vitrine · US · room 5 of 13
The 1940s room
The composite family. Each room is a statistical composite, assembled from separate distributions with separate sources. The family at the median income did not also have the median house, the median car, and the median diet. No single family described here ever existed; each fact tells you, in its provenance drawer, which real population it was measured from.
Curator's route · 4 sourced exhibits
Between prewar and postwar
Can one room honestly hold a decade split by mobilization and reconversion?
An editorial selection, not a synthetic family. Every stop opens the full specimen record.
era-graded wash · absent technology isn't drawn · every glyph opens its record
Docent tours stopping in this room: The work that moved
The complete room
All six ledgers, including the curator's route above and the records around it. Value, tier, measured population, and source on every line.
The home
5 exhibits43.6%A
Homeownership rate, 1940observed record
% of occupied dwelling units (owner-occupied)
Population measuredAll U.S. occupied housing units (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Homeownership Rate by State: 1900 to 2000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Bureau decennial time series (owner.pdf). The 1940 rate was the lowest of the century — the Great Depression had driven it down from 47.8% in 1930. By 1950 it would surge to 55.0% with postwar GI Bill financing and suburban expansion.
Source note: Time series of homeownership rates from 1900 to 2000 by state and nationally. 1950 national rate: 55.0%. 1940: 43.6%. 1960: 61.9%. Also see companion table: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/census-housing-tables/ownerchar.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Bureau decennial time series (owner.pdf). The 1940 rate was the lowest of the century — the Great Depression had driven it down from 47.8% in 1930. By 1950 it would surge to 55.0% with postwar GI Bill financing and suburban expansion.
Source note: Time series of homeownership rates from 1900 to 2000 by state and nationally. 1950 national rate: 55.0%. 1940: 43.6%. 1960: 61.9%. Also see companion table: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/census-housing-tables/ownerchar.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
$2,938A
Median value of owner-occupied single-family homes, 1940observed record
USD, nominal
Population measuredOwner-occupied housing units, median value (decennial census, nominal/unadjusted dollars), U.S. and by state
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Home Values (Unadjusted)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables (values-unadj.txt). National median value of owner-occupied homes. Adjusted for inflation: $30,600 in 2000 dollars. By 1950: $7,354 nominal — more than doubling as postwar construction and inflation reshaped the market.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables (values-unadj.txt). National median value of owner-occupied homes. Adjusted for inflation: $30,600 in 2000 dollars. By 1950: $7,354 nominal — more than doubling as postwar construction and inflation reshaped the market.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Computed affordability
≈ 2,600 hours of work
≈ 89.2% of annual income
Large ratio: inspect the wage population and anchor years in provenance before reading this as one household's timeline.
54.7% of homes had complete plumbing (45.3% lacked)A
Complete plumbing facilities, 1940observed record
% of occupied housing units with hot/cold water + flush toilet + bathtub
Population measuredAll occupied housing units in the United States (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Plumbing
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Plumbing (plumbing-tab.txt, US row: 15,852,098 of 35,026,442 occupied units lacking). Complete plumbing = hot and cold piped water + flush toilet + bathtub/shower for exclusive use. The 1940 Census of Housing was the first to ask about plumbing. 45.3% of American homes lacked complete plumbing — the worst point in the series. By 1950: 35.5% lacked (64.5% had). By 1960: 16.8% lacked (83.2% had). Rural areas were far worse: many farm homes still used outhouses and hand pumps. Figures verified against the Census time-series file 2026-07-07.
Source note: 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.
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Plumbing (plumbing-tab.txt, US row: 15,852,098 of 35,026,442 occupied units lacking). Complete plumbing = hot and cold piped water + flush toilet + bathtub/shower for exclusive use. The 1940 Census of Housing was the first to ask about plumbing. 45.3% of American homes lacked complete plumbing — the worst point in the series. By 1950: 35.5% lacked (64.5% had). By 1960: 16.8% lacked (83.2% had). Rural areas were far worse: many farm homes still used outhouses and hand pumps. Figures verified against the Census time-series file 2026-07-07.
