In the past four centuries, the population of the Thirteen Colonies and United States of America has grown from a recorded 350 people around the Jamestown colony in Virginia in 1610, to an estimated 346 million in 2025. While the fertility rate has now dropped well below replacement level, and the population is on track to go into a natural decline in the 2040s, projected high net immigration rates mean the population will continue growing well into the next century, crossing the 400 million mark in the 2070s. Indigenous population Early population figures for the Thirteen Colonies and United States come with certain caveats. Official records excluded the indigenous population, and they generally remained excluded until the late 1800s. In 1500, in the first decade of European colonization of the Americas, the native population living within the modern U.S. borders was believed to be around 1.9 million people. The spread of Old World diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, to biologically defenseless populations in the New World then wreaked havoc across the continent, often wiping out large portions of the population in areas that had not yet made contact with Europeans. By the time of Jamestown's founding in 1607, it is believed the native population within current U.S. borders had dropped by almost 60 percent. As the U.S. expanded, indigenous populations were largely still excluded from population figures as they were driven westward, however taxpaying Natives were included in the census from 1870 to 1890, before all were included thereafter. It should be noted that estimates for indigenous populations in the Americas vary significantly by source and time period. Migration and expansion fuels population growth The arrival of European settlers and African slaves was the key driver of population growth in North America in the 17th century. Settlers from Britain were the dominant group in the Thirteen Colonies, before settlers from elsewhere in Europe, particularly Germany and Ireland, made a large impact in the mid-19th century. By the end of the 19th century, improvements in transport technology and increasing economic opportunities saw migration to the United States increase further, particularly from southern and Eastern Europe, and in the first decade of the 1900s the number of migrants to the U.S. exceeded one million people in some years. It is also estimated that almost 400,000 African slaves were transported directly across the Atlantic to mainland North America between 1500 and 1866 (although the importation of slaves was abolished in 1808). Blacks made up a much larger share of the population before slavery's abolition. Twentieth and twenty-first century The U.S. population has grown steadily since 1900, reaching one hundred million in the 1910s, two hundred million in the 1960s, and three hundred million in 2007. Since WWII, the U.S. has established itself as the world's foremost superpower, with the world's largest economy, and most powerful military. This growth in prosperity has been accompanied by increases in living standards, particularly through medical advances, infrastructure improvements, clean water accessibility. These have all contributed to higher infant and child survival rates, as well as an increase in life expectancy (doubling from roughly 40 to 80 years in the past 150 years), which have also played a large part in population growth. As fertility rates decline and increases in life expectancy slows, migration remains the largest factor in population growth. Since the 1960s, Latin America has now become the most common origin for migrants in the U.S., while immigration rates from Asia have also increased significantly. It remains to be seen how immigration restrictions of the current administration affect long-term population projections for the United States.

The 1940 Census Public Use Microdata Sample Project was assembled through a collaborative effort between the United States Bureau of the Census and the Center for Demography and Ecology at the University of Wisconsin. The collection contains a stratified 1-percent sample of households, with separate records for each household, for each "sample line" respondent, and for each person in the household. These records were encoded from microfilm copies of original handwritten enumeration schedules from the 1940 Census of Population. Geographic identification of the location of the sampled households includes Census regions and divisions, states (except Alaska and Hawaii), standard metropolitan areas (SMAs), and state economic areas (SEAs). Accompanying the data collection is a codebook that includes an abstract, descriptions of sample design, processing procedures and file structure, a data dictionary (record layout), category code lists, and a glossary. Also included is a procedural history of the 1940 Census. Each of the 20 subsamples contains three record types: household, sample line, and person. Household variables describe the location and condition of the household. The sample line records contain variables describing demographic characteristics such as nativity, marital status, number of children, veteran status, wage deductions for Social Security, and occupation. Person records also contain variables describing demographic characteristics including nativity, marital status, family membership, education, employment status, income, and occupation. (Source: downloaded from ICPSR 7/13/10)

Please Note: This dataset is part of the historical CISER Data Archive Collection and is also available at ICPSR at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08236.v1. We highly recommend using the ICPSR version as they may make this dataset available in multiple data formats in the future.

