Florida Census

Availability[edit | edit source]

1790-1820 -- There are no federal census records for Florida in this time period.

1830-1930 -- Census records are available for Florida from 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930.

The following counties are missing for their years:
Brevard 1850; Orange 1830 and 1840; Santa Rosa, 1850: Volusia, 1840 and 1850.

1850 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1850, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

1860 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1860 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1860, birthplace, occupation, other family members, whether married or single, and neighbors.

1870 United States Census---A free internet index and images can be viewed on FamilySearch Record Pilot site. This index includes the full name, age, sex, race, birthplace, occupation, month if born in census year, month if married in census year, birth place of father and mother, if born in a foreign country.

1890 -- The 1890 census and veterans schedules were destroyed.

1880 United States Census– A Free Internet Index and Images to the US Census can be viewed on the Family Search Record Pilot – Pilot Site. This index includes an every name index to population schedules listing inhabitants. It includes the full name, race, sex, age, birth month (if born during the previous year), relationship to head of household, whether married, single or divorced, whether married during the previous year, country or state of birth of each person and his parent’s, occupation and street address and house number.

1900 Federal Census - A free Internet index and images to the 1900 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. Important additions to this census are month and year of birth of each household member, number of years married for each married person, number of children born to each mother and the number of those still living, year of immigration, and number of years in the United States.

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

1819--Spain sold Florida to the United States. The treaty was not finalized until 1821.

1845--Florida becomes a state.

Indexes[edit | edit source]

Statewide indexes--Indexes are available for the 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses. Soundex (phonetic) indexes on microfilm exist for part of the 1880 and all of the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses.

Ancestry--All Florida federal census records are indexed at www.ancestry.com.

Special Censuses[edit | edit source]

Mortality Schedules
[edit | edit source]

The Florida State Archives has the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 mortality schedules. The Family History Library has the published indexes for each of these schedules.

Mortality Schedules 1850-1880

Colonial, Territorial and State Censuses[edit | edit source]

Colonial, territorial, and state censuses exist for 1783, 1786, 1790, 1793, 1814, 1825, 1837, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1868, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1935, and 1945. (Censuses taken in later years were destroyed.) Beginning with 1855, specific information is given for each individual. Only scattered fragments are available for the 1855 through 1895 censuses.

The censuses listed above are at the Florida State Archives. The Family History Library has returns for a few counties for various years on microfilm. The 1885 enumerations for 35 counties are on Family History Library films 888962-74.

The 1885 Florida State Population Census includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality.