United States Census

Beginners' Corner

 * What are the U.S. census records?
 * What time periods do they cover?
 * What can I find in them?
 * How do I access them?
 * Search strategies

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 ($) indexes &#x26; images 1790-1940
 * Fold3.com ($) index &amp; 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.

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

 * United States Bureau of the Census. 200 years of U.S. census taking: population and housing questions, 1790-1990.

National Archives

 * Department of the Interior. 10th Decennial Census Office. Superintendent of the Census. ca. 1877-ca. 1885. Organization Authority Record

County Copies of Population Schedules

 * United States Census Records County Copies, 1850-1880

Nonpopulation Census Schedules

 * United States Census Records Nonpopulation Census Schedules-1820,1850-1880
 * United States Census Agricultural Schedules
 * United States Census Defective Schedules
 * United States Census Manufacturing Schedules
 * United States Census Mortality Schedules
 * United States Census Social Statistics Schedules

Additional Resources

 * Map Guide to U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 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 An online edition is at HeritageQuestOnline. Discusses indexes, regular, and non-population schedules.
 * Censuses and Tax Lists Strategies for finding elusive ancestors, and history of indexing.
 * Census Class Video
 * State and Special Census Video
 * Heads of Households Only Video
 * United States Census, 1890 - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Publications of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 1917. NARA T825