Source note: 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.
Assumption: The composite family
Coal 55%, wood 23%, fuel oil/kerosene 10%, utility gas 11%, other 1%A
House heating fuel, 1940observed record
% of occupied housing units reporting heating fuel
Population measuredOccupied housing units reporting heating fuel (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1940 Census of Housing, Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel. Coal dominated American heating in 1940 — over half of all homes. Utility gas and bottled/LP gas were combined in 1940 (electricity was collected but not tabulated separately). By 1950, coal dropped to 35% as gas rose to 27%. Source: fuels1940.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Heating fuel data from 1940-1980 decennial census. Files: fuels1940.txt through fuels1980.txt at www2.census.gov. Coal dominated 1940 (55%), gas overtook by 1960 (43%), electricity rose from 0.7% (1950) to 18.4% (1980).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1940 Census of Housing, Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel. Coal dominated American heating in 1940 — over half of all homes. Utility gas and bottled/LP gas were combined in 1940 (electricity was collected but not tabulated separately). By 1950, coal dropped to 35% as gas rose to 27%. Source: fuels1940.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Heating fuel data from 1940-1980 decennial census. Files: fuels1940.txt through fuels1980.txt at www2.census.gov. Coal dominated 1940 (55%), gas overtook by 1960 (43%), electricity rose from 0.7% (1950) to 18.4% (1980).
$27/monthA
Median gross rent, 1940observed record
USD, nominal (median gross rent, specified renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent)
Population measuredAll specified renter-occupied housing units in the United States paying cash rent
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Gross Rents
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Gross Rents (grossrents-unadj.txt). National median gross rent for specified renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent. In 2000 dollars: $284/month (CPI-U-RS adjusted).
Source note: National and state median gross rent from the Census of Housing, 1940-2000. Files: grossrents-unadj.txt (nominal), grossrents-adj.txt (CPI-U-RS adjusted to 2000 dollars). Cross-verified against NHGIS national-level data (1980: $199 contract rent STF1, $243 gross rent STF4Hb; 1990: $447 FA4001 STF4b). URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: the registered direct-PDF link (www2.census.gov .../housing/grossrents.pdf) 404s; repointed at the table's landing page, which links the same files.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Gross Rents (grossrents-unadj.txt). National median gross rent for specified renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent. In 2000 dollars: $284/month (CPI-U-RS adjusted).
Source note: National and state median gross rent from the Census of Housing, 1940-2000. Files: grossrents-unadj.txt (nominal), grossrents-adj.txt (CPI-U-RS adjusted to 2000 dollars). Cross-verified against NHGIS national-level data (1980: $199 contract rent STF1, $243 gross rent STF4Hb; 1990: $447 FA4001 STF4b). URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: the registered direct-PDF link (www2.census.gov .../housing/grossrents.pdf) 404s; repointed at the table's landing page, which links the same files.
The budget
7 exhibits$3,031A
Median family income, all families, 1947observed record
USD per year, nominal
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8 (Table F-8, Size of Family--All Families by Median Income). All families: 37,240 thousand, median $3,031 ($35,010 in 2024 dollars). This is the first year of the CPS income series. By 1950: all-family median $3,319.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8 (Table F-8, Size of Family--All Families by Median Income). All families: 37,240 thousand, median $3,031 ($35,010 in 2024 dollars). This is the first year of the CPS income series. By 1950: all-family median $3,319.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$3,292A
Median family income, four-person families, 1947observed record
USD per year, nominal
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Annual figure
Curator note: From Census F-8. 4-person families: median $3,292 ($38,020 in 2024 dollars). By 1950: 4-person median $3,675. Average family size in 1947: 3.64 persons.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Getting to a family of four
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Annual figure
Curator note: From Census F-8. 4-person families: median $3,292 ($38,020 in 2024 dollars). By 1950: 4-person median $3,675. Average family size in 1947: 3.64 persons.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Getting to a family of four
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
37,240,000A
Number of families in the United States, 1947observed record
families
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. All families: 37,240 thousand in 1947, rising to 39,930 thousand by 1950.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. All families: 37,240 thousand in 1947, rising to 39,930 thousand by 1950.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
3.64A
Average family size, 1947observed record
persons per family
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. Declining from 3.64 in 1947 to 3.54 by 1950 as the postwar baby boom changed family composition.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. Declining from 3.64 in 1947 to 3.54 by 1950 as the postwar baby boom changed family composition.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
$1,389A
Median civilian money wages and salaries, primary families, 1939observed record
USD per year, nominal (wages and salaries only)
Population measuredUrban and rural-nonfarm families and individuals in private households (1946 CPS)
Source recordU.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census · 1947 · Tier A
Full record
Income of Nonfarm Families and Individuals: 1946
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1947 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From P-60 No. 1 (1947), reporting 1940 Census data. Median civilian money wages and salaries of primary families: $1,389 in 1939, rising to $2,697 by 1944 — nearly doubling during wartime. This is wages/salaries only, not total money income. The P-60 notes: 'The comparison of 1946, 1944, and 1939 income data is restricted to civilian money wages or salaries of primary families and individuals in private households because these were the family and income concepts used in the 1940 census.'
