Your Guide to Finding and Using U.S. Census Records

In the United States the census is taken every decade, in the year ending in zero. U.S. census records fron 1790-1930 are currently available to the researcher; 1940 will be made available in 2012. Almost none of the 1890 census survives and scattered earlier census schedules are also missing.

Some census records are actually on line, some available on CD... and all extant census records are available on good old-fashioned microfilm. But what good does it do you to have them available, if you don't know how to use them to their full advantage?

 

This guide is divided up into these chapters:

How-to Guides to using census records

On the web...

And, as always... for more link's see Cyndi's List. She devotes a whole section of her U.S. Census page to links to Census How-To information.

Books

Several books are available, either for purchase or at your local library and genealogy magazines contain a plethora of articles written on the subject. Below, I've named just a few and offer information to help you find them. [note: my find in a library results are set to show libraries near Ann Arbor. To find libraries near your town, type in your own zip code and flick "go"]

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Extractions and Transcription Forms

Using forms will help you copy the information accurately and completely as well as guide you in interpreting it later.

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Indexes and Soundex

For many years researchers worked without indexes to most of the censuses. Slowly, over the years, indexing was completed for the earlier census records. The government provided a "soundex" index for some of the censuses 1880 and later. Now there are online and CD indexes to the censuses. So the book indexess and soundexes are unnecessary, right? No! the online census indexes are fabulous, but they contain erors and problems. Sometimes the book index or soundex is just what you need to find your ancestor in the census. Sometimes all of them will fail and you will have to go through the census page by page, hoping you can find the family in the area where you think they should be. Book indexes can be found at major genealogy libraries and are quite straighforward to use, although you have to watch for indexing problems. Using the soundex can be trickier, although again technology has come to our rescue and there are online aids. If you are going to use any post 1870 census records--and unless you and all your U.S. ancestors died prior to 1880  those records are essential-- there will be a point at which you have to understand how to use the soundex system.

Soundex examples: 1920 1920card2 | 1930 | 1880 } 1910 miracode

Even if you learn how to soundex names, you will probably appreciate a handy soundex converter.

For more information, follow the links in Cyndi's Census List: Soundex section


Census records (1880-1930)

Census records 1880-1930 name everyone in household and specify relation of each person to the head of household. They are incompletely indexed by the "soundex" system. There are few book indexes covering these years. Commercial sites have also indexed these census records (see "Where to obtain" section on this page) Some commercial indexes for some decades index every person; for other decades the index is limited to heads of households and persons in the household with different surnames. It is possible for a person to get census information from the later censuses (1940+) by using the "Age Search Service"; note this is only if the record applies to one's self or a legal heir or representative. It won't be a full recordThe 1930 census was released in 2003; faced with hoards of genealogists panting at the door, NARA put out a multipage comprehensive guide to the 1930 census.

The German Roots website put up a helpful (and shