Facts by Decade

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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.

1970
  • 2020
  • 2010
  • 2000
  • 1990
  • 1980
  • 1970
  • 1960
  • 1950
  • 1940
  • 1930
  • 1920
  • 1910
  • 1900
  • 1890
  • 1880
  • 1870
  • 1860
  • 1850
  • 1840
  • 1830
  • 1820
  • 1810
  • 1800
  • 1790

1970

ICONS: Watergate, Oil Embargo, Mars

Population

203,302,031 U.S. Resident Population
57.5
 Population per square mile of land area
13.4
 Percent increase of population from 1960 to 1970
50
 Number of States

10 Largest Urban Places

Rank
 Place
 Population
1
 New York City, NY 7,894,862
2
 Chicago, IL 3,366,957
3
 Los Angeles, CA 2,816,061
4
 Philadelphia, PA 1,948,609
5
 Detroit, MI 1,511,482
6
 Houston, TX 1,232,802
7
 Baltimore, MD 905,759
8
 Dallas, TX 844,401
9
 Washington, DC 756,510
10
 Cleveland, OH 750,903

The 1970 Census

Cost $247,653,000
Cost per Capita (cents) 121.8
Total Pages in Published Reports 200,000
Number of Enumerators 166,406
Census Bureau Director George Hay Brown
Number of Questions on the Questionnaire N/A
Number of Questions on the Long Form N/A

Pop Culture

  • The Ohio National Guard opens fire on protesters at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine on May 4, 1970.
  • The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries announces an embargo on oil exports to the United States on October 15, 1973.
  • Construction is completed on the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) in Chicago, IL, in 1973, and it becomes the tallest building in the world until surpassed by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1998.
  • President Richard M. Nixon resigns from office on August 8, 1974.
  • The last Americans (10 U.S. Marines) depart Vietnam on April 30, 1975.
  • Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels, a novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, wins the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975.
  • NASA's Viking 1 lands on Mars on July 20, 1976.
  • The miniseries Roots airs from January 23 to January 30, 1977. The series would earn 36 Emmy nominations and win 9.
  • The 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical is awarded to "Ain't Misbehavin'."
  • The Bee Gees dominate the music charts with hits songs, including "Night Fever," "Stayin' Alive," and "How Deep Is Your Love."
Page Last Revised - October 31, 2023