Source note: First P60 report. Median money income: $2,659 (1946), $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945). Civilian wages: $1,389 (1939) to $2,697 (1944). Scanned images — OCR'd via GLM-OCR. 11 pages.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1947 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From P-60 No. 1 (1947), reporting 1940 Census data. Median civilian money wages and salaries of primary families: $1,389 in 1939, rising to $2,697 by 1944 — nearly doubling during wartime. This is wages/salaries only, not total money income. The P-60 notes: 'The comparison of 1946, 1944, and 1939 income data is restricted to civilian money wages or salaries of primary families and individuals in private households because these were the family and income concepts used in the 1940 census.'
Source note: First P60 report. Median money income: $2,659 (1946), $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945). Civilian wages: $1,389 (1939) to $2,697 (1944). Scanned images — OCR'd via GLM-OCR. 11 pages.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
~$3,000A
Average income of nonfarm families, 1946observed record
USD per year, nominal (urban and rural-nonfarm families)
Population measuredUrban and rural-nonfarm families and individuals in private households (1946 CPS)
Source recordU.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census · 1947 · Tier A
Full record
Income of Nonfarm Families and Individuals: 1946
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1947 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From P-60 No. 1 (1947): 'The average income of nonfarm families in 1946 was about $3,000.' Median total money income of urban and rural-nonfarm families and individuals: $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945), $2,659 (1946). This predates the CPS F-8 series (begins 1947) and covers nonfarm families only.
Source note: First P60 report. Median money income: $2,659 (1946), $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945). Civilian wages: $1,389 (1939) to $2,697 (1944). Scanned images — OCR'd via GLM-OCR. 11 pages.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1947 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From P-60 No. 1 (1947): 'The average income of nonfarm families in 1946 was about $3,000.' Median total money income of urban and rural-nonfarm families and individuals: $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945), $2,659 (1946). This predates the CPS F-8 series (begins 1947) and covers nonfarm families only.
Source note: First P60 report. Median money income: $2,659 (1946), $2,410 (1944), $2,595 (1945). Civilian wages: $1,389 (1939) to $2,697 (1944). Scanned images — OCR'd via GLM-OCR. 11 pages.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
no reliable record accessible onlineD
Expenditure shares, 1940sdocumented gap
n/a
Population measuredConsumer units (households) in the civilian noninstitutionalized population
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · Tier D
Full record
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: No Consumer Expenditure Survey was conducted for the 1940s. The CEX series runs 1960-61, then continuously from 1980. BLS Bulletin 1055 (1952) covers retail food prices 1939-50 but not full expenditure shares. The wartime economy (price controls, rationing, victory gardens) makes expenditure patterns non-comparable to peacetime decades.
