1920's Lifestyles and Social Trends | The Impact of Technology on Daily Life

Electricity and Water.

During the 1920s the spread of technology transformed the way average Americans lived their daily lives. In 1920 only 34.7 percent of American dwellings had electricity; by 1930 67.9 percent had electric power. In the cities the growth was even more dramatic: 84.8 percent of all urban homes were wired for electricity by 1930, compared to only 47.4 percent a decade earlier. Hot and cold running water, which had been available only to the upper classes at the turn of the century, also became common, particularly in urban areas. In 1929 the President's Conference on Home Building and Home Ownership reported that 71 percent of urban homes had indoor bathrooms. A 1926 survey of the residents of Zanesville, Ohio, revealed that 91 percent of the city's houses were equipped with running water and that 61 percent had complete plumbing systems. This increased availability of electricity and water made possible the...