United States Census

U.S. Census Topics Accuracy Analyzing/Using Data Availability Historical Background Indexes Jurisdictions Limitations Maps Online Sources Registers at the FHL Searching Soundex Terms Non-Population Schedules Agricultural Schedules Defective Schedules Indian Schedules Mortality Schedules Manufacturing or Industrial Schedules Slave Schedules Social Statistics Schedules Veterans Schedules Other Types of Censuses Church Censuses Colonial Censuses Indian Censuses Institutions Military / Naval Forces State Censuses Territorial Censuses Substitute Records  Other records that show where people lived are: Directories Maps (especially plat and insurance maps) Taxation Voting Registers

United States  >  Census Key U.S. Census Internet Links Record Search free indexes & images 1850-1920 U.S. Census Online Internet links U.S. Census Bureau 12 free 1790 census indexes Ancestry.com ($) indexes & images 1790-1930 HeritageQuest ($) images 1790-1930 + a few indexes Footnote.com ($) index & images 1860 and 1930 U.S. Surname Distribution for years 1850, 1880, 1920 and 1990 Value of Censuses A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city. 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. Show clues for finding other records. For details see United States Federal Census . 1940 Census The National Archives will be releasing the 1940 census digitally. Official information and announcements are continually placed on the 1940 census page. It includes several training videos. Steve Morse and his colleagues continue to add information about the 1940 census to his site. Contents of Federal Censuses Federal Census Years 1790 1820 1850 1880 1910 1800 1830 1860 1890 1920 1810 1840 1870 1900 1930 Blank forms for the US Census Census Records of Each State   Alabama   Alaska   Arizona   Arkansas   California   Colorado   Connecticut   Delaware   District of Columbia   Florida   Georgia   Hawaii   Idaho   Illinois   Indiana   Iowa   Kansas   Kentucky   Louisiana   Maine   Maryland   Massachusetts   Michigan   Minnesota   Mississippi   Missouri   Montana   Nebraska   Nevada   New Hampshire   New Jersey   New Mexico   New York   North Carolina   North Dakota   Ohio   Oklahoma   Oregon   Pennsylvania   Rhode Island   South Carolina   South Dakota   Tennessee   Texas   Utah   Vermont   Virginia   Washington   West Virginia   Wisconsin   Wyoming Censuses in U.S. Territories   American Samoa   Cuba   Guam   Panama Canal Zone   Philippines   Puerto Rico   U.S. Virgin Islands Key Reference Sources William Thorndale, and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1987) [FHL book 973 X2th]. Shows county boundary changes in each state from 1790 to 1920, and which census areas were lost or still exist. William Dollarhide, The Census Book: a Genealogist's Guide to Federal Census Facts, Schedules and Indexes: with Master Extraction Forms for Federal Census Schedules, 1790-1930. (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1999)[FHL book 973 X27d]. An online edition is at HeritageQuestOnline. Discusses indexes, regular, and non-population schedules. 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. Strategies for finding elusive ancestors, and history of indexing. Things you can do In order to make this wiki a better research tool, we need your help! Many tasks need to be done. You can help by: Expand an article or short page Create a new article Categorize articles Add external links to articles Add internal links to articles Other...

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

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)