Source note: Continuous since 1980 (Interview + Diary surveys). Earlier surveys: 1960-61, 1972-73. Historical predecessors date to Commissioner of Labor surveys. FRASER has 1980-81 and 1982-83 reports. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: No Consumer Expenditure Survey was conducted for the 1940s. The CEX series runs 1960-61, then continuously from 1980. BLS Bulletin 1055 (1952) covers retail food prices 1939-50 but not full expenditure shares. The wartime economy (price controls, rationing, victory gardens) makes expenditure patterns non-comparable to peacetime decades.
Source note: Continuous since 1980 (Interview + Diary surveys). Earlier surveys: 1960-61, 1972-73. Historical predecessors date to Commissioner of Labor surveys. FRASER has 1980-81 and 1982-83 reports. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
The table
4 exhibits558.5 per 100,000A
Heart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1940observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, all causes)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death, 1900-2018
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS, Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death (data.cdc.gov 6rkc-nb2q). Heart disease was rising rapidly, on its way to a mid-century peak.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS, Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death (data.cdc.gov 6rkc-nb2q). Heart disease was rising rapidly, on its way to a mid-century peak.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
187.8 per 100,000A
Cancer age-adjusted death rate, 1940observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, all causes)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death, 1900-2018
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. Cancer was the 2nd leading cause of death. Smoking rates were rising, presaging the lung cancer epidemic.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. Cancer was the 2nd leading cause of death. Smoking rates were rising, presaging the lung cancer epidemic.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
no reliable record accessible onlineD
The food basket, 1940sdocumented gap
n/a
Population measured56 large U.S. cities (retail price survey)
Source recordU.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics · 1952 · Tier D
Full record
Retail Prices of Food, 1950: Including Historical Tables of Item Indexes, 1939-50
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1952 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: BLS Bulletin 1055 (1952) covers retail food prices 1939-50 but does not provide a household food basket comparable to the CEX-based baskets in other rooms. The wartime economy (rationing from 1942-46, price controls) makes 1940s food expenditure patterns fundamentally different from peacetime decades. A food basket for the 1940s would need to be reconstructed from the 1942 wartime consumption survey, which is not yet in our source collection.
Source note: Annual average retail prices for ~40 principal food items in 1950, by month and by city. Historical item indexes 1939-50. Text layer is machine-readable (extracted via pymupdf). Prices in cents per pound/quart/dozen.
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1952 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: BLS Bulletin 1055 (1952) covers retail food prices 1939-50 but does not provide a household food basket comparable to the CEX-based baskets in other rooms. The wartime economy (rationing from 1942-46, price controls) makes 1940s food expenditure patterns fundamentally different from peacetime decades. A food basket for the 1940s would need to be reconstructed from the 1942 wartime consumption survey, which is not yet in our source collection.
Source note: Annual average retail prices for ~40 principal food items in 1950, by month and by city. Historical item indexes 1939-50. Text layer is machine-readable (extracted via pymupdf). Prices in cents per pound/quart/dozen.
1,976 cigarettes per adult per yearA
Adult per capita cigarette consumption, 1940observed record
cigarettes per adult (≥18 years) per year
Population measuredU.S. adults ≥18 years (NHIS) and total U.S. cigarette consumption (USDA)
Source recordCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 1994 · Tier A
Full record
Surveillance for Selected Tobacco-Use Behaviors -- United States, 1900-1994
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1994 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3, Table 1. WWII drove massive increases — free cigarettes were distributed to soldiers. By 1945 consumption hit 3,449 per adult. Total U.S. consumption was 181.9 billion cigarettes in 1940.
Source note: MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3. Table 1: per capita cigarette consumption 1900-1994 from USDA Economic Research Service (based on BATF tax data, imports, Census population). Table 2: adult smoking prevalence 1965-1991 from NHIS. Per capita = cigarettes per adult ≥18 per year.
Assumption: The composite family
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1994 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3, Table 1. WWII drove massive increases — free cigarettes were distributed to soldiers. By 1945 consumption hit 3,449 per adult. Total U.S. consumption was 181.9 billion cigarettes in 1940.
Source note: MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3. Table 1: per capita cigarette consumption 1900-1994 from USDA Economic Research Service (based on BATF tax data, imports, Census population). Table 2: adult smoking prevalence 1965-1991 from NHIS. Per capita = cigarettes per adult ≥18 per year.
