United States Census

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Beginners' Corner

For a more complete beginning introduction, see U. S. Census Records Class Handout.

Key U.S. Census Indexes and Images Internet Links

United States Census Online Genealogy Records Internet links by year for FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage
AccessGenealogy - United States Census Records
Census Finder
CensusRecords.com ($) indexes & images 1790-1940
Fold3.com ($) index & images 1860 and 1930
Internet Archive images 1790-1930
My Free Census Find your ancestors in the U.S. census, and International census records
U.S. Census Bureau 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.
Census-Online
GermanRoots.com

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.
Find clues to other locations where the family lived
Show clues for finding other records.

Search Wiki Help Content

Contents of Federal Censuses

US Census Headings 1790-1860
US Census Headings 1870-1930
US Census Headings 1940
What You'll Learn in the Census Year by Year Ancestry.com ($) Comparison table of census headings
Historical Census Browser 1790-1960 (University of Virginia Library) [Closed Permanently]
- "The University of Virginia Library's Historical Census Browser site is permanently closed. Our librarians recommend that you use Social Explorer, a site that has current and correct data (along with additional data) and that allows mapping of search results. Another resource that has an accurate version of this data is the National Historical Geographic Information System site."

Contents by Federal Census Years

after 1940	1910	1870	1840	1810
1940	1900	1860	1830	1800
1930	1890	1850	1820	1790
1920	1880

Blank forms for each U.S. census year

Finding Census Records

Censuses in U.S. States

Censuses in U.S. Territories

Key Reference Sources

Map Guide to U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 ^[1] Shows county boundary changes in each state from 1790 to 1920, and which census areas were lost or still exist.
The Census Book: a Genealogist's Guide to Federal Census Facts, Schedules and Indexes: with Master Extraction Forms for Federal Census Schedules, 1790-1930 ^[2] An online edition is at HeritageQuestOnline. Discusses indexes, regular, and non-population schedules.
Censuses and Tax Lists ^[3] Strategies for finding elusive ancestors, and history of indexing.
Census Class Video ^[4]
State and Special Census Video ^[5]
Heads of Households Only Video ^[6]
United States Census, 1890 (FamilySearch Historical Records)

References

↑ William Thorndale, and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1987) [FHL Book 973 X2th].
↑ 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].
↑ 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. [FHL Book 016.9293 P96m]
↑ Tiffany Perkins, Tiff's Census Class (27 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online Mid-Continent Public Library, Midwest Genealogy Center, 2010.
↑ Gary Toms, State and Special Census Records (36 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online Mid-Continent Public Library, Midwest Genealogy Center, 2010.
↑ Angela McComas, Heads of Household Only: Analysis of Pre-1850 Federal Census (19 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online Mid-Continent Public Library, Midwest Genealogy Center, 2010.

[1] William Thorndale, and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1987) [FHL Book 973 X2th].

[2] 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].

[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. [FHL Book 016.9293 P96m]

[4] Tiffany Perkins, Tiff's Census Class (27 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online Mid-Continent Public Library, Midwest Genealogy Center, 2010.

[5] Gary Toms, State and Special Census Records (36 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online Mid-Continent Public Library, Midwest Genealogy Center, 2010.

[6] Angela McComas, Heads of Household Only: Analysis of Pre-1850 Federal Census (19 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online Mid-Continent Public Library, Midwest Genealogy Center, 2010.

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