Georgia Census

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Existing and lost censuses

For a list of available and missing Georgia censuses, click here.

1890 Federal Census Fragments—Part of the Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia, 1890 census population schedules survived the fire in 1921. These census fragment images and index are on Ancestry.com, a subscription Internet site.

A competing index is also available in book and film format:

• Nelson, Ken. 1890 U.S. Census Index to Surviving Population Schedules and Register of Film numbers to the Special Census of Union Veterans. Revised Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1991. (Family History Library book 973 X2na 1890; 1984 edition is on film 1421673 item 11.)

The census fragment images are on microfilm:

• United States. Census Office. 11th Census, 1890. Population Schedules of the Eleventh Census of the United States, 1890. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0407. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1962. (Family History Library film 926497.)

Available Online

United States Censuses 1850-1920—Free Internet census indexes and images to the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (index only), 1900, and 1920 (partial index only) can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search. These indexes show every name listed on the census, and except for 1880 and 1920, are also linked to census images including information about each person’s residence, age, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

Ancestry.com ($), a subscription Internet site, has indexes and images to all available federal census population, veterans, slave, and mortality schedules from 1790 to 1930. 

HeritageQuest, an Internet service available at selected libraries, has images to all available federal census population and slave schedules from 1790 to 1930, and indexes to some but not all.

In addition to published tax lists, some substitutes for the early missing censuses include:

• Coulter, E. Merton, and Albert B. Saye. A List of the Early Settlers of Georgia. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1949. (Family History Library book 975.8 W2L; film 007092.) This is for the period 1733 to 1747. It is updated by the Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly 19 (1983): 111-131. (Family History Library book 975.8 B2ga.)
• De Lamar, Marie, and Elizabeth Rothstein. The Reconstructed 1790 Census of Georgia. 1976. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985. (Family History Library book 975.8 X2L.)

Wood, Virginia S., and Ralph V. Wood. 1805 Georgia Land Lottery. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Greenwood Press, 1964. (Family History Library book 975.8 R2wv .)

Historical Background

1788--Georgia became a state.

Special Censuses

Mortality Schedules

1850-1880--Mortality schedules exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. Copies of the schedules (Family History Library microfilms 422413-18) and indexes are at the Family History Library.

1850 United States Census Mortality Schedules—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census Mortality Schedules can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search - Pilot Site. Mortality schedules provided nationwide death statistics for the twelve months prior to the 1850 census.  Key genealogical facts found on the 1850 mortality schedule are: Name, age, sex, color, married or widowed, birthplace, month of death, occupation, cause of death.

• Mortality Schedules 1850-1880

Slave Holder Schedules

1850 United States Census Slave Schedules—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census Slave Schedules can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site listing each slave owner's name and residence. It also shows the age, gender, and color of the slaves. Slave names are not normally listed.

Territorial Censuses

Georgia was never a territory, so it does not have a territorial census.

Indexes

United States Census Indexes 1850-1920—Free Internet census indexes to the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1920 (partial index only) can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search.

Ancestry--All available census records for Georgia are indexed at www.ancestry.com.

1820-1860 Indexes--Printed and microfiche statewide census indexes are available at the Family History Library for the 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860 censuses.

Soundex--Microfilm soundex (phonetic) indexes exist for the 1880 (partial index), 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses. The 1910 index is in two parts. The first part indexes the cities of Atlanta, Augusta, Macon, and Savannah, and the second indexes the remainder of the state.

Miracode--The 1930 census for Georgia has a miracode index, which is a phonetic index similar to Soundex.

State Census

State censuses taken in various years from 1786 to 1890 have survived for a few Georgia counties. These are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Some county censuses for the years 1827 to 1890 are also at the Family History Library.

Most of the available state censuses are indexed in:

• Townsend, Brigid S. Indexes to Seven State Census Reports for Counties in Georgia, 1838-1845. Atlanta, Georgia: R. J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation, 1975. (Family History Library book 975.8 X2pt.)
• Censuses for Georgia Counties: Taliferro 1827, Lumpkin 1838, Chatham 1845. Atlanta, Georgia: R. J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation, 1979. (Family History Library book 975.8 X2c.)

Web Sites

FamilySearch Record Search has free census indexes and images for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1900; but indexes only for 1880, and 1920.

Ancestry $$: http://www.ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/GA/

Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/ga/census.html

Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/georgia.htm

Census Finder:  http://www.censusfinder.com/georgia.htm

Mortality Schedules:  http://mortalityschedules.com/

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.