Assumption: The composite family
The day
9 exhibits1939-41: 62.8 male, 67.3 female | 1949-51: 66.3 male, 72.0 femaleA
Life expectancy at birth, 1939-41 and 1949-51observed record
years (white population)
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series B 116-117 (life expectancy at birth, white population). The 1940s saw dramatic gains: +3.5 years male, +4.7 years female in a single decade — driven by sulfa drugs, penicillin, and improved public health. For comparison: 1929-31 was 59.1 male, 62.7 female; 1900-02 was 48.2 male, 51.1 female.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series B 116-117 (life expectancy at birth, white population). The 1940s saw dramatic gains: +3.5 years male, +4.7 years female in a single decade — driven by sulfa drugs, penicillin, and improved public health. For comparison: 1929-31 was 59.1 male, 62.7 female; 1900-02 was 48.2 male, 51.1 female.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
$2,793A
Average annual earnings, manufacturing production workers, 1947observed record
USD per year, nominal (full-time equivalent)
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 740 (average annual earnings per full-time equivalent employee in manufacturing). 1947: $2,793; 1948: $3,038; 1949: $3,095; 1950: $3,302. Wartime manufacturing earnings: 1945: $2,517; 1944: $2,621. For context, median family income (all families) in 1947 was $3,031.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 740 (average annual earnings per full-time equivalent employee in manufacturing). 1947: $2,793; 1948: $3,038; 1949: $3,095; 1950: $3,302. Wartime manufacturing earnings: 1945: $2,517; 1944: $2,621. For context, median family income (all families) in 1947 was $3,031.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$1.13A
Average hourly earnings, production/nonsupervisory workers, 1947observed record
USD per hour, nominal
Population measuredProduction and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls
Source recordU.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics · 1985 · Tier A
Full record
Employment, Hours, and Earnings, United States, 1909-84, Volume II: Establishment Survey Data
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Hourly rate
Curator note: From BLS Bulletin 1312-12, Vol. II, p. 287, 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' 1947 annual average: $1.131. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Source note: BLS benchmark publication. Volume II (Establishment Survey Data), page 287: 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' Annual averages: 1947: $1.131, 1948: $1.225, 1949: $1.275, 1950: $1.335, 1960: $2.09, 1970: $3.23. Digitized by FRASER. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: The wage anchor changes across the span
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Hourly rate
Curator note: From BLS Bulletin 1312-12, Vol. II, p. 287, 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' 1947 annual average: $1.131. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Source note: BLS benchmark publication. Volume II (Establishment Survey Data), page 287: 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' Annual averages: 1947: $1.131, 1948: $1.225, 1949: $1.275, 1950: $1.335, 1960: $2.09, 1970: $3.23. Digitized by FRASER. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: The wage anchor changes across the span
41.9C
Women's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1940observed record
hours per week, prime-age women (ages 18–64)
Population measuredPrime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
Source recordCambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History) · 2009 · Tier C
Full record
Time Spent in Home Production in the Twentieth-Century United States: New Estimates from Old Data
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 6A, 'All Prime-Age Women' column. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS surveys from 1965. Includes food prep, house cleaning, clothing care, childcare, purchasing, and household management. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated. Draft version (NBER w13985) has identical values. Splice caveat: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS (2020s room) measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept change that must caveat when plotted together.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 6A, 'All Prime-Age Women' column. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS surveys from 1965. Includes food prep, house cleaning, clothing care, childcare, purchasing, and household management. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated. Draft version (NBER w13985) has identical values. Splice caveat: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS (2020s room) measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept change that must caveat when plotted together.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
7.7C
Men's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1940observed record
hours per week, prime-age men (ages 18–64)
Population measuredPrime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
Source recordCambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History) · 2009 · Tier C
Full record
Time Spent in Home Production in the Twentieth-Century United States: New Estimates from Old Data
