A 1940 census enumerator collecting information
The United States Census has been conducted every ten years since 1790. Aggregate statistical data from each census are promptly released to the public. However, details – such as names and addresses – are kept strictly confidential for 72 years.
On April 2, 2012, the National Archives and Records Administration released the 1940 census to the public. Digital images of the census can be accessed at the Official 1940 Census Website: http://1940census.archives.gov/
Conducted during a critical period in American history, amid the backdrop of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and the New Deal, and on the verge of World War II, the 1940 census will prove invaluable to historians, genealogists and others.
Learn more about the 1940 Census by watching this short, entertaining video from the National Archives.