Using U.S. Federal Census Records, 1790-1930

What is the U.S. Census?

The federal census is a survey of U.S. inhabitants which the government records to learn about the population. The information recorded during this survey helps the federal government consider issues such as taxation, congressional representation, and immigration law. Federal censuses were taken every ten years beginning in 1790. The 1890 census burned.

The federal government used several forms for their census records. Each form is called a schedule.  Generally when people refer to the census, they are referring to the population schedules.  To learn about other schedules of the U.S. census, see the section entitled "Special Federal Census Schedules."

Why Search Federal Census Records?

There are many reasons why the federal census is so valuable to genealogists.  Here are just a few:

• Wide Scope: The federal census includes a larger percentage of the population than most other records of its era. By 1850, the census began listing information on every member of a household.
• Little Information Needed to Search: To search most types of records, the researcher must know the city or county where the ancestor lived. To search the census, by contrast, one only need know his ancestor's state of residence. Some census indexes are even nationwide, allowing a search of an ancestor whose state of residence is unknown!
• High Yield: Census records yield a wide variety of information on each family. They also lead to more types of records than almost any other source.
• Convenient Access: Census records are available at National Archives branches, public and university libraries, and on the Internet.

Content

The genealogical information included in each census differs from year to year.  However, here are some of the types of information you might discover in a census: 

• Name
• Age
• Race
• Relationship to head of household
• State or nation of birth
• State or nation of birth of parents
• Number of years married
• Number of children born to a mother, and how many still living
• County, town, and street address
• Occupation
• Military service
• Literacy in English
• Value of real estate or personal property
• Year of arrival in United States
• Naturalization (citizenship) status and year

The census was often re-designed between each census year. To learn what kinds of information are recorded on each federal population schedule, please see the chart entitled Genealogical Information in the U.S. Census (102k). 

Examples of Each Year's Census

When learning about a type of record that is new to you, it is sometimes helpful to see examples of that record type.  Below are scanned images taken from each year's population schedule.

Finding Census Records

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Searching Census Records

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Special Federal Census Schedules

In certain years, the government used the following special schedules:

• Union veterans (and widows of vets) of the Civil War (1890).
• Mortality schedules of those who died within a year of the census enumeration date (1850-1880 available).
• Agricultural schedules for farms (1840-).
• Manufacturing/Industrial schedules for all businesses with $500 or more gross profit (1820, 1850-1880).
• Slave schedules (pre-1870).