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 7, 'All Prime-Age Men' column. Early estimates from Purnell Act studies and Lundberg et al. (1934); 1965+ from AHTUS/BLS. Men's hours rose 13 hrs/week across the century (3.9→16.8), partially offsetting women's decline. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 7, 'All Prime-Age Men' column. Early estimates from Purnell Act studies and Lundberg et al. (1934); 1965+ from AHTUS/BLS. Men's hours rose 13 hrs/week across the century (3.9→16.8), partially offsetting women's decline. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
~13.8%A
Married women's labor force participation, 1940observed record
% of married women (husband present) in the civilian labor force
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 49-62 (decennial). Total female LFPR was 27.4%. The wartime 'Rosie the Riveter' mobilization would temporarily push married women's participation much higher, but many were pushed out of jobs after the war. By 1948 (Series D 63-74, annual): 22.0% — the postwar surge is visible. The 1940s mark the beginning of the long-term shift from single-earner to dual-earner families.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 49-62 (decennial). Total female LFPR was 27.4%. The wartime 'Rosie the Riveter' mobilization would temporarily push married women's participation much higher, but many were pushed out of jobs after the war. By 1948 (Series D 63-74, annual): 22.0% — the postwar surge is visible. The 1940s mark the beginning of the long-term shift from single-earner to dual-earner families.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
Men: 24.3, Women: 21.5A
Median age at first marriage, 1940observed record
years (median age at first marriage)
Population measuredU.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (CPS/decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2023 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Table MS-2: Median Age at First Marriage
U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table MS-2. Decennial census. War and postwar mobilization would push marriage ages down to the mid-century low (22.8/20.3 by 1950).
Source note: Table MS-2: Median age at first marriage by sex, 1890 to present. Decennial census data 1890-2000; CPS data for intervening years and 2010+. File: ms2-median-age-first-marriage.xls. The median age at first marriage declined from ~26 (men) / ~22 (women) in 1890 to a mid-century low of ~22.5 / 20.3 in 1956, then rose steadily to ~30+ / ~28+ by 2023.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table MS-2. Decennial census. War and postwar mobilization would push marriage ages down to the mid-century low (22.8/20.3 by 1950).
Source note: Table MS-2: Median age at first marriage by sex, 1890 to present. Decennial census data 1890-2000; CPS data for intervening years and 2010+. File: ms2-median-age-first-marriage.xls. The median age at first marriage declined from ~26 (men) / ~22 (women) in 1890 to a mid-century low of ~22.5 / 20.3 in 1956, then rose steadily to ~30+ / ~28+ by 2023.
HS grad or more: 24.5%, Bachelor's or more: 4.6%, Less than 9th grade: 59.5%. Median school years: 8.6.A
Educational attainment, 1940observed record
% of population 25+ (all races, both sexes); median years completed
Population measuredU.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 25 and over (CPS/ACS)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Tables: Educational Attainment (Table A-1/A-2)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table A-1 (taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx). Decennial census. In 1940, only 1 in 4 adults had a high school diploma and 60% had not completed 9th grade. Only 4.6% had a bachelor's degree. Median school years completed: 8.6 — roughly through 8th grade.
Source note: Table A-1: Years of school completed by age and sex (1940-present). Table A-2: Percent of population 25+ with specified years of school completed (high school graduate or more, bachelor's degree or more). 1940-2000 data from decennial census; 2001+ from CPS ASEC. Data series updated annually. Files: taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx, taba-2-pct-high-school.xlsx. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the old /data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment.html deep link now redirects to the generic /data/tables.html landing (caught by the redirect advisory); repointed at the Educational Attainment topic page, which links the A-1/A-2 time-series tables.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table A-1 (taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx). Decennial census. In 1940, only 1 in 4 adults had a high school diploma and 60% had not completed 9th grade. Only 4.6% had a bachelor's degree. Median school years completed: 8.6 — roughly through 8th grade.
Source note: Table A-1: Years of school completed by age and sex (1940-present). Table A-2: Percent of population 25+ with specified years of school completed (high school graduate or more, bachelor's degree or more). 1940-2000 data from decennial census; 2001+ from CPS ASEC. Data series updated annually. Files: taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx, taba-2-pct-high-school.xlsx. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the old /data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment.html deep link now redirects to the generic /data/tables.html landing (caught by the redirect advisory); repointed at the Educational Attainment topic page, which links the A-1/A-2 time-series tables.
