era-graded light · absent technology isn't drawn · every glyph opens its specimen label
The home · 1970s
62.9%A
Homeownership rate, 1970
% of occupied dwelling units (owner-occupied)
MeasuredAll U.S. occupied housing units (decennial census)
provenance
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). Up from 61.9% in 1960.
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
The home · 1970s
94% of homes had complete plumbing (6% lacked)A
Complete plumbing facilities, 1970
% of occupied housing units
MeasuredAll occupied housing units in the United States (decennial census)
provenance
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Plumbing
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Plumbing. Down from 17% lacking in 1960 to 6% lacking in 1970. By 1980: ~3% lacked.
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.
The home · 1970s
Utility gas 55%, fuel oil/kerosene 26%, electricity 8%, bottled/LP gas 6%, coal 3%, wood 1%A
House heating fuel, 1970
% of occupied housing units reporting heating fuel
MeasuredOccupied housing units reporting heating fuel (decennial census)
provenance
Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1970 Census of Housing. Gas was now the majority heating fuel at 55%. Coal was nearly eliminated at 3% (down from 55% in 1940). Electricity was rising (7.7%, up from 1.8% in 1960). Source: fuels1970.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).
The budget · 1970s
52,230,000A
Number of families in the United States, 1970
families
MeasuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
provenance
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.
Source note: Excel file. The 4-person-family column 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. Also available: f08ar (All Races revised), f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic).
The budget · 1970s
3.57A
Average family size, 1970
persons per family
MeasuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
provenance
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. By 1980: 3.27.
Source note: Excel file. The 4-person-family column 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. Also available: f08ar (All Races revised), f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic).
The budget · 1970s
Housing 26.0%, transportation 17.6%, food 17.1%, insurance/pensions 8.7%, entertainment 7.8%, healthcare 5.3%, apparel 6.4%, cash contributions 3.7%, education 1.5%A
Expenditure breakdown, 4-person families, 1972-73
% of total annual expenditure
MeasuredConsumer units (households) in the civilian noninstitutionalized population
provenance
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1972-73 Consumer Expenditure Survey, Bulletin 1992, Table 2 (by family size). 10,668 thousand 4-person families. Total expenditures: $12,226 (current consumption $10,710 + personal insurance/pensions $1,063 + gifts/contributions $453). Income before taxes: $16,155. Expenditure = 76% of gross income. Source: BLS Bulletin 1992, Table 2, accessed via FRASER (fraser.stlouisfed.org).
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.
Assumption: The composite familyAssumption: Income vs consumptionAssumption: Values are shown in period money
The budget · 1970s
12.6% (25.5 million people in poverty)A
Official poverty rate, 1970
% of all people below official poverty level
MeasuredAll U.S. population (official poverty measure, CPS ASEC)
provenance
Historical Poverty Tables (Census API: histpov2)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Poverty Tables (API: histpov2). Official poverty rate: 12.6%. Family poverty: 10.9%. Down sharply from 22.4% (1959) — War on Poverty programs (Medicaid, food stamps, expanded Social Security) and economic growth cut poverty nearly in half.
Source note: Official poverty rate from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), accessed via Census API endpoint histpov2. Covers 1959-present. PCTPOV = percentage of all people below poverty level. PCTFAMPOV = percentage of people in families below poverty level. The official poverty measure uses pre-tax money income vs. poverty thresholds by family size and age. Data starts 1959 (first year of official poverty measure).
The table · 1970s
Food $2,089/yr (17.1% of expenditure). Food at home $1,543 (74% of food), food away from home $546 (26%). Key items: beef $242, bakery $139, fresh milk $130, pork $134, poultry $69, other meats $61, fish $40, eggs $37, cereals $46. Total expenditure: $12,226.A
Food basket and expenditure breakdown, 1972-73 (CEX)
USD per family per year, nominal
MeasuredConsumer units (households) in the civilian noninstitutionalized population
provenance
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1972-73 CEX, Bulletin 1992, Table 2. 10,668 thousand 4-person families. Food at home share: 74%, food away: 26%. Beef was the largest single food item at $242/yr. Source: BLS Bulletin 1992, accessed via FRASER.
