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Census Research Guide: 1920

About the 1920 Census

Census Bureau's "By Decade" website - includes a variety of publications, questionnaires, datasets, and more

Highlights

  • 14th decennial census
  • US population: 105,710,620
  • California population: 3,426,861
  • For the first time, the majority of Americans were living in urban areas.

Questions asked (see questionnaire)

Address; name; relationship to head of family; sex; race; age; marital status; year of immigration to U.S.; whether naturalized and year of naturalization; school attendance; literacy; place of birth of person and parents; mother tongue of foreign born; ability to speak English; occupation; industry, and class of worker. Supplemental schedules for the blind and for the deaf.

Finding Statistics

Social Explorer - remote access limited to UCSD affiliates

Finding Publications

Find all 1920 census publications in the library catalog.

Selected publications:

Vol I: Population. Number and Distribution of Inhabitants [C 3.14:920/1]

Vol II: Population. General Report [C 3.14:920/2]

Vol III: Population. Composition and Characteristics [ C 3.14:920/3]

Vol IV: Population. Occupations [ C 3.14:920/4]

Vol V: Agriculture. General Report [C 3.14:920/5]

Vol VI: Agriculture. Reports for States [C 3.14:920/6 pt.1-3]

Vol VII: Irrigation and Drainage. General Report and Analytical Tables [C 3.14:920/7]

Vol VIII: Manufactures. General Report [C 3.14:920/8]

Vol IX: Manufactures. Reports for States [C 3.14:920/9]

Vol X: Manufactures. Reports for Selected Industries [C 3.14:920/10]

Vol XI: Mines and Quarries. General Report [C 3.14:920/11]

Abstract [C 3.14:920/13]

Statistical atlas of the United States [C 3.14:920/16]

Increase of population n the United States 1910-1920 [C 3.14:920/14 no.1]

Mortgages on Homes [C 3.14:920/14 no.2]

The integration of industrial operation [C 3.14:920/14 no.3]

Farm tenancy in the United States [C 3.14:920/14 no.4]

School attendance in 1920 [C 3.14:920/14 no.5]

Farm population of the United States [C 3.14:920/14 no.6]

Immigrants and their children, 1920 [C 3.14:920/14 no.7]

The growth of manufactures, 1899 to 1923 [C 3.14:920/14 no.8]

Women in gainful occupations, 1870 to 1920 [C 3.14:920/14 no.9]

Earnings of Factory workers, 1899 to 1927 [C 3.14:920/14 no.10]

Ratio of children to women, 1920 [C 3.14:920/14 no.11]