Abstract

The Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) Complete Count Data include more than 650 million individual-level and 7.5 million household-level records. The IPUMS microdata are the result of collaboration between IPUMS and the nation’s two largest genealogical organizations—Ancestry.com and FamilySearch—and provides the largest and richest source of individual level and household data.

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Documentation

Historic data are scarce and often only exists in aggregate tables. The key advantage of historic US census data is the availability of individual and household level characteristics that researchers can tabulate in ways that benefits their specific research questions. The data contain demographic variables, economic variables, migration variables and family variables. Within households, it is possible to create relational data as all relations between household members are known. For example, having data on the mother and her children in a household enables researchers to calculate the mother’s age at birth. Another advantage of the Complete Count data is the possibility to follow individuals over time using a historical identifier.

In sum: the historic US census data are a unique source for research on social and economic change and can provide population health researchers with information about social and economic determinants.Historic data are scarce and often only exists in aggregate tables. The key advantage of historic US census data is the availability of individual and household level characteristics that researchers can tabulate in ways that benefits their specific research questions. The data contain demographic variables, economic variables, migration variables and family variables. Within households, it is possible to create relational data as all relations between household members are known. For example, having data on the mother and her children in a household enables researchers to calculate the mother’s age at birth. Another advantage of the Complete Count data is the possibility to follow individuals over time using a historical identifier. In sum: the historic US census data are a unique source for research on social and economic change and can provide population health researchers with information about social and economic determinants.

The historic US 1940 census data was collected in April 1940. Enumerators collected data traveling to households and counting the residents who regularly slept at the household. Individuals lacking permanent housing were counted as residents of the place where they were when the data was collected. Household members absent on the day of data collected were either listed to the household with the help of other household members or were scheduled for the last census subdivision.

Notes

• We provide IPUMS household and person data separately so that it is convenient to explore the descriptive statistics on each level. In order to obtain a full dataset, merge the household and person on the variables SERIAL and SERIALP. In order to create a longitudinal dataset, merge datasets on the variable HISTID.
• Households with more than 60 people in the original data were broken up for processing purposes. Every person in the large households are considered to be in their own household. The original large households can be identified using the variable SPLIT40, reconstructed using the variable SERIAL40, and the original count is found in the variable NUMPREC40.
• Some variables are missing from this data set for specific enumeration districts. The enumeration districts with missing data can be identified using the variable EDMISS. These variables will be added in a future release.
• Coded variables derived from string variables are still in progress. These variables include: occupation, industry and migration status.
• Missing observations have been allocated and some inconsistencies have been edited for the following variables: Missing observations have been allocated and some inconsistencies have been edited for the following variables: SURSIM, SEX, SCHOOL, RELATE, RACE, OCC1950, MTONGUE, MBPL, FBPL, BPL, MARST, EMPSTAT, CITIZEN, OWNERSHP. The flag variables indicating an allocated observation for the associated variables can be included in your extract by clicking the ‘Select data quality flags’ box on the extract summary page.
• Most inconsistent information was not edited for this release, thus there are observations outside of the universe for many variables. In particular, the variables GQ, and GQTYPE have known inconsistencies and will be improved with the next r

United States Population: All Ages data was reported at 325,719.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 323,406.000 Person th for 2016. United States Population: All Ages data is updated yearly, averaging 176,356.000 Person th from Jun 1900 (Median) to 2017, with 118 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 325,719.000 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 76,094.000 Person th in 1900. United States Population: All Ages data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G002: Population by Age. Series Remarks Population data for the years 1900 to 1949 exclude the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii. Population data for the years 1940 to 1979 cover the resident population plus Armed Forces overseas. Population data for all other years cover only the resident population.

This study of trends in California from 1940 to 1980 fills in some of the information voids for this period. It is based on data from, the U.S. Decennial Census micro data for 1940 and 1950, better known as the Public Use Microdata Samples or "PUMS" data. Variables, variable names and variable order have been normalized for ease of use and analysis.

