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Decennial Population and Housing Censuses Guide

1970 Census Reports


NCSU Libraries Guide to Census Data Resources - Provides links to online and other electronic data sources.
US Census Bureau 1970 Documents as PDFs

Questionnaire, instructions, and table headers
* Questionnaire and brief Instructions to Enumerators - from Measuring America (Sept. 2002)
* Facsimiles of the Population Questions on the Questionnaire - from 1970 Census of Population (C3.223/9:1970/v.1/pt. (any pt.))
* Facsimiles of the Housing Questions on the Questionnaire - from 1970 Census of Population (C3.224/3:1970/v.1/pt.1)

1970 Census of Population, vol. 1, Characteristics of the Population, Part A, Number of Inhabitants, in 2 sections
U.S. Documents C3.223/10:1970/v. 1/pt. A/sec. -
* GEOGRAPHIES:  United States, Regions, Divisions, State (by urban, rural farm and rural non-farm residence), Counties, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs), Urbanized areas, County subdivisions, Incorporated places, and Unincomporated places
* CONTENTS:   Contains 46 tables for the United States summary section, including
  -   Population and Land area, 1790 to 1970, United States
  -   Population, 1790 to 1970, Urban and rural
  -   Population distribution, 1790 to 1970
  -   Area and Population per square mile, 1920 to 1970
  -   House of Representatives Apportionment, 1789 to 1970
  -   Population, 1920 to 1970, State ranks
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, Counties
  -   Rank and Population, 1790 to 1970, Cities 100,000+
  -   Population, 1950 to 1970, SMSAs
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, Economic subregions
* Contains 15 tables for each State plus Puerto Rico and Outlying Areas, including
  -   Population, earliest to 1970, State, urban/rural
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, by Size of place
  -   Population, 1920 to 1970, by Urban and rural residence
  -   Population, 1970, Inside and outside SMSAs
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, Incorporated and unincorporated places
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, Places, incorporated and unincorporated 1,000+
  -   Population, 1900 to 1970, Incorporated places 10,000+
  -   Population and Land area, 1960 to 1970, Counites
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, Urbanized areas
  -   Population, 1960 to 1970, SMSAs
  -   Population, 1970, Congressional districts

1970 Census of Population, vol. 1, Characteristics of the Population, Parts 1 - 54/58 in 54 pts.
U.S. Documents C3.223/9:1970/v. 1/pt. 1 - 54/58
* Has a U.S. Summary volume (in 2 parts), a volume of each State and Puerto Rico, and a combined volume for Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Canal Zone, and Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
* Table Finding Guide - U.S. Summary
* Each volume is organized into 4 sections: Number of Inhabitants, General Population Characteristics, General Social and Economic Characteristics, and Detailed Characteristics
* Table Finding Guide - States
* Presents data in 216 tables for each state and outlying area on:
  -   Age, Race
  -   Nativity and parentage, Place of birth, Country of birth or country of origin, Mother tongue, Citizenship, Year of immigration
  -   Residence in 1965, Year moved into present house
  -   School enrollment, Years of school completed
  -   Vocational training, Work disability, Veteran status
  -   Martial status, Marital history, Fertility
  -   Households, Group quarters, Inmates of institutions
  -   Families, Subfamilies, Unrelated individuals
  -   Labor force status, Employment status, Weeks worked in 1969
  -   Occupation, Industry, Class of worker, Activity 5 years ago
  -   Place of work, Means of transportation to work
  -   Income in 1969, Earnings in 1969, Poverty status in 1969

1970 Census of Population, vol. 2, Subject Reports, in 40 vols.
U.S. Documents C3.223/10:1970/v. 2/pts. -
* Comprised of Series PC(2) reports:
  -   National origin and language; Negro population; Persons of Spanish origin; Persons of Spanish surname; Puerto Ricans in the U.S.; American Indians; Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in the U.S.
  -   State of birth; Mobility for states and nation; Mobility for metropolitan areas; Lifetime and recent migration; Migration between state economic areas
  -   Women by number of children ever born; Fertility: childspacing and current fertility
  -   Family composition; Persons by family characteristics; Marital status; Age at first marriage; Persons in institutions and other group quarters
  -   School enrollment; Education attainment; Vocational training
  -   Employment status and work experience; Persons not employed; Persons with work disability; Journey to work; Veterans
  -   Occupational characteristics; Industrial characteristics; Occupation by industry; Government workers; Occupations and residence in 1965; Occupations of persons with high earnings
  -   Sources and structure of family income; Earnings by occupation and education; Income of the farm-related population
  -   Low-income population; Low-income areas in large cities
  -   Americans living abroad; State economic areas

