1920 United States census

14th US national census

Fourteenth census
of the United States

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| <- 1910 | January 1, 1920 | 1930 ->

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U.S. Census Bureau seal

General information
Country| United States
Results
Total population| 106,021,537 ( 15.0%)
Most populous state| New York
10,385,227
Least populous state| Nevada
77,407

The 1920 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau during one month from January 5, 1920, determined the resident population of the United States to be 106,021,537, an increase of 15.0 percent over the 92,228,496 persons enumerated during the 1910 census.

The 1920 Census was determined for 1 January 1920. The actual date of the enumeration appears on the heading of each page of the census schedule, but all responses were to reflect the individual's status as of 1 January, even if the status had changed between 1 January and the day of enumeration.

Despite the constitutional requirement that House seats be reapportioned to the states respective of their population every ten years according to the census, members of Congress failed to agree on a reapportionment plan following this census, and the distribution of seats from the 1910 census remained in effect until 1933. In 1929, Congress passed the Reapportionment Act of 1929 which provided for a permanent method of reapportionment and fixed the number of representatives at 435.

This was the first census in which the United States recorded a population of more than 100 million. It was also the first census in which a state—New York—recorded a population of more than ten million.

This census also marked a significant population shift from rural to urban. According to the Census Bureau, "Beginning in 1910, the minimum population threshold to be categorized as an urban place was set at 2,500. "Urban" was defined as including all territory, persons, and housing units within an incorporated area that met the population threshold. The 1920 census marked the first time in which over 50 percent of the U.S. population was defined as "urban."[1]

## Census questions

[edit]

The 1920 census collected the following information:[2]

* Age
* Marital status
* If foreign born, year of immigration to the U.S., whether naturalized and, if so, year of naturalization
* School attendance
* Literacy
* State of residence
* If foreign-born, the mother tongue
* Ability to speak English
* Occupation, industry, and class of worker
* Whether home owned or rented, and, if owned, whether free or mortgaged

Full documentation for the 1920 census, including census forms and enumerator instructions, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

## State rankings

[edit]

Rank  | State  | Population as of
1920 census  | Population as of
1910 census  | Change  | Percent
change

|
|
|
|
|

1  |  New York | 10,385,227  | 9,113,614  | 1,271,613  | 14.0%
2  |  Pennsylvania | 8,720,017  | 7,665,111  | 1,054,906  | 13.8%
3  |  Illinois | 6,485,280  | 5,638,591  | 846,689  | 15.0%
4  |  Ohio | 5,759,394  | 4,767,121  | 992,273  | 20.8%
5  |  Texas | 4,663,228  | 3,896,542  | 766,686  | 19.7%
6  |  Massachusetts | 3,852,356  | 3,366,416  | 485,940  | 14.4%
7  |  Michigan | 3,668,412  | 2,810,173  | 858,239  | 30.5%
8  |  California | 3,426,865  | 2,377,549  | 1,049,312  | 44.1%
9  |  Missouri | 3,404,055  | 3,293,335  | 110,720  | 3.4%
10  |  New Jersey | 3,155,900  | 2,537,167  | 618,733  | 24.4%
11  |  Indiana | 2,930,390  | 2,700,876  | 229,514  | 8.5%
12  |  Georgia | 2,895,832  | 2,609,121  | 286,711  | 11.0%
13  |  Wisconsin | 2,632,067  | 2,333,860  | 298,207  | 12.8%
14  |  North Carolina | 2,559,123  | 2,206,287  | 352,836  | 16.0%
15  |  Kentucky | 2,416,630  | 2,289,905  | 126,725  | 5.5%
16  |  Iowa | 2,404,021  | 2,224,771  | 179,250  | 8.1%
17  |  Minnesota | 2,387,125  | 2,075,708  | 311,417  | 15.0%
18  |  Alabama | 2,348,174  | 2,138,093  | 210,081  | 9.8%
19  |  Tennessee | 2,337,885  | 2,184,789  | 153,096  | 7.0%
20  |  Virginia | 2,309,187  | 2,061,612  | 247,575  | 12.0%
21  |  Oklahoma | 2,028,283  | 1,657,155  | 371,128  | 22.4%
22  |  Louisiana | 1,798,509  | 1,656,388  | 142,121  | 8.6%
23  |  Mississippi | 1,790,618  | 1,797,114  | -6,496  | -0.4%
24  |  Kansas | 1,769,257  | 1,690,949  | 78,308  | 4.6%
25  |  Arkansas | 1,752,204  | 1,574,449  | 177,755  | 11.3%
26  |  South Carolina | 1,683,724  | 1,515,400  | 168,324  | 11.1%
27  |  West Virginia | 1,463,701  | 1,221,119  | 242,582  | 19.9%
28  |  Maryland | 1,449,661  | 1,295,346  | 154,315  | 11.9%
29  |  Connecticut | 1,380,631  | 1,114,756  | 265,875  | 23.9%
30  |  Washington | 1,356,621  | 1,141,990  | 214,631  | 18.8%
31  |  Nebraska | 1,296,372  | 1,192,214  | 104,158  | 8.7%
32  |  Florida | 968,470  | 752,619  | 215,851  | 28.7%
33  |  Colorado | 939,629  | 799,024  | 140,605  | 17.6%
34  |  Oregon | 783,389  | 672,765  | 110,624  | 16.4%
35  |  Maine | 768,014  | 742,371  | 25,643  | 3.5%
36  |  North Dakota | 646,872  | 577,056  | 69,816  | 12.1%
37  |  South Dakota | 636,547  | 583,888  | 52,659  | 9.0%
38  |  Rhode Island | 604,397  | 542,610  | 61,787  | 11.4%
39  |  Montana | 548,889  | 376,053  | 172,836  | 46.0%
40  |  Utah | 449,396  | 373,351  | 76,045  | 20.4%
41  |  New Hampshire | 443,083  | 430,572  | 12,511  | 2.9%
\-  |  District of Columbia | 437,571  | 331,069  | 106,502  | 32.2%
42  |  Idaho | 431,866  | 325,594  | 106,272  | 32.6%
43  |  New Mexico | 360,350  | 327,301  | 33,049  | 10.1%
44  |  Vermont | 352,428  | 355,956  | -3,528  | -1.0%
45  |  Arizona | 334,162  | 204,354  | 129,808  | 63.5%
\-  |  Hawaii | 255,881  | 191,874  | 64,007  | 33.4%
46  |  Delaware | 223,003  | 202,322  | 20,681  | 10.2%
47  |  Wyoming | 194,402  | 145,965  | 48,437  | 33.2%
48  |  Nevada | 77,407  | 81,875  | -4,468  | -5.5%
\-  |  Alaska | 55,036  | 64,356  | -9,320  | 14.5%

