United States Census


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Beginners' Corner

Federal Census Contents
Names, ages, birthplaces 1850–1950
Birthplaces of parents 1880–1950
Relationships 1880–1950
Family and Neighbors All years
Immigration year 1900–1930
Citizenship 1910–1940
  • What are the U.S. census records?
  • What time periods do they cover?
  • What can I find in them?
  • How do I access them?
  • Search strategies
  • For a more complete beginning introduction, see U. S. Census Records Class Handout.

    Value of Censuses

    A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. Census lists are also called “schedules." In the United States a nationwide census has been taken every ten years since 1790. A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to:

  • Follow the family over time
  • Determine family relationships (more recent than 1880 as shown above)
  • Find clues to other locations where the family lived
  • Show clues for finding other records
  • United States Federal Censuses with Online Links


    1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    FamilySearch
    Ancestry.com
    NARA
    Release Date
    April 1, 2032
    Additional Online Links
  • United States Census Online Genealogy Records Internet links by year for FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast, and MyHeritage
  • AccessGenealogy - United States Census Records
  • Fold3 ($) index and images; 1860-1930
  • Internet Archive images 1790-1930
  • My Free Census Find your ancestors in the U.S. census, and International census records
  • National Archives images of published transcriptions of 1790 census for 12 states
  • Nonpopulation Census Records Agriculture, mortality, and social statistics schedules are available for the census years of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. Manufacturing schedules are available for 1820, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. Schedules of business are available for 1935 for these industries: advertising agencies, banking and financial institutions, miscellaneous enterprises, motor trucking for hire, public warehousing, and radio broadcasting stations.
  • National Archives. Search Census Records Online and Other Resources.
  • GermanRoots.com
  • United Census ED Finder Obtain the Census Enumeration District for an 1870 to 1950 Location in One Step.
  • Contents of the Censuses

    State Census Pages

    U. S. Territories

    County Copies of Population Schedules

    Nonpopulation Census Schedules

    Additional Resources

    References

    1. William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1987. At various libraries (WorldCat). FS Catalog book 973 X2th.
    2. William Dollarhide. Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1999. At various libraries (WorldCat). FS Catalog book 973 X27d; also online database(*).
    3. G. David Dilts, "Censuses and Tax Lists" in Kory L. Meyerink, ed., Printed Sources: a Guide to Published Genealogical Records (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998), 300-52. [FS Catalog book 016.9293 P96m]