The 1940 Census of Housing vastly expanded the information of the 1930's regarding the magnitude and geographic distribution of our housing inventory and its general characteristics, physical, financial, and economic. In the sections of this chapter that follow the housing inventory will be discussed in terms of (a) number of dwelling units, (b) type of structure, size of unit, and exterior materials of the structure and (c) age, condition, and facilities.

Number of Dwelling Units

By means of a house to house canvass, the Census Bureau was able in 1940 to obtain a physical count of every dwelling place in the Nation. This complete enumeration revealed that in April 1940 our total housing supply stood at 37,325,000 units. Of these, 29,683,000 were in urban and rural nonfarm areas. Rural farm dwelling units comprised the remainder. By November 1945, the Census Bureau estimates the number of dwelling units in the United States had increased 7 percent from the 1940 level to 39,921,000. On the basis of information obtained in a special housing study made in November 1945 as a supplement to the Monthly Report on the Labor Force, the Census Bureau has been able to estimate that some 33,000,000 of these were nonfarm. The following table shows that all of the increase between April 1940 and November 1945 occurred in nonfarm dwelling units where a gain of 11.1 percent was recorded. For the same period, the number of farm units declined by 9.3 percent.

The November 1945 survey did not break down location into any category finer than urban, rural nonfarm, or farm area. However, from the 1940 census detailed information is available on the geographic distribution of dwelling units. Data may be obtained for States, counties, minor civil divisions, metropolitan districts, individual urban places, and incorporated places of 1,000 to 2,500. In most cities of 50,000 and over information can also be secured for city blocks, wards, or census tracts.

In 1940 the Middle Atlantic and East North Central divisions led in the number of nonfarm dwelling units with New York, Pennsylvania, California and Illinois foremost among individual States.

Minnessota.

Missouri.

Nebraska

North Dakota.

84, 181

South Dakota..

98,368

11.1

-9.3

South Atlantic

3, 190, 143

Arkansas

Delaware.

63, 210

Louisiana

The principal reasons for the changes between 1940 and 1945 are discussed later in this chapter.

In this chapter all references to the 1945 housing inventory relate to habitable dwelling units only. The 660,000 units classified by the Bureau of the Census as "not habitable" are excluded. Such units were shown by the results of the housing supplement to the November 1945 Monthly Report on the Labor Force to be either unfit for use or vacant units in need of major repairs where similar units in the same neighborhood were not occupied.

Georgia.

North Carolina. South Carolina. Virginia..

West Virginia..

475, 696

473, 741

258, 925

Oklahoma Texas.

Pacific

California..

Source: Bureau of the Census.

98,909 123, 522 31, 993

99, 693

125, 025

54,389

2,303, 130

243,976

414,456

415, 477

1, 229, 221

2,924,482

2,147,759 288,813 487, 910

Type of Structure, Number of Rooms, and Principal Exterior Materials Used

Information on type of structure, size of unit and principal exterior material used in nonfarm United States is significant as an indication of builders' and consumers' preferences taking into

consideration locale, climate, and the economic and social background of the area in question. From the 1940 census reports, considerable information is available on type of structure, number of rooms, and exterior materials. Less complete data are available for November 1945.

Source: Bureau of the Census.

Type of Structure 2

The only source of detailed information on type of structure is the 1940 census upon which the discussion below is based. As of April 1940, almost two-thirds (64.3 percent) of the dwelling

In the 1940 census a structure was defined as a building which either stands by itself with open space on all four sides or has vertical walls from ground to roof separating it from all other structures except that two attached dwelling units divided by a vertical wall and with open space on all the remaining sides constitute only one structure. In tables 37, 38, 39, 42, and 46 the 1940 type of structure data have been retabulated to put semidetached dwelling units of that type in the one-family category rather than in the twofamily group in which they were shown in the original census reports. An apartment building constitutes only one structure. Each house in a block or row of three or more "row" houses is a separate structure. In housing developments of the village type, each building with open space on all sides is a separate structure. The structure may in some cases be built in the form of a square with a large court or yard in the center.