The Census Tree is the largest-ever database of record links among the historical U.S. censuses, with over 700 million links for people living in the United States between 1850 and 1940. These links allow researchers to construct a longitudinal dataset that is highly representative of the population, and that includes women, Black Americans, and other under-represented populations at unprecedented rates. Each .csv file consists of a crosswalk between the two years indicated in the filename, using the IPUMS histids. For more information, consult the included Read Me file, and visit https://censustree.org.

This is an extract of the decennial Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) released by the Bureau of the Census. Because the complete PUMS files contain several hundred thousand records, ICPSR has constructed this subset to allow for easier and less costly analysis. The collection of data at ten year increments allows the user to follow various age cohorts through the life-cycle. Data include information on the household and its occupants such as size and value of dwelling, utility costs, number of people in the household, and their relationship to the respondent. More detailed information was collected on the respondent, the head of household, and the spouse, if present. Variables include education, marital status, occupation and income.

This dataset includes all individuals from the 1940 US census.

This data collection contains population estimates for various time periods spanning from 1900 to 1979. The data for 1900-1929 represent the resident population of the United States by single year of age (0 to 75+), race (white, nonwhite), and sex. Data for these years exclude the Armed Forces and the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii. Age 75 includes all ages from 75 up. The files for 1930-1939 represent the resident population of the United States by single year of age (0 to 75+), race (white, nonwhite), and sex. Data for these years exclude the Armed Forces and the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii. Age 75 includes all ages from 75 up. The files for 1940-1949 represent the resident population plus Armed Forces overseas of the United States by single year of age (0 to 85+), race (white, nonwhite), and sex. Data for these years exclude the the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii. Age 85 includes all ages from 85 up. The files for 1950-1959 represent the resident population plus Armed Forces overseas of the United States by single year of age (0 to 85+), race (white, nonwhite), and sex. Data for these years include the the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii. Age 85 includes all ages from 85 up. The files for 1960-1979 represent the resident population plus Armed Forces overseas of the United States by single year of age (0 to 85+), race (white, black, and other), and sex. Data for these years include the the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii. Age 85 includes all ages from 85 up.

This dataset includes all households from the 1940 US census.

In 2023, about 17.7 percent of the American population was 65 years old or over; an increase from the last few years and a figure which is expected to reach 22.8 percent by 2050. This is a significant increase from 1950, when only eight percent of the population was 65 or over. A rapidly aging population In recent years, the aging population of the United States has come into focus as a cause for concern, as the nature of work and retirement is expected to change to keep up. If a population is expected to live longer than the generations before, the economy will have to change as well to fulfill the needs of the citizens. In addition, the birth rate in the U.S. has been falling over the last 20 years, meaning that there are not as many young people to replace the individuals leaving the workforce. The future population It’s not only the American population that is aging -- the global population is, too. By 2025, the median age of the global workforce is expected to be 39.6 years, up from 33.8 years in 1990. Additionally, it is projected that there will be over three million people worldwide aged 100 years and over by 2050.

The 1940 Census population schedules were created by the Bureau of the Census in an attempt to enumerate every person living in the United States on April 1, 1940, although some persons were missed. The 1940 census population schedules were digitized by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and released publicly on April 2, 2012. The 1940 Census enumeration district maps contain maps of counties, cities, and other minor civil divisions that show enumeration districts, census tracts, and related boundaries and numbers used for each census. The coverage is nation wide and includes territorial areas. The 1940 Census enumeration district descriptions contain written descriptions of census districts, subdivisions, and enumeration districts.

In 2021, about ** percent of the United States population aged 25 to 34 years had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, showing an increasing trend. In contrast, during 1940, only around six percent of the population among those ages attained a bachelor's degree.

Graph and download economic data for Total Households (TTLHH) from 1940 to 2024 about household survey, households, and USA.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the state of California from 1900 to 2024.

