Skip to Main Content
Research Guides

U.S. Decennial Census: 1980

Decade by decade information about how to access and use U.S. Census reports.

Census By Decade

1790  1800  1810  1820  1830  1840  1850  1860  1870  1880  1890  1900

1910  1920  1930  1940  1950  1960  1970  1980  1990  2000  2010  2020

About the 1980 census

Highlights

  • 20th decennial census
  • US population: 226,545,805
  • Washington population: 4,132,156

Questions asked

  • Information obtained from all persons:
    • Age
    • Sex
    • Color or race
    • If American Indian, name of tribe
    • Relationship to head of family or household
    • Marital status
  • Information obtained from a sample of the population
    • Ancestry/ethnic origin
    • Age at or date of first marriage
    • Married more than once
    • If remarried, was first marriage terminated by death
    • Ill or disabled
    • School attendance
    • Educational attainment
    • Place of birth
    • Citizenship
    • If foreign born, year of immigration
    • Language
    • Spanish origin or descent
    • Number of children ever born to mother
    • Veteran status
    • In service date
    • Place of residence in a previous year
    • Year moved to present residence
    • Industry
    • Occupation
    • Class of worker
    • Employment status
    • Duration of unemployment
    • Year last worked
    • Weeks worked in preceding year
    • Hours worked in preceding week
    • Value of real estate
    • Income
    • Place of work
    • Means of transportation to work

Statistics

More Information from the US Census Bureau

Census Compilations

Data Sources

Contact

Need help? Call the Government Publications, Maps, Microforms & Newspapers help desk at (206) 543-4164 during desk hoursYou can also consult the 24/7 Ask Us! reference service.