Michigan Census

United States > U.S. Census > Michigan > Census

Tips

If at first you don't find a name, try again under another spelling.
Photocopy each ancestor's census. Identify where you found it.
Look for an ancestor in every census during her or his lifetime.
On the family group record show each person's census listings.
Study others in the same household, neighbors, and anyone with the similar names nearby on the census in community context.

For a list of the exact date of each federal census, click here.

Online Michigan indexes and images

Template:Census Online Michigan

Federal population schedules

Microfilm images

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Michigan, click here

Federal non-population schedules

Online indexes and images

Online Federal Non-Population Schedules for Michigan
		Free			Free at Some Libraries (usually with library card)			Pay
Year	Type	Record Search	Census Bureau	Google Book	Heritage Quest	Ancestry FHL	Ancestry Library	Ancestry Home
1890	Veterans	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1880	Mortality	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1870	Mortality	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1860	Mortality	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1850	Mortality	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1840	Pensioners	-	BookLink	BookLink	-	Link	Link	Link

Microfilm images

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Michigan, click here.

State, territorial, and colonial censuses

More than 20 early territorial censuses were taken in various areas of Michigan. Historical background and the names found in the early lists are given in:

Russell, Donna Valley.Michigan Censuses, 1710–1830. Detroit, Michigan: Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, 1982. (Family History Library book 977.4 X2r.)

1827, 1834, 1837, 1845, 1854, 1864, 1874, 1884, 1894, and 1904--Other territorial and state enumerations were made in these years .

1827, 1837, and 1845-- Indexes for the territorial and state censuses have been published. The original schedules are housed in many different local repositories. The schedules of many counties are missing.

1884, 1894-- The most complete collections are for these censuses, which include detailed information on each family member.

More detailed information on Michigan census records is in "Michigan Census Schedules and Records," printed in the Summer-Fall 1978 issue of Family Trails.

Existing and lost censuses

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

Why use a census?

A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.

More about censuses

Click here for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:

Sources and footnotes

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