United States Census, 1930 - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
Index to the population schedules from National Archives microfilm publication T626, Fifteenth Census of the United States,1930. The collection is part of Record Group 29 Records of the Bureau of the Census.The index includes the 48 states as well as Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Consular Services, Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The census will identify the place of residence on April 1, 1930 for each person counted. The index was created by FamilySearch and Ancestry.com.

Population schedules were recorded on large sheets with rows and columns. The schedules are arranged by state, county, place, and enumeration district. The districts are not always filed in sequential order. The arrangement of families on a schedule is usually the order in which the enumerator visited the households.

Federal census takers were asked to record information about all the people who were in a household on the census day, which was April 1 for the 1930 census. A census taker might have visited the residence on a later date, but the information collected was to have been about the people in the residence on the census day. The basic census enumeration unit was the county. Each county was divided into enumeration districts, one for each enumerator. The completed forms were sent to the Census Office of the Commerce Department in Washington, D.C. The schedules cover 95 to 97 percent of the population.

The U.S. federal census has been taken at the beginning of every decade, beginning in 1790, to apportion the number of representatives a state could send to the House of Representatives. In the absence of a national system of vital registration, many vital statistics and personal questions were asked to provide a statistical profile of the nation and its states.

Federal censuses are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care taken by the census enumerator. Realize that any family member or even a neighbor may have supplied information to the census taker. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

1930 Census
 * State, county, township, city/town/precinct, and enumeration district
 * Name of street and house number
 * Name of head of household
 * Names of all members of household
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Age on last birthday (can be used to calculate an approximate birth year)
 * Married or single
 * Age at time of first marriage
 * Birthplace of each member of household)
 * Father's birthplace
 * Mother's birthplace
 * Language spoken
 * Occupation
 * Industry
 * Veterans: What war or expedition?
 * Abbreviations:
 * (WW) World War
 * (Sp) Spanish-American
 * (Civ) Civil War
 * (Phil)Philippine Insurrection
 * (Box) Boxer Rebellion
 * (Mex) Mexican expedition

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age and birth place of your ancestor
 * The state and county where your ancestor lived
 * The names of other family members

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select County
 * 3) Select Township
 * 4) Select District  to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date. This date along with the place of birth can help you find a birth record. Birth records often list biographical and marital details about the parents and close relatives other than the immediate family
 * Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau or Indian censuses
 * Use the naturalization information to find their naturalization papers in the county court records. It can also help you locate immigration records such as a passenger list which would usually be kept records at the port of entry into the United States

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Remember that as with any index, transcription errors may occur
 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Look for another index. Local historical and genealogical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search neighboring localities or states
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Finding a Person in the 1930 Census (Even Without An Index)
 * Using the Census to find other records about ancestors
 * United States Census Abbreviations

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * United States, 1930 federal census : population schedules ; NARA T626
 * 1930 Census of merchant seamen : NARA, M1932
 * Fifteenth census of the United States, 1930 : the Indian population of the United States and Alaska
 * Panama Canal and Consular Services, 1930 federal census : population schedules ; NARA microfilm publication T626
 * Census descriptions of geographic subdivisions and enumeration districts ... 1930 : NARA, T1224 rolls 61-90
 * United States, 1930 census soundex : NARA microfilm publications M2049-2060

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * Census of Merchant Seamen, 1930
 * Enumeration District Maps, 1900-1940
 * Florida, 1935
 * Rhode Island, 1935
 * South Dakota, 1935

Related Digital Books

 * Fifteenth census of the United States 1930

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Estados Unidos, Censo, 1930 (Registro Histórico do FamilySearch)