Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
geography/united-states

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

1930 United States census

15th US national census


15th US national census

FieldValue
nameFifteenth census
of the United States
logoSeal of the United States Census Bureau.svg
logo_captionU.S. Census Bureau seal
image1930 census Norton Carr.jpg
image_captionPopulation schedule
countryUnited States
region_typestate
dateApril 1, 1930
population122,775,046
percent_change13.7%
most_populousNew York
12,588,066
least_populousNevada
91,058
previous_census1920 United States census
previous_year1920
next_census1940 United States census
next_year1940

of the United States

12,588,066 91,058 The 1930 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau one month from April 1, 1930, determined the resident population of the United States to be 122,775,046, an increase of 13.7 percent over the 106,021,537 persons enumerated during the 1920 census.

It was the first time the effects of suburban sprawl were recorded when, during the Roaring Twenties, a significant portion of the working population of New York City moved to New Jersey, aided by the George Washington Bridge which permitted quick transport from the state to Manhattan.

Census questions

The 1930 census collected the following information:

  • address
  • name
  • relationship to head of family
  • home owned or rented
    • if owned, value of home
    • if rented, monthly rent
  • whether owned a radio set
  • whether on a farm
  • sex
  • race
  • age
  • marital status and, if married, age at first marriage
  • school attendance
  • literacy
  • birthplace of person, and their parents
  • if foreign born:
    • language spoken at home before coming to the U. S.
    • year of immigration
    • whether naturalized
    • ability to speak English
  • occupation, industry and class of worker
  • whether at work previous day (or last regular work day)
  • veteran status
  • if Indian:
    • whether of full or mixed blood
    • tribal affiliation

Full documentation for the 1930 census, including census forms and enumerator instructions, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

Data availability

The original census enumeration sheets were microfilmed by the Census Bureau in 1949, after which the original sheets were destroyed. The microfilmed census is located on 2,667 rolls of microfilm, and available from the National Archives and Records Administration. Several organizations also host images of the microfilmed census online, and digital indices.

Microdata from the 1930 census are freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

State rankings

RankStatePopulation as of
1930 censusPopulation as of
1920 censusChangePercent
change
1New York12,588,06610,385,2272,202,83921.2%
2Pennsylvania9,631,3508,720,017911,33310.5%
3Illinois7,630,6546,485,2801,145,37417.7%
4Ohio6,646,6975,759,394887,30315.4%
5Texas5,824,7154,663,2281,161,48724.9%
6California5,677,2513,426,8612,250,39065.7%
7Michigan4,842,3253,668,4121,173,91332.0%
8Massachusetts4,249,6143,852,356397,25810.3%
9New Jersey4,041,3343,155,900885,43428.1%
10Missouri3,629,3673,404,055225,3126.6%
11Indiana3,238,5032,930,390308,11310.5%
12North Carolina3,170,2762,559,123611,15323.9%
13Wisconsin2,939,0062,632,067306,93911.7%
14Georgia (U.S. state)2,908,5062,895,83212,6740.4%
15Alabama2,646,2482,348,174298,07412.7%
16Tennessee2,616,5562,337,885278,67111.9%
17Kentucky2,614,5892,416,630197,9598.2%
18Minnesota2,563,9532,387,125176,8287.4%
19Iowa2,470,9392,404,02166,9182.8%
20Virginia2,421,8512,309,187112,6644.9%
21Oklahoma2,396,0402,028,283367,75718.1%
22Louisiana2,101,5931,798,509303,08416.9%
23Mississippi2,009,8211,790,618219,20312.2%
24Kansas1,880,9991,769,257111,7426.3%
25Arkansas1,854,4821,752,204102,2785.8%
26South Carolina1,738,7651,683,72455,0413.3%
27West Virginia1,729,2051,463,701265,50418.1%
28Maryland1,631,5261,449,661181,86512.5%
29Connecticut1,606,9031,380,631226,27216.4%
30Washington1,563,3961,356,621206,77515.2%
31Florida1,468,211968,470499,74151.6%
32Nebraska1,377,9631,296,37281,5916.3%
33Colorado1,035,791939,62996,16210.2%
34Oregon953,786783,389170,39721.8%
35Maine797,423768,01429,4093.8%
36South Dakota692,849636,54756,3028.8%
37Rhode Island687,497604,39783,10013.7%
38North Dakota680,845646,87233,9735.3%
39Montana537,606548,889-11,283-2.1%
40Utah507,847449,39658,45113.0%
District of Columbia486,869437,57149,29811.3%
41New Hampshire465,293443,08322,2105.0%
42Idaho445,032431,86613,1663.0%
43Arizona435,573334,162101,41130.3%
44New Mexico423,317360,35062,96717.5%
Hawaii368,300255,881112,41943.9%
45Vermont359,611352,4287,1832.0%
46Delaware238,380223,00315,3776.9%
47Wyoming225,565194,40231,16316.0%
48Nevada91,05877,40713,65117.6%
Alaska59,27855,0364,2427.7%