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.
Assumption: The composite familyAssumption: Income vs consumptionAssumption: Values are shown in period money
The table · 1970s
Bread 23.9¢/lb, round steak 133¢/lb, milk 65.5¢/qt, potatoes 9.0¢/lb, eggs 57.3¢/dozA
Retail food prices, April 1970
retail food prices (cents per pound/quart/dozen, April 1970)
MeasuredU.S. urban households, retail food prices collected by BLS in 51-56 cities
provenance
Statistical Abstract of the United States: Average Retail Prices of Selected Foods
U.S. Census Bureau (data from BLS), 1970 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From 1970 Statistical Abstract Table 530 (BLS data, April 1970 — most recent available). Milk is per quart, delivered. By April 1970, food inflation was accelerating: bread up 18% from 1960, round steak up 26%, milk up 152% (from 26.0¢ to 65.5¢/qt). The 1970s would bring double-digit food price inflation, especially after the 1973-74 oil shock and Soviet grain purchases.
Source note: Table 530 in the 1970 Statistical Abstract (91st edition). Data originally from BLS Retail Food Prices by Cities. Prices in cents per pound unless otherwise indicated. Covers 1950-1970 (April). Milk in cents per quart (delivered). Eggs in cents per dozen. Coffee in cents per 10 oz. Cross-checked against BLS Bulletin 1055 for 1950 values — exact match.
The day · 1970s
67.1 male, 74.8 female (70.8 total, all races)A
Life expectancy at birth, 1970
years
MeasuredU.S. resident population (death certificates)
provenance
National Vital Statistics System: Life Tables and Infant Mortality
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS National Vital Statistics System (all races). Up from 66.6/73.1 in 1960. The white-only figure from Historical Statistics Vol 1 was 68.0/75.6 — the all-races figure is lower due to lower nonwhite life expectancy.
Source note: NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
The day · 1970s
$8,150A
Average annual earnings, manufacturing, 1970
USD per year, nominal (full-time equivalent)
MeasuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
provenance
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. Up from $3,302 in 1950. Manufacturing was still a major employer, but the 1970s would begin the long decline of US manufacturing employment.
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
The day · 1970s
32.1C
Women's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975
hours per week, prime-age women (ages 18–64)
MeasuredPrime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
provenance
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
The day · 1970s
12.1C
Men's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975
hours per week, prime-age men (ages 18–64)
MeasuredPrime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
provenance
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
The day · 1970s
20.0 per 1,000 live birthsA
Infant mortality rate, 1970
deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
MeasuredU.S. resident population (death certificates)
provenance
National Vital Statistics System: Life Tables and Infant Mortality
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS, Health, United States, 2016, Table 11. All races. Neonatal: 15.1; postneonatal: 4.9. The 1970s saw the steepest decade decline (37%, from 20.0 to 12.6) driven by neonatal medicine advances and regionalization of perinatal services.
Source note: NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
What had arrived · 1970s
90.5%A
Households with telephone, 1970
% of households with telephone
MeasuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
provenance
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 3. 120,218 thousand total phones (583.4 per 1,000 population). Up from 78.3% in 1960. Telephone was nearly universal by 1970.
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.
What had arrived · 1970s
87.0% (13.0% without telephone)A
Telephone in housing unit, 1970
% of occupied housing units with telephone
MeasuredOccupied housing units (decennial census)
provenance
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1970 Census of Housing, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones. Note: this figure (87.0%) differs from the Historical Statistics Vol 2 figure (90.5%) because the Census measures 'telephone in unit' (housing units) while Hist Stats measures 'households with telephone.' Up from 78.5% (1960), reaching 92.9% by 1980. Source: phone-tab.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Telephone in unit: 1960 78.5%, 1970 87.0%, 1980 92.9%, 1990 94.8%. Note: 1970 Census figure (87.0%) differs from Historical Statistics Vol 2 (90.5%) due to population definition (housing units vs households).