This map depicts US Census data from the 1940 decennial census for total population and race

This data collection and its 1940 counterpart were assembled through a collaborative effort between the United States Bureau of the Census and the Center for Demography and Ecology of the University of Wisconsin. The 1940 and 1950 Census Public Use Sample Project was supported by The National Science Foundation under Grant SES-7704135. The collections contain a stratified 1-percent sample of households, with separate records for each household, for each \'sample line\' respondent, and for each person in the household. These records were encoded from microfilm copies of original handwritten enumeration schedules from the 1940 and 1950 Censuses of Population. The universe for the sample included all persons and households within the United States. Geographic identification of the location of the sampled households includes Census regions and divisions, States (except Alaska and Hawaii), Standard Metropolitan Areas (SMA\'s), and State Economic Areas (SEA\'s). The SMA\'s and SEA\'s are comparable for both the 1940 and 1950 Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). The data collections were constructed from and consist of 20 independently-drawn subsamples stored in 20 discrete physical files. Each of the 20 subsamples contains three record types (household, \'sample line\', and person). Both collections had both a complete-count and a sample component. Individuals selected for the sample component were asked a set of additional questions. Only households with a \'sample line\' person were included in the public use microdata sample. The collections also contain records of group quarters members who were also on the Census \'sample line\'. For the 1940 and 1950 collections, each household record contains variables describing the location and composition of the household. The \'sample line\' records for 1950 contain variables describing demographic characteristics such as nativity, marital status, number of children, veteran status, education, income, and occupation. The person records for 1950 contain such demographic variables as nativity, marital status, family membership, and occupation. Accompanying the data collections are code books which include an abstract, descriptions of sample design, processing procedures and file structure, a data dictionary (record layout), category code lists, and a glossary. The data collections are arranged by subsample with each subsample stored as a separate physical file of information. The 20 subsamples were selected randomly. Within each of the 20 subsamples, records are sequenced by State. Extracting all of the records for one State entails reading through all of the 20 physical files and selecting that State\'s records from each of the 20 subsamples. Record types are ordered within household (household characteristics first, \'sample line\' next, and person records last). The 1950 collection consists of a total of 2,844,458 data records: 461,130 household records, 461,130 \'sample line\' records, and 1,922,198 person records. Each record type has a logical record length of 133.;

This dataset includes variable names, variable labels, variable values, and corresponding variable value labels for the IPUMS 1940 datasets.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 Census (P.L. 94-171) Redistricting Data Summary Files; (17 August 2021). U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000, Summary File 1, Table DP-1; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; http://factfinder2.census.gov; (30 December 2015). U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2010, Summary File 1, Table P1; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; http://factfinder2.census.gov; (30 December 2015). U.S. Census Bureau; 1980 Census of Population, Volume 1: Characteristics of the Population, Chapter A: Number of Inhabitants, Part 15: Illinois, PC80-1-A15, Table 4, Population of County Subdivisions: 1960-1980. Department of Commerce and Labor Bureau of the Census; Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1910, Statistics for Illinois, Table 1. - Population of Minor Civil Divisions: 1910, 1900, and 1890.; https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade/decennial-publications.1910.html; (23 August 2018). Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census; Fourteenth Census of the United States, State Compendium Illinois, Table 3. - Population of Incorporated Places: 1920, 1910, and 1900. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1924/dec/state-compendium.html; (23 August 2018). U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census; Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930, Population: Volume III, Reports by States, Illinois and Idaho, Tables 12, 22; https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1932/dec/1930a-vol-03-population.html; (23 August 2018). United States Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, Population: Volume 1, Number of Inhabitants, Total Population for States, Counties, and Minor Civil Divisions; for Urban and Rural Areas; for Incorporated Places; for Metropolitan Districts; and for Census Tracts; Tables 2, 5; https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1942/dec/population-vol-1.html.; (23 August 2018), U.S Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census; Census of Population: 1950, Volume I Number of Inhabitants, Table 7; https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1952/dec/population-vol-01.html; (23 August 2018).

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Harnett County population distribution across 18 age groups. It lists the population in each age group along with the percentage population relative of the total population for Harnett County. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Harnett County by age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group in Harnett County.

Key observations

The largest age group in Harnett County, NC was for the group of age 30 to 34 years years with a population of 10,925 (8%), according to the ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. At the same time, the smallest age group in Harnett County, NC was the 85 years and over years with a population of 1,940 (1.42%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group in consideration
• Population: The population for the specific age group in the Harnett County is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the population of each age group as a proportion of Harnett County total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Harnett County Population by Age. You can refer the same here