City rankings

RankCityStatetitle=Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990year=1998url=https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/1998/demo/POP-twps0027.htmlpublisher=U.S. Census Bureau }}Region (2016)
01New YorkNew York6,930,446Northeast
02ChicagoIllinois3,376,438Midwest
03PhiladelphiaPennsylvania1,950,961Northeast
04DetroitMichigan1,568,662Midwest
05Los AngelesCalifornia1,238,048West
06ClevelandOhio900,429Midwest
07St. LouisMissouri821,960Midwest
08BaltimoreMaryland804,874South
09BostonMassachusetts781,188Northeast
10PittsburghPennsylvania669,817Northeast
11San FranciscoCalifornia634,394West
12MilwaukeeWisconsin578,249Midwest
13BuffaloNew York573,076Northeast
14WashingtonDistrict of Columbia486,869South
15MinneapolisMinnesota464,356Midwest
16New OrleansLouisiana458,762South
17CincinnatiOhio451,160Midwest
18NewarkNew Jersey442,337Northeast
19Kansas CityMissouri399,746Midwest
20SeattleWashington365,583West
21IndianapolisIndiana364,161Midwest
22RochesterNew York328,132Northeast
23Jersey CityNew Jersey316,715Northeast
24LouisvilleKentucky307,745South
25PortlandOregon301,815West
26HoustonTexas292,352South
27ToledoOhio290,718Midwest
28ColumbusOhio290,564Midwest
29DenverColorado287,861West
30OaklandCalifornia284,063West
31Saint PaulMinnesota271,606Midwest
32AtlantaGeorgia270,366South
33DallasTexas260,475South
34BirminghamAlabama259,678South
35AkronOhio255,040Midwest
36MemphisTennessee253,143South
37ProvidenceRhode Island252,981Northeast
38San AntonioTexas231,542South
39OmahaNebraska214,006Midwest
40SyracuseNew York209,326Northeast
41DaytonOhio200,982Midwest
42WorcesterMassachusetts195,311Northeast
43Oklahoma CityOklahoma185,389South
44RichmondVirginia182,929South
45YoungstownOhio170,002Midwest
46Grand RapidsMichigan168,592Midwest
47HartfordConnecticut164,072Northeast
48Fort WorthTexas163,447South
49New HavenConnecticut162,655Northeast
50FlintMichigan156,492Midwest
51NashvilleTennessee153,866South
52SpringfieldMassachusetts149,900Northeast
53San DiegoCalifornia147,995West
54BridgeportConnecticut146,716Northeast
55ScrantonPennsylvania143,433Northeast
56Des MoinesIowa142,559Midwest
57Long BeachCalifornia142,032West
58TulsaOklahoma141,258South
59Salt Lake CityUtah140,267West
60PatersonNew Jersey138,513Northeast
61YonkersNew York134,646Northeast
62NorfolkVirginia129,710South
63JacksonvilleFlorida129,549South
64AlbanyNew York127,412Northeast
65TrentonNew Jersey123,356Northeast
66Kansas CityKansas121,857Midwest
67ChattanoogaTennessee119,798South
68CamdenNew Jersey118,700Northeast
69EriePennsylvania115,967Northeast
70SpokaneWashington115,514West
71Fall RiverMassachusetts115,274Northeast
72Fort WayneIndiana114,946Midwest
73ElizabethNew Jersey114,589Northeast
74CambridgeMassachusetts113,643Northeast
75New BedfordMassachusetts112,597Northeast
76ReadingPennsylvania111,171Northeast
77WichitaKansas111,110Midwest
78MiamiFlorida110,637South
79TacomaWashington106,817West
80WilmingtonDelaware106,597South
81KnoxvilleTennessee105,802South
82PeoriaIllinois104,969Midwest
83CantonOhio104,906Midwest
84South BendIndiana104,193Midwest
85SomervilleMassachusetts103,908Northeast
86El PasoTexas102,421South
87LynnMassachusetts102,320Northeast
88EvansvilleIndiana102,249Midwest
89UticaNew York101,740Northeast
90DuluthMinnesota101,463Midwest
91TampaFlorida101,161South
92GaryIndiana100,426Midwest
93LowellMassachusetts100,234Northeast
94WaterburyConnecticut99,902Northeast
95SchenectadyNew York95,692Northeast
96SacramentoCalifornia93,750West
97AllentownPennsylvania92,563Northeast
98BayonneNew Jersey88,979Northeast
99Wilkes-BarrePennsylvania86,626Northeast
100RockfordIllinois85,864Midwest

Locations of 50 most populous cities

Notes

References

  1. (October 1981). "Library Bibliography Bulletin 88, New York State Census Records, 1790–1925". [[New York State Library]].
  2. The United States National Archives and Records Administration. "FAQs about the 1930 Census". National Archives website.
  3. "1930 Census: Volume 1. Population, Number and Distribution of Inhabitants". United States Census Bureau.
  4. (1998). "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990". U.S. Census Bureau.
  5. "Regions and Divisions". U.S. Census Bureau.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 1930 United States census — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report