The census classifies structures in the following manner:

(1) One-family detached.-A completely detached structure with open space on all four sides, without business, and containing only one dwelling unit.

(2) One-family attached.—A structure without business, having one or both sides built directly against an adjoining structure or structures (either residential or nonresidential), and containing only one dwelling unit extending from ground to roof. In a typical block of three or more "row houses" each dwelling unit extending from ground to roof is a one-family attached structure. (A "row" comprising only two units, each with open space on three sides, is one two-family side-by-side structure).

(3) Two-family side by-side (semidetached).-A structure, without business, containing two dwelling units attached side-by-side and divided by a vertical wall. The dwelling units may or may not have separate entrances.

(4) Two-family other, three- or four-family.—A structure detached or attached, without business, containing 2, 3, or 4 dwelling units (except two-family side-by-side).

(5) One- to four-family with business-A structure with from one to four dwelling units and containing space devoted to business purposes.

(6) Fire-family or more.-A structure, with or without business establishments, which contains five or more dwelling units.

(7) Other dwelling places.-Tourist cabins, trailers, caves, boats, etc., which were enumerated only when occupied by persons having no usual place of residence elsewhere.

3

units were in one-family structures with about 55.2 percent of the total being one-family detached. Units in two-family structures were next in importance.

Considerable regional variation exists in the type of structure. In the South Central and Mountain divisions, over three-fourths of the units are in one-family structures. On the other hand, only about half of the New England and Middle Atlantic division units are located in one-family structures.

Structures containing five or more units are prevalent in those areas in which larger cities are located. Thus, the Middle Atlantic, East North Central, and the Pacific divisions lead in the percent of dwelling units in such structures. Units in two-, three-, and four-family structures are important in the New England, Middle Atlantic, and North Central divisions. Conversely, the Mountain, Pacific, and the South Central divisions have less than 14 percent of their dwelling units in such structures.

Based upon retabulation of original 1940 data to include semi-detached (two-family side-by-side) units in order to conform to popular usage of the term one-family dwelling.

Contract or estimated monthly rent

All types

1-family 1

2-famiily

Multi2 family 3

Other

Number

All dwelling units..

Not reporting rent. Percent not reporting

1.9

1.9

Reporting rent..

29, 683, 189 19, 081, 429 3, 363, 318,7,091, 758 146, 684 553, 193 361, 186 80,377

29, 129, 996 18, 720, 243 3, 282, 941 6, 994, 230

2.4

97, 528 1.4

14, 102

9.6

132, 582

Under $5.

1,589, 581 1, 353, 252

77,794

Data on the type of structures in the 1940 Census of Housing are available for urban, rural nonfarm and farm, regions, States, metropolitan districts, counties, places of 10,000 population and over and by tracts for selected cities. Likewise, type of structure information with a nonwhite break-down is obtainable for the South, Southern States, and selected cities of 50,000 and over.

Cross-tabulations of type of structure by tenure and vacancy can be secured for most of the places which have type of structure data. However, a further cross-tabulation of type of structure by contract rent, by tenure and vacancies is available only for the divisions, regions, States, metropolitan districts, and cities of 50,000 and over.

Number of Rooms

The distribution of nonfarm dwelling units in November 1945 according to the number of rooms is shown in the table below, but since more complete data are available from the 1940 Census of Housing it has been drawn upon more heavily in the preparation of this chapter.

1 Includes detached, attached, and semidetached (2-family side-by-side) units.

2 Corresponds to "2-family other" classification of Bureau of the Census, 2-family side-by-side units being included as 1-family in this table.

Includes units in structures with 3 or more units, also units in buildings which include businesses.

Includes trailers, tourist cabins, boats, etc., occupied by persons having no other residence at time of census enumeration. Source: Bureau of the Census.