Facts by Decade
Facts by Decade
Censuses are not conducted in a vacuum. They occur amidst internal and external crisis, shifts in cultural interests, and events that become "defining moments" for each generation. Census data reflect the growth of the population as well as the changing values and interests of the American people.
Fast Facts provides a portrait of the United States both statistically and culturally. In addition to census-related statistics, the innovations, events, and icons of each decade are highlighted. Each page illustrates the thought and culture of the population counted during each decade's census.
1940
ICONS: Mount Rushmore, World War II, Mach 1
Population
| 132,164,569 | U.S. Resident Population |
| 37.2 |
Population per square mile of land area |
| 7.3 |
Percent increase of population from 1930 to 1940 |
| 48 |
Number of States |
10 Largest Urban Places
| Rank |
Place |
Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
New York City, NY | 7,454,995 |
| 2 |
Chicago, IL | 3,396,808 |
| 3 |
Philadelphia, PA | 1,931,334 |
| 4 |
Detroit, MI | 1,623,452 |
| 5 |
Los Angeles, CA | 1,504,277 |
| 6 |
Cleveland, OH | 878,336 |
| 7 |
Baltimore, MD | 859,100 |
| 8 |
St. Louis, MO | 816,048 |
| 9 |
Boston, MA | 770,816 |
| 10 |
Pittsburgh, PA | 671,659 |
The 1940 Census
| Cost | $67,527,000 |
| Cost per Capita (cents) | 51.1 |
| Total Pages in Published Reports | 58,400 |
| Number of Enumerators | 123,069 |
| Census Bureau Director | William Lane Austin |
| Number of Questions on the Questionnaire | N/A |
| Number of Questions on the Long Form | N/A |
Pop Culture
- Marvel Comics introduces superhero Captain America in March 1941.
- After approximately 14 years, carving at Mount Rushmore concludes in October 1941.
- Diarist Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the "Achterhuis" on July 6, 1942, in Amsterdam.
- Walt Disney wins a 1943 Academy Award for his animated short film Der Fuehrer's Face.
- Band leader Alton Glenn Miller disappears while enroute to Paris, France, December 15, 1944.
- Department stores begin selling Tupperware® in 1946.
- Charles Yeager becomes the first man to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, flying the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1 at an altitude of 45,000 ft.
- NASCAR® holds its first modified stock car race in Daytona Beach, FL, in 1948.
- George Orwell publishes Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1949.
Page Last Revised - October 31, 2023