## Territories

[edit]

United States Territories

Year of conquest or purchase  | Territory  | Population
1867  | Alaska | 64,356
1898  | Hawaii | 255,881
1898  | Puerto Rico | 1,299,809
1898  | Guam | 13,275
1898  | Philippine Islands | 10,314,310
1899  | American Samoa | —
1903  | Panama Canal Zone | —
1915  | Haiti | —
1916  | Santo Domingo | 894,652
1916  | US Virgin Islands | —

## City rankings

[edit]

Rank | City | State | Population[3] | Region (2016)[4]

|
|
|
|

01 | New York | New York | 5,620,048 | Northeast
02 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,701,705 | Midwest
03 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,823,779 | Northeast
04 | Detroit | Michigan | 993,078 | Midwest
05 | Cleveland | Ohio | 796,841 | Midwest
06 | St. Louis | Missouri | 772,897 | Midwest
07 | Boston | Massachusetts | 748,060 | Northeast
08 | Baltimore | Maryland | 733,826 | South
09 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 588,343 | Northeast
10 | Los Angeles | California | 576,673 | West
11 | Buffalo | New York | 506,775 | Northeast
12 | San Francisco | California | 506,676 | West
13 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 457,147 | Midwest
14 | Washington | District of Columbia | 437,571 | South
15 | Newark | New Jersey | 414,524 | Northeast
16 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 401,247 | Midwest
17 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 387,219 | South
18 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 380,582 | Midwest
19 | Kansas City | Missouri | 324,410 | Midwest
20 | Seattle | Washington | 315,312 | West
21 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 314,194 | Midwest
22 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 298,103 | Northeast
23 | Rochester | New York | 295,750 | Northeast
24 | Portland | Oregon | 258,288 | West
25 | Denver | Colorado | 256,491 | West
26 | Toledo | Ohio | 243,164 | Midwest
27 | Providence | Rhode Island | 237,595 | Northeast
28 | Columbus | Ohio | 237,031 | Midwest
29 | Louisville | Kentucky | 234,891 | South
30 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 234,698 | Midwest
31 | Oakland | California | 216,261 | West
32 | Akron | Ohio | 208,435 | Midwest
33 | Atlanta | Georgia | 200,616 | South
34 | Omaha | Nebraska | 191,601 | Midwest
35 | Worcester | Massachusetts | 179,754 | Northeast
36 | Birmingham | Alabama | 178,806 | South
37 | Syracuse | New York | 171,717 | Northeast
38 | Richmond | Virginia | 171,667 | South
39 | New Haven | Connecticut | 162,537 | Northeast
40 | Memphis | Tennessee | 162,351 | South
41 | San Antonio | Texas | 161,379 | South
42 | Dallas | Texas | 158,976 | South
43 | Dayton | Ohio | 152,559 | Midwest
44 | Bridgeport | Connecticut | 143,555 | Northeast
45 | Houston | Texas | 138,276 | South
46 | Hartford | Connecticut | 138,036 | Northeast
47 | Scranton | Pennsylvania | 137,783 | Northeast
48 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 137,634 | Midwest
49 | Paterson | New Jersey | 135,875 | Northeast
50 | Youngstown | Ohio | 132,358 | Midwest
51 | Springfield | Massachusetts | 129,614 | Northeast
52 | Des Moines | Iowa | 126,468 | Midwest
53 | New Bedford | Massachusetts | 121,217 | Northeast
54 | Fall River | Massachusetts | 120,485 | Northeast
55 | Trenton | New Jersey | 119,289 | Northeast
56 | Nashville | Tennessee | 118,342 | South
57 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 118,110 | West
58 | Camden | New Jersey | 116,309 | Northeast
59 | Norfolk | Virginia | 115,777 | South
60 | Albany | New York | 113,344 | Northeast
61 | Lowell | Massachusetts | 112,759 | Northeast
62 | Wilmington | Delaware | 110,168 | South
63 | Cambridge | Massachusetts | 109,694 | Northeast
64 | Reading | Pennsylvania | 107,784 | Northeast
65 | Fort Worth | Texas | 106,482 | South
