Census Information: Census of Business

The United States Constitution includes directives for carrying out a census of the population every 10 years.

About the Census of Business

A complete Census of Business was taken for each of the years 1929, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1948, 1954, 1958, 1963 and 1967.  Censuses for 1929 and 1939 were taken as part of the 1930 and 1940 Decennial censuses; those for 1933 and 1935 were special projects.  Starting with 1972, each section (retail, wholesale, services) is published and classified separately: 

Retail trade: C 3.255;

Wholesale Trade: C 3.256;

Service Industries: C 3.257.

[Bureau of the Census Catalog of Publications, p. 413]

Local holdings (1929-1967)

1929  - C 3.37/5:D 63/v.1-2  (called: Distribution)

1933: PSU DOES NOT OWN

1935: PSU DOES NOT OWN

1939  - C 3.940-5:B 96/v.1-5 [MISSING v.4: Construction, 1939]

1948 Census of Business - C 3.202/5:948

            Volumes 1-3: Retail trade.

            Volumes 4-5: Wholesale trade.

            Volumes 6-7: Service trade.

Trade Series. Bulletin no. 3-4. The electrical goods trade - C 3.202/10:El 2

Trade Series. Bulletin no. 3-7. The jewelry trade - C 3.202/10:J 54 :

Trade Series. Bulletin no. 3-11. The furniture trade - C 3.202/10:F 98 :

Trade Series. Bulletin no.3-13. The hardware, plumbing and heating equipment trade - C 3.202/10:H 22 :

1954 Census of Business - C 3.202/5:954

            Volumes 1-2: Retail trade.

            Volumes 3-4: Wholesale trade.

            Volumes 5-6: Selected services trade.

1958 Census of Business - C 3.202/5:958/

            Volumes 1-2: Retail trade.

            Volumes 3-4: Wholesale Trade.

            Volumes 5-6: Selected services.

Volume 7: Central Business District Statistics - C 3.202/13:958/no. In 98 parts.

1963 Census of Business - C 3.202/5:963

            Volumes 1-3: Retail trade.

            Volumes 4-5: Wholesale trade.

            Volumes 6-7: Selected Services

Puerto Rico. BR63-PR - C 3.202/15:963

Puerto Rico. BR63-PR. Revised edition - C 3.202/15:963/rev.

1967 Census of Business - C 3.202/5:967

            Volumes 1-2: Retail trade.

            Volumes 3-4: Wholesale trade.

            Volume 5: Selected Services.

Retail trade. Subject reports. Miscellaneous subjects - C 3.202/6:967/5: BC67-RS5           

Selected services. Subject reports - C 3.202/7:967/no. In 7 parts. BC67-SS2 to BC67-SS8. BC67-SS1 not published -          

Wholesale trade. Subject reports. Warehouse space, warehouse equipment, and delivery equipment - C 3.202/8:967/5  BC67-WS5.

Puerto Rico - C 3.202/15:967             

Major retail centers in standard metropolitan statistical areas - C 3.202/13:967/no. In 49 parts.

Selected Services. Special report. Establishment and firm size -. C 3.202/18:BC67(S)SS 1

Retail trade. Merchandise line sales - C 3.202/19:967/no. In 52 parts.