What had arrived · 1970s
23% of households had central ACA
Air conditioning, 1978 (first RECS)
% of households with central air-conditioning equipment
MeasuredU.S. housing units (sampled)
provenance
Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)
U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1978 RECS — the first Residential Energy Consumption Survey. 23% of households had central AC. Total AC (including window/wall units) was 56% (23% central + 33% window/wall); 44% had no AC. Verified via EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 2.6 ('Household End Uses: Fuel Types, Appliances, and Electronics, Selected Years, 1978-2009'), which republishes the 1978 RECS data with explicit source attribution: '1978 and 1979 — EIA, Form EIA-84, RECS.' Available at https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/xls/stb0206.xls. Trajectory: 17% central AC (1973 AHS) → 23% (1978 RECS) → 27% (1980 RECS) → 44% (1993 AHS). By 1993, total AC reached 68%. The 1978 RECS is the closest available data point for the decade.
Source note: Started 1978, triennial/quadrennial. Tracks appliance ownership (refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioning) and housing characteristics. AC diffusion: 1993 RECS 68%, 2009 RECS 87%, 2015 RECS 87%. Useful for diffusion and home panels as complement to AHS.
What had arrived · 1970s
80.1% of families had at least one automobile (avg 1.3 per family)A
Vehicle ownership, 1972-73
% of families with at least one automobile
MeasuredConsumer units (households) in the civilian noninstitutionalized population
provenance
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CEX 1972-73 (Integrated Diary and Interview Survey, Bulletin 1992, Table 1, p.31). 80.1% of all families had at least one automobile. Average: 1.3 automobiles per family. By income: under $3,000 → 38.3% had auto; $15,000+ → ~96.6% (96.9% for $15,000-$19,999, 97.1% for $20,000-$24,999, 95.2% for $25,000+). By 2023: 91.5% of households had at least one vehicle (ACS B25045). Population note: CEX measures 'families'; ACS measures 'households' — close but not identical.
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.
A day's work buys · 1970s
1.72 years ($17,000 home vs $9,867 income)C
Median home value as years of median family income, 1970
years of median family income (nominal)
MeasuredAll U.S. occupied housing units (decennial census)
provenance
Homeownership Rate by State: 1900 to 2000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 ·
source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Computed: 1970 median home value ($17,000) / 1970 median family income ($9,867). Up from 0.97 in 1947. The 1970s inflation would push this ratio higher.
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 affordability axisAssumption: Values are shown in period money
A day's work buys · 1970s
CPI 38.8 (1970) → 313.7 (2024) = 8.1x. $1 in 1970 = $8.09 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.33x.A
Consumer Price Index and purchasing power, 1970
CPI-U (1982-84=100), annual average
MeasuredAll Urban Consumers (CPI-U)
provenance
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 ·
source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: CPI from BLS series CUUR0000SA0 (confirmed via BLS API). 1970: 38.8. 2024: 313.7. Ratio: 8.09x. Nominal median family income: $9,867 (1970) → $105,800 (2024) = 10.7x. Real growth: 10.7/8.1 = 1.33x. For comparison: 1960-2024 real growth was 1.77x, and 1950-2024 was 3.1x — the 1970s-2020s saw the slowest real income growth of the postwar era.
Source note: BLS CPI homepage. Historical data and supplemental files at https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Historical article: https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2014/article/one-hundred-years-of-price-change-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-american-inflation-experience.htm
Assumption: Values are shown in period moneyAssumption: The affordability axis
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 museum
Every fact is behind glass: its placard names the source, the year, who was measured, and how sure we are. Chart points and stage glyphs deep-link to their placards.
Falling metrics render in copper, rising in brass. Absent technology isn't drawn — a bare house says more than ghosts.