66 | Spokane | Washington | 104,437 | West
67 | Kansas City | Kansas | 101,177 | Midwest
68 | Yonkers | New York | 100,176 | Northeast
69 | Lynn | Massachusetts | 99,148 | Northeast
70 | Duluth | Minnesota | 98,917 | Midwest
71 | Tacoma | Washington | 96,965 | West
72 | Elizabeth | New Jersey | 95,783 | Northeast
73 | Lawrence | Massachusetts | 94,270 | Northeast
74 | Utica | New York | 94,156 | Northeast
75 | Erie | Pennsylvania | 93,372 | Northeast
76 | Somerville | Massachusetts | 93,091 | Northeast
77 | Waterbury | Connecticut | 91,715 | Northeast
78 | Flint | Michigan | 91,599 | Midwest
79 | Jacksonville | Florida | 91,558 | South
80 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 91,295 | South
81 | Schenectady | New York | 88,723 | Northeast
82 | Canton | Ohio | 87,091 | Midwest
83 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 86,549 | Midwest
84 | Evansville | Indiana | 85,264 | Midwest
85 | Savannah | Georgia | 83,252 | South
86 | Manchester | New Hampshire | 78,384 | Northeast
87 | St. Joseph | Missouri | 77,939 | Midwest
88 | Knoxville | Tennessee | 77,818 | South
89 | El Paso | Texas | 77,560 | South
90 | Bayonne | New Jersey | 76,754 | Northeast
91 | Peoria | Illinois | 76,121 | Midwest
92 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 75,917 | Northeast
93 | San Diego | California | 74,683 | West
94 | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | 73,833 | Northeast
95 | Allentown | Pennsylvania | 73,502 | Northeast
96 | Wichita | Kansas | 72,217 | Midwest
97 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 72,075 | South
98 | Troy | New York | 71,996 | Northeast
99 | Sioux City | Iowa | 71,227 | Midwest
100 | South Bend | Indiana | 70,983 | Midwest

## Locations of 50 most populous cities

[edit]

New York

Chicago

Philadelphia

Detroit

Cleveland

St. Louis

Boston

Baltimore

Pittsburgh

Los Angeles

Buffalo

San Francisco

Milwaukee

Washington

Newark

Cincinnati

New Orleans

Minneapolis

Kansas City

Seattle

Indianapolis

Jersey City

Rochester

Portland

Denver

Toledo

Providence

Columbus

Louisville

Saint Paul

Oakland

Akron

Atlanta

Omaha

Worcester

Birmingham

Syracuse

Richmond

New Haven

Memphis

San Antonio

Dallas

Dayton

Houston

Hartford

Scranton

Grand Rapids

class=notpageimage|

Location of 50 largest cities by population in the United States in 1920. Not shown: Manila, Philippines.
Numbered Cities
1\. Bridgeport, Connecticut
2\. Paterson, New Jersey

## Data availability

[edit]

The original census enumeration sheets were microfilmed by the Census Bureau in the 1940s, after which the original sheets were destroyed.[5] The microfilmed census is available in rolls from the National Archives and Records Administration. Several organizations also host images of the microfilmed census online, and digital indices.

Microdata from the 1920 census are freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "History: Urban and Rural". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
2. ^ "Library Bibliography Bulletin 88, New York State Census Records, 1790–1925". New York State Library. October 1981. pp. 45 (p. 51 of PDF). Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
3. ^ Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
4. ^ "Regions and Divisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
5. ^ Algonquin Area Public Library District. "Census Secrets" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2012.[permanent dead link]

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1920 United States Census.

* 1921 U.S Census Report Contains 1920 census results
* Historic US Census data
* 1920 Census
* [census.gov/population/www/censusdata/PopulationofStatesandCountiesoftheUnitedStates1790-1990.pdf]
* 1920 census on archive.org

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