1930 U.S.
Census Research
The 1930 Federal Census was released on
April 1, 2002. We have all been waiting for this incredible
source for genealogical research. Unfortunately, very little
of the census is indexed. There is only soundex index for
these states:
Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
|
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
|
--Partial
Soundex for: Kentucky and West Virginia
Most of us will need
to find the address of the families we are searching and
then find the Enumeration District (E.D.) to view the proper
film. This will require at least a four step process:
Step 1: Use Available
Indices. If your ancestor lived in a Soundexed area: go
directly there (huh! How many of our relatives lived in
the Ozarks?).
Step 2: Locate the 1930 Address. There are many sources. See links below.
Step 3: Identify Enumeration District. Using the address
you find, using maps to find the E.D.
Step 4: -Search the Census Schedules. You must go to the
appropriate county; go to correct E.D.; For smaller communities
search line by line of 1930 E.D. For larger communities,
search the left-hand margin of the 1930 census for street address.
0
Census extraction
forms are doubly valuable: Not only do they allow researchers
to see the format and column headings for various census
years (especially if the schedules themselves are hard to
read), they also provide a clean and convenient method for
extracting and filing important information you find.
1930
Census Extraction Form (pdf)
Download
Form Now>>
The
National Archives Website for the 1930 Census
1930
Census Tutorial
Nifty
Database Tool for Finding Your E.D. (larger cities)
Questions Asked on the 1930
Census
The 1930 census asked 32 questions about each
person:
Place of Abode
1. Street, avenue, road, etc.
2. House number (in cities or towns)
3. Number of dwelling house in order of visitation
[this number supplied by census taker].
4. Number of family in order of visitation
[this number supplied by census taker].
Name
5. Name of each person whose place of abode
on April 1, 1930, was in this family.Relation
6. Relationship of this person to the head
of the family.
Home Data
7. Home owned or rented.
8. Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental,
if rented.
9. Radio set.
10. Does this family live on a farm?
Personal Description
11. Sex.
12. Color or race
[White (W), Negro (Neg), Mexican (Mex),Indian (In), Chinese
(Ch), Japanese (Jp),Filipino (Fil), Hindu (Hin), Korean
(Kor),other races spelled out in full.]
13. Age at last birthday.
14. Marital condition.
[Single (S), married (M), widowed (Wd), divorced (D).]
15. Age at first marriage.
Education
16. Attended school or college any time since
Sept. 1, 1929.
17. Whether able to read and write.
Place of birth
18. Place of birth--PERSON.
19. Place of birth--FATHER.
20. Place of birth--MOTHER.
Mother Tongue (or Native Language) of Foreign Born
21. Language spoken in home before coming
to the United States.
Here follows 3 columns of "CODE (For office use only.
Do not write in these columns)" relating to "State
or M.T. [mother tongue]," "Country," and
"Nativity." These codes were entered to assist
in statistical tabulation and do not provide any information
beyond that found in columns 18-21.
Citizenship, etc.
22. Year of immigration to the United States.
23. Naturalization.
24. Whether able to speak English.
Occupation & Industry
25. Trade, profession, or particular kind
of work done, as spinner, salesman,
riveter, teacher, etc.
26. Industry or business, as cotton mill,
dry-goods store, shipyard, public school, etc.
27. Class of worker.
Employment
28. Whether actually at work yesterday
(or the last regular working day)--Yes or No
29. If not, line number on Unemployment Schedule.
[Note: Unemployment schedules no longer exist.]
Veterans
30. Whether a veteran of U.S. military
or naval force--Yes or No.
31. What war or expedition?
[World War (WW), Spanish-American War (Sp),
Civil War (Civ), Philippine Insurrection (Phil),
Boxer Rebellion (Box), Mexican Expedition (Mex)].
Farm Schedule
32. Number of farm schedule.