1940 Census Research
MLY | TVY | TVY JR | Income
Income research:
In 1940 a new house that cost $3,920.00 was $7,450.00 by 1949. In 1940 the average income per year was $1,725.00 and by 1949 was $2,950.00.

Income to house price ratios were 44% in 1940 and 39% in 1949. Incomes were losing ground to housing costs.

In 1940 a gallon of gas was 11 cents and by 1949 was 17 cents.

Inflation was coming and so had a world war. More comparisons are shown as you scroll to the bottom of this page.

A few more prices from the 40's:
  • 100 aspirin 76 cents
  • Philco Refrigerator $239.00
  • Pork Loin Roast per pound 45 cents
  • Pair of Nylon Hose 20 cents
  • New Emerson Bedroom Radio $19.65
  • Men's Suits from $24.50
  • Portable electric heater $42.50
  • Ford Super Deluxe Sedan Coupe $1395
  • Sealey Mattress $38.00

I did not find my mother, Mary L. Yarnall, in the April 16, 1940 census for Clifton Heights or the April 20, 1940 census for Darby. Sometime that year we were a family again in an apartment at 20 Maple Terrace in Clifton Heights. My mother was not listed at the Yarnall family's Berkley Street (Avenue) Clifton Heights, PA household in enumeration district 23-49 on page 21. See copy of census page below. My mother was not listed at the Sypherd family's 536 Pine Street Darby, PA household (see purple marker on map above) in enumeration district 23-67 on page 32. I recall that I was told she went there when my parents were separated.
Click here to see what info was sought in the 1940 census.
Aunt Marie died the prior year. The circled x next to Rose's name means she provided the info to the census worker on April 16, 1940 - just two days after my 8th birthday. She had some ages wrong. Bridget was 68; not 66, Rose was 42; not 36, John was 36; not 34, Bill was 34; not 32, and my dad, Tom, was 29; not 28. Click for Proof John's middle initial was "J" even though it looks like a "T". Other 1940 Yarnalls
2 House Number? 10 Race of household member?
5 Purchase price of house or monthly rent amount?
O or R in column 4 means own or rent?		 11 Age of household member?
7 Names of house occupants? 12 Marital status of household member?
8 Relationship to head of household? 13 Attending school?
9 Gender of household member? 14 Years of school completed?
Last column (16) indicates where the person was born.
The years of education are very interesting.
Grandmom completed the 4th grade.
Uncle John was a high school grad.
Aunt Rose completed the 5th grade.
She must have said my Uncle Bill had a college degree (C4 is the entry - see lavender square above).
He attended Villanova. He dropped out after completing 2 years.
My Dad completed the 8th grade.
Below are rows A through E for the adults Bridget, John, Rose, William, and Thomas.


Keys to certain columns and the questions asked by the census worker:
20 Residence on a farm or not ? 30 Class of worker?
26 Hours worked per week? 31 Weeks worked in 1939?
28 Occupation? 32 Annual income in 1939?
29 Industry? 33 Any income of $50+ other than wages?
My mother's Uncle Harvey got my dad a job at the Marvel Cigarette Company as a cigarette machine operator. The census worker recorded that dad was making $3,060 during 1939. If that was accurate, he was one of the highest paid persons in Clifton Heights. I wonder if Aunt Rose said "360". I know we were poor and my mother had to work. My Uncle Hank was an electrical engineer with five years of college making $4,300. My father-in-law had a mechanical engineering degree and was a high school teacher making $3,200. Other people in Clifton Heights: Uncle Scott was a carpenter making $1,065. A good friend of dad's, Joe Jordan, was a timekeeper making $940. Another friend was a butcher making $1,600. Thank you to Uncle Harvey if the job paid that much. I doubt that it did.

ANNUAL INCOME CHART 1932-1934

Airline Pilot $8,000
Airline Stewardess $1,500
Apartment House Superintendent $1,500
Bituminous Coal Miner $1,500
Bus Driver $1,373
Chauffeur $624
Civil Service Employee $1,280
College Teacher $3,111
Construction Worker $907
Dentist $2,391
Department Store Model $936
Doctor $3,382
Dressmaker $780
Electrical Worker $1,559
Engineer $2,520
Fire Chief (30,000 - 50,000 pop) $2,075
Hired Farm Hand $216
Hired Gun $5,200
Housemother - Boys School $780

Lawyer $4,218
Live-in-maid $260
Mayor (30,000 - 50,000 pop) $2,317
Pharmaceutical Salesman $1,500
Police Chief (30,000-50,000 pop) $2,636
Priest $831
Public School Teacher $1,227
Publicity Agent $1,800
Railroad Executive $5,064
Railroad Conductor $2,729
Registered Nurse $936
Secretary $1,040
Statistician $1,820
Steel Worker $423
Stenographer - Bookkeeper $936
Textile Worker $433
United States Congressman $8,663
Waiters $520
Average salary $1,368

An advertising thermometer the cigarette company distributed.
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