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The Library

Census Research Guide: 1970

About the 1970 Census

Census Bureau's "By Decade" website

Includes a variety of publications, questionnaires, datasets, and more

Highlights

  • 19th decennial census
  • US population: 203,302,031
  • California population: 19,971,069
  • The Summary Tape Files which were released were the first time tabulations were disseminated in electronic format.

Questions asked (see questionnaire)

Information obtained from all persons: Address; name; relationship to head of household; sex; race; age; month and year of birth; marital status; if American Indian, name of tribe.

Information obtained from 20-percent sample: Whether residence is on a farm; place of birth; educational attainment; for women, number of children ever born; employment status; hours worked in week preceding enumeration; year last worked; industry, occupation, and class of worker; state or country of residence 5 years ago; activity 5 years ago; weeks worked last year; earnings last year from wages and salary, from self-employment; other income last year.

Information obtained from 15-percent sample: Country of birth of parents; county, and city or town of residence 5 years ago (and whether in city limits or outside); length of residence at present address; language spoken in childhood home; school or college attendance, and whether public, parochial, or other private school; veteran status; place of work--street address, which city or town (and whether in city limits or outside), county, state, ZIP code; means of transportation to work.

Information obtained from 5-percent sample: Whether of Spanish descent; citizenship; year of immigration; whether married more than once and date of first marriage; whether first marriage ended because of death of spouse; vocational training; (for persons of working age) presence and duration of disability; industry, occupation, and class of worker 5 years ago.

Supplemental schedule for Americans overseas.

Statistics

Find all 1970 census publications in the Library.

Key publications:

Print available in the Library

Online access

Census of Population:

Vol. I: Characteristics of the Population
A. Number of Inhabitants
[C3.223/9:970/v.1/pt 6/sec. 1]

 Census Bureau

Vol. I: Characteristics of the Population
B. General Population Characteristics
[C3.223/9:970/v.1/pt 6/sec. 2 and C 3.223/6:970/B1 and C 3.223/6:970/B6]

 Census Bureau

Vol I: Characteristics of the Population
C. General Social and Economic Characteristics
[C3.223/9:970/v.1/pt 6/sec. 3 and C 3.223/7:970/C1 and C 3.223/7:970/C6]

 Census Bureau

Vol I: Characteristics of the Population
D. Detailed Characteristics
[C 3.223/8:970/D1 and C 3.223/8:970/D6/sec 1]

 Census Bureau

Vol II: Subject Reports

National Origin and Language> [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1A]
Negro Population [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1B]
Persons of Spanish Origin [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1C]
Persons of Spanish Surname [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1D]
Puerto Ricans in the United States [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1E]
American Indians [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1F]
Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in the United States [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 1G]
State of Birth [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 2A]
Mobility for States and the Nation [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 2B]
Mobility for Metropolitan Areas [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 2C]
Lifetime and Recent Migration [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 2D]
Migration Between State Economic Areas [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 2E]
Women by Number of Children Ever Born [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 3A]
Childspacing and Current Fertility [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 3B]
Family Composition [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 4A]
Persons by Family Characteristics [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 4B]
Marital Status [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 4C]
Age at First Marriage [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 4D]
Persons in Institutions and Other Group Quarters [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 4E]
School Enrollment [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 5A]
Educational Attainment [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 5B]
Vocational Training [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 5C]
Employment Status and Work Experience [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 6A]
Persons Not Employed [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 6B]
Persons With Work Disability [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 6C]
Journey to Work [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 6D]
Veterans [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 6E]
Occupational Characteristics [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 7A]
Industrial Characteristics [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 7B]
Occupation by Industry [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 7C]
Government Workers [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 7D]
Occupation and Residence in 1965 [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 7E]
Occupations of Persons with High Earnings [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 7F]
Sources and Structure of Family Income [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 8A]
Earnings by Occupation and Education [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 8B]
Income of the Farm-Related Population [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 8C]
Low-Income Population [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 9A]
Low-Income Areas in Large Cities [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 9B]
Americans Living Abroad [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 10A]
State Economic Areas [C 3.223/10:970 v. 2 PT. 10B]

 Census Bureau

Population Supplementary Report, PC(S1)
[C 3.223/12:970/1-108]

 Census Bureau

Census of Population and Housing:

Census Tracts
[ C3.223/11:970/1-241]

 Census Bureau

General demographic trends for metropolitan areas, 1960 to 1970
[ C 3.223/13:970/1-52]

 Census Bureau

Employment profiles of selected low-income areas
[C 3.223/17:970 v.1-76]

 Census Bureau

Census of Housing:

Vol. I: Housing Characteristics for States, Cities, and Counties.
A. General Housing Characteristics
[C 3.224/3:970  v. 1 pt.1-58 and C 3.224/3:970/A1 and C 3.224/3:970/A6]

 Census Bureau

Vol. I: Housing Characteristics for States, Cities, and Counties
B. Detailed Housing Characteristics
[C 3.224/3:970  v. 1 pt.1-58 and C 3.224/3:970/B1 and C 3.224/3:970/B6]

 Census Bureau

Vol. II: Metropolitan Housing Characteristics
[ C 3.224/4:970/1-248]

 Census Bureau

Vol. III: Block Statistics
[C 3.224/5:970/1-278]

 Census Bureau

Vol. IV: Components of Inventory of Change
[ C 3.224/6:970/1-16]

 n/a

Vol. V: Residential Finance
[ C 3.224/7:970]

 n/a

Vol. VI: Plumbing Facilities and Estimates of Dilapidated Housing
[C3.224/9:970/v.6. ]

 n/a

Vol. VI: Plumbing Facilities and Estimates of Dilapidated Housing Addendum: Accuracy of Estimates
[ C3.224/9:970/v.6/add. ]

 n/a

Vol. VII: Subject Reports
[3.224/10:970/]

 n/a


Original electronic files released (& online versions)

 

Online Versions

Summary Statistic Files

  

First Count Special Tabulation

**Download from ICPSR [UCSD only]

Fourth Count Special Tabulation

**Download from ICPSR [UCSD only]

Fifth Count Special Tabulation

**Download from UC Berkeley

** Files are available for download only.