Uncle
Samming”
yourself if it’s too
busy.
http://www.census.gov/1940census/sam/