1930 Census Records Opening in April

John W. Carlin
John W. Carlin

On 1 April 2002, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will offer its newest set of open records'the 1930 population census. At the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., and at NARA's thirteen regional facilities, researchers will be able to scroll through 2,657 rolls of census schedules to fill in a family history or provide a clue for further investigation. Because privacy issues necessitate the closing of population census records for seventy-two years, this is the first time that personal data from the 1930 census has been made available to the public. While the first census in 1790 only counted the number of members of a household, by 1930 the schedule had expanded to thirty-two questions, providing valuable information about individuals and the society in which they lived.

Census-takers, for example, knocked on doors just five months after the stock market crash of 29 October 1929, asking whether members of a household had worked the day before. Another question hints at the arrival of modern technology by asking if the home had a "radio set." Commercial radio broadcasting was in its infancy at the time of the 1920 census, but by 1930, home radios were common. Census questions also reflect a shift in education levels in the 1920s. Whereas previous census data had simply asked whether a person had attended school, the 1930 form asked if they had "attended school or college," reflecting increasing aspirations to higher education.

Searching the 1930 information may require a bit more tenacity than with previous census records. Like the records of 1880 through 1920, the 1930 census is arranged by year, state, county, city or township, and enumeration district. Unlike the 1920 census which has Soundex indexes for each state, however, the 1930 schedules only have indexes for twelve southern states, and two of these are not complete. There are Soundex indexes for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and a few counties in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Because so few Soundex indexes exists, researchers will need to know the enumeration district where their research subject lived. There are two ways to look for an enumeration district:

  • Descriptions of Census Enumeration Districts, 1830--1950 (National Archives Microfilm Publication T1224, rolls 61-90) reproduces the descriptions of the 120,105 enumeration districts for the 1930 census. They are arranged by state, county, and by minor civil division such as cities, towns, villages, precincts, and townships.
  • Enumeration District Maps for the Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930 (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1930, 36 rolls) reproduces the enumeration district maps for the 1930 census on 35mm color microfilm.
  • NARA has also developed an online database that will help researchers determine which roll(s) of microfilm they should consult to locate specific records. The "1930 Census Microfilm Locator," contains information about the contents of each microfilm roll, including descriptions of enumeration districts, and will be available online at <http://www.1930census.archives.gov>.
  • Additionally, NARA has purchased microfilmed copies of many city directories for 1929 to 1930 to help researchers locate residences. A complete list of these cities is available at <http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/citydirs.html>. The directories are also available at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., and in the regional archives.

The opening of the 1930 census is a big event at NARA and I know it is eagerly anticipated by family researchers all across the country. Through census data we can not only trace individuals, but also see how these individuals shaped the population of the communities, cities, and states across America. I invite you to come scroll through the names of the people who made up our country in 1930 and see for yourself what their lives were like. If you are searching for a specific name, NARA staff will be happy to help.