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Historical Census of Housing Tables: Plumbing

U.S. Census Bureau · 2000

Population measured

All occupied housing units in the United States (decennial census)

Read the original source ↗

Source notes & limitations

Complete plumbing = hot and cold piped water + flush toilet + bathtub/shower for exclusive use. Lacked complete plumbing (US row of plumbing-tab.txt, verified 2026-07-07): 1940 45.3%, 1950 35.5%, 1960 16.8%, 1970 6.9%, 1980 2.7%, 1990 1.1%. Exact data file: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/coh-plumbing/plumbing-tab.txt. The 1940 Census of Housing was the first to ask about plumbing.

Where this source appears

7 records across 7 decades and countries. Documented gaps are included; a source cited for a gap does not establish a value.

0 of 7 records have a current source audit. A transcription check reads a declared numeric field from a pinned local source file; a calculation replay reads its operands and applies the declared method and rounding rule. A source audit does not independently validate the source or every claim in a record. The date is the last successful local audit; the build checks that its bindings still match.

US · 1940s

54.7% of homes had complete plumbing (45.3% lacked)

% of occupied housing units with hot/cold water + flush toilet + bathtub

No current source audit

US · 1950s

64.5% of homes had complete plumbing (35.5% lacked)

% of occupied housing units with hot/cold water + flush toilet + bathtub

No current source audit

US · 1960s

83.2% of homes had complete plumbing (16.8% lacked)

% of occupied housing units with hot/cold water + flush toilet + bathtub

No current source audit

US · 1970s

US · 1980s

97.3% of homes had complete plumbing (2.7% lacked)

% of occupied housing units with hot/cold water + flush toilet + bathtub

No current source audit

US · 1990s

98.9% of homes had complete plumbing (1.1% lacked)

% of occupied housing units with hot/cold water + flush toilet + bathtub

No current source audit

US · 2000s