1930 United States Census (Fifteenth Decennial Census)

The 1930 United States Census, the fifteenth decennial count, recorded 122,775,046 people and a 13.7% increase since 1920; it provided demographic data for policy, representation, and research.

Overview

The Fifteenth United States Census was taken by the Census Bureau in April 1930. Often referred to simply as the 1930 Census, it enumerated the population of the United States and provided a snapshot of the nation at the start of the Great Depression era. The census reported a total population of 122,775,046, an increase of 13.7 percent over the 1920 Census.

Scope and questions

As with other decennial counts, the 1930 Census sought basic demographic, social and economic information. Enumerators collected data on residence, age, sex, race, marital status, birthplace, and employment or occupation. That information was used to produce population totals, distribution maps, and statistics for urban and rural areas as well as states and counties.

Key results

Total population: 122,775,046.
Decadal growth: approximately 13.7% increase since 1920.
Continued urbanization: more Americans lived in cities than in earlier decades, reflecting ongoing shifts in work and settlement.

Historical context and significance

Taken in April 1930, the census came months after the 1929 stock market crash and at the start of economic upheaval. While it records conditions just after those events began, it is chiefly valuable for tracking longer-term trends such as migration, urban growth, and demographic change during the 1920s. It also played a direct role in apportioning seats in the House of Representatives.

Uses, access and notable facts

Researchers, planners and genealogists rely on the 1930 Census for family history and historical demography. Under the long-established 72‑year privacy rule, individual census records become publicly available decades after collection; the 1930 returns were released for public research in the early 2000s. The printed summaries and tabulations from 1930 remain a standard reference for scholars studying interwar America.