1970 Census of Population and Housing, Census Tracts, in 241 reports
U.S. Documents C3.223/11:1970/pt. -
* For each covered SMSA, the report presents a series of 8 population and 5 housing tables
* Population
  -   General characteristics
  -   Social characteristics
  -   Labor Force characteristics
  -   Income characteristics
  -   General and social characteristics of the Negro population
  -   Economic characteristics of the Negro population
  -   General and social characteristics of persons of Puerto Rican birth or parentage
  -   Economic characteristics of persons of Puerto Rican birth or parantage
* Housing
  -   Occupancy, utilization and financial characteristics
  -   Structural, equipment, and financial characteristics
  -   Occupancy, utilization and financial characteristics of units with Negro head of household
  -   Structural, equipment, and financial characteristics of units with Negro head of household
  -   Characteristics of units with household head of Puerto Rican birth or parentage
* Tract maps are bound at the end of each report

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 1, Housing Characteristics for States, Cities, and Counties, in 54 parts
U.S. Documents C3.224/3:1970/v. 1/pt. -
* Reports issued for the Nation, for each State, and outlying areas: Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Canal Zone, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
* Table Finding Guide - U.S. Summary
* Table Finding Guide - States
* Each report is divided into two sections: General housing characteristics and Detailed housing characteristics
* Data is organized by these categories:
  -   Summary characteristics
  -   Total housing units
  -   Total population
  -   Occupancy characteristics
  -   Vacancy characteristics
  -   Utilization characteristics [rooms, number of persons, bedrooms]
  -   Plumbing characteristics
  -   Structural characteristics
  -   Equipment, fuel and appliances
  -   Financial characteristics

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 2, Metropolitan Housing Characteristics, in 248 reports
U.S. Documents C3.224/4:1970/pt. -
* Contains one summary report for United States and Regions, and 247 reports for SMSAs
* Table Finding Guide - SMSA
* Data is displayed for these categories:
  -   Value
  -   Gross rent
  -   Income in 1969
  -   Plumbing and facilities by persons per room
  -   Rooms
  -   Units in structure
  -   Household composition
  -   Persons
  -   Duration of vacancy
  -   Sales price asked and rent asked

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 3, Block Statistics, in 278 reports
U.S. Documents C3.224/5:1970/pt. -
* Covers 236 urbanized areas and 42 selected areas (smaller cities, counties, etc.)
* Each report has two tables, Characteristics of housing units and population
  -   for Places of 2,500+ inhabitants
  -   by Blocks
* Block maps are bound at the end of each report

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 4, Components of Inventory Change, in 16 reports
U.S. Documents C3.224/6:1970/pt. -
* Contains one United States summary report, and one for each of 15 SMSAs

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 5, Residential Finance
U.S. Documents C3.224/7:1970

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 6, Plumbing Facilities and Estimates of Dilapidated Housing
U.S. Documents C3.224/9:1970

1970 Census of Housing, vol. 7, Subject Reports, in 9 parts
U.S. Documents C3.224/10:1970/pt. -
* Contents:
  -   Housing characteristics by household composition
  -   Housing of senior citizens
  -   Space utilization of the housing inventory
  -   Structural characteristics of the housing inventory
  -   Mover households
  -   Mobile homes
  -   Geographic aspects of the housing inventory
  -   Cooperative and condominium housing
  -   Housing of selected racial groups

From the 1870 Census forward, the number of published volumes grew each decade.   A comprehensive list of all these volumes is beyond the scope of this guide that focuses on the volumes addressing population and housing topics.

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