Back in the day, 1941 and subsequent years, the Detroit News conducted some fairly comprehensive household market research surveys. In 1941, they conducted a “scientific cross-sectional study of 12,902 homes in the Detroit City zone made by the Hooper-Holmes Bureau-Division of Market Research in the Winter of 1940-1941. Every 40th home surveyed.”

Some interesting quick stats:

• 53.1% owned their own home
• 45.3% of homes did not have a telephone
• 21.8% of homes used ice for refrigeration
• 26.8% of homes do not own an automobile