$592 billionD
Nonfarm household net worth, 1945observed record
aggregate net worth of nonfarm household sector, current dollars
Population measuredU.S. nonfarm household sector (aggregate, Goldsmith reconstruction)
Source recordNational Bureau of Economic Research / Princeton University Press · 1963 · Tier D
Full record
Studies in the National Balance Sheet of the United States, Vol. I
National Bureau of Economic Research / Princeton University Press, 1963 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: From Goldsmith, Lipsey & Mendelson (1963), Table 1, Sector I.1 (Nonfarm households). Total assets: $623B. Tangible assets: $200B (real estate $142B, consumer durables $41B). Financial assets: $423B. Debt: $31B. Net worth: $592B. WWII transformed the household balance sheet: financial assets surged to 68% of total as war bonds and savings deposits accumulated. Debt was minimal ($31B) — wartime controls suppressed consumer credit. Aggregate — NOT median. The Fed Z.1 series begins here (Q4 1945).
Source note: Table 1: Main Balance Sheet Components by Sector, 1900-1958. Benchmark years: 1900, 1912, 1922, 1929, 1939, 1945, 1958. Sector I.1 = Nonfarm households. Provides total assets, tangible assets, financial assets, debt, and net worth in current dollars. Goldsmith's balance sheet construction uses Census wealth data, Federal Reserve flow of funds, and tax return compilations. Aggregate household sector, NOT median. Tier D (scholarly reconstruction). Downloaded as NBER chapter c3926.
National Bureau of Economic Research / Princeton University Press, 1963 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: From Goldsmith, Lipsey & Mendelson (1963), Table 1, Sector I.1 (Nonfarm households). Total assets: $623B. Tangible assets: $200B (real estate $142B, consumer durables $41B). Financial assets: $423B. Debt: $31B. Net worth: $592B. WWII transformed the household balance sheet: financial assets surged to 68% of total as war bonds and savings deposits accumulated. Debt was minimal ($31B) — wartime controls suppressed consumer credit. Aggregate — NOT median. The Fed Z.1 series begins here (Q4 1945).
Source note: Table 1: Main Balance Sheet Components by Sector, 1900-1958. Benchmark years: 1900, 1912, 1922, 1929, 1939, 1945, 1958. Sector I.1 = Nonfarm households. Provides total assets, tangible assets, financial assets, debt, and net worth in current dollars. Goldsmith's balance sheet construction uses Census wealth data, Federal Reserve flow of funds, and tax return compilations. Aggregate household sector, NOT median. Tier D (scholarly reconstruction). Downloaded as NBER chapter c3926.
What had arrived
2 exhibits45.1% (1944) → 61.8% (1950)A
Households with telephone, 1944-1950observed record
% of households with telephone
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 2, Series R 1-3 (telephones). Households with telephone: 1944: 45.1%; 1945: 46.2%; 1946: 51.4%; 1947: 54.9%; 1948: 58.2%; 1949: 60.2%; 1950: 61.8%. Total telephones in 1947: 34,867 thousand (239.7 per 1,000 population). The postwar surge added ~17 percentage points in six years as the Bell System expanded residential service.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 2, Series R 1-3 (telephones). Households with telephone: 1944: 45.1%; 1945: 46.2%; 1946: 51.4%; 1947: 54.9%; 1948: 58.2%; 1949: 60.2%; 1950: 61.8%. Total telephones in 1947: 34,867 thousand (239.7 per 1,000 population). The postwar surge added ~17 percentage points in six years as the Bell System expanded residential service.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
~1% of households (1948), negligible before 1947A
Television diffusion, 1940sobserved record
% of households with television
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Commercial television broadcasting began in the US in 1941 but was suspended during WWII. The Historical Statistics Vol 2 television series begins in 1950 at 9.0% of households. By the late 1940s, fewer than 1% of households had a TV set — the mass diffusion belongs to the 1950s. For the 1940s family, radio was the dominant broadcast medium.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Commercial television broadcasting began in the US in 1941 but was suspended during WWII. The Historical Statistics Vol 2 television series begins in 1950 at 9.0% of households. By the late 1940s, fewer than 1% of households had a TV set — the mass diffusion belongs to the 1950s. For the 1940s family, radio was the dominant broadcast medium.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
A day's work buys
3 exhibits0.97 years ($2,938 home vs ~$3,031 income)C
Median home value as years of median family income, 1947observed record
years of median family income (nominal)
Population measuredOwner-occupied housing units, median value (decennial census, nominal/unadjusted dollars), U.S. and by state
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier C
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Home Values (Unadjusted)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Computed: 1940 median home value ($2,938, from Census Historical Housing Tables) divided by 1947 median family income ($3,031, from F-8). A home cost roughly one year's income — the lowest ratio in the museum. Caveat: the home value is from 1940 and the income from 1947; wartime inflation had driven incomes up while the housing stock (and controlled prices) had not yet adjusted. By 1950: $7,354 home / $3,319 income = 2.2 years.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Computed: 1940 median home value ($2,938, from Census Historical Housing Tables) divided by 1947 median family income ($3,031, from F-8). A home cost roughly one year's income — the lowest ratio in the museum. Caveat: the home value is from 1940 and the income from 1947; wartime inflation had driven incomes up while the housing stock (and controlled prices) had not yet adjusted. By 1950: $7,354 home / $3,319 income = 2.2 years.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$53.71/week — a full year of it (×52) ≈ 92% of median family incomeA
What a week of manufacturing work bought, 1947observed record
weekly manufacturing earnings vs annual median family income
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Computed: manufacturing FTE annual earnings ($2,793, Historical Statistics Series D740) ÷ 52 = $53.71/week. × 52 = $2,793, which is 92.1% of the all-family median income ($3,031, Census F-8). A single manufacturing wage nearly covered the median family's income — the 8% gap implies a small second income or overtime. Compare 1950: 83%. Source splice: annual earnings (D740) vs weekly hours (not separately published for 1947); the annual figure is the official series.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Computed: manufacturing FTE annual earnings ($2,793, Historical Statistics Series D740) ÷ 52 = $53.71/week. × 52 = $2,793, which is 92.1% of the all-family median income ($3,031, Census F-8). A single manufacturing wage nearly covered the median family's income — the 8% gap implies a small second income or overtime. Compare 1950: 83%. Source splice: annual earnings (D740) vs weekly hours (not separately published for 1947); the annual figure is the official series.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
~$638 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales)A
Average new car price, 1940observed record
USD, nominal (wholesale value per passenger car)
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: Computed from Historical Statistics, Series Q 148-162. 1940: 3,717,300 passenger cars sold at $2,370 million wholesale value = ~$638 average per car. Wartime production halted civilian car manufacturing (1942-45); no new cars were available for purchase during most of the 1940s. The 1940 price reflects the last pre-war price. Wholesale value; retail/transaction price would be higher. Population: all US factory sales of passenger cars.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: Computed from Historical Statistics, Series Q 148-162. 1940: 3,717,300 passenger cars sold at $2,370 million wholesale value = ~$638 average per car. Wartime production halted civilian car manufacturing (1942-45); no new cars were available for purchase during most of the 1940s. The 1940 price reflects the last pre-war price. Wholesale value; retail/transaction price would be higher. Population: all US factory sales of passenger cars.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Computed affordability
≈ 565 hours of work
≈ 19.4% of annual income
Confidence & flags
A — official statistical series
B — official microdata, computed by this project
C — reconstructed from period surveys
D — scholarly estimate
Gap — no reliable record; shown as the gap it is
Reading the atlas
Provenance is in the scan-line: every exhibit's row names its value, confidence tier, the population actually measured, and the source record. Chart points and stage glyphs open the same record.
Rising series draw in petrol, falling in ember. Absent technology isn't drawn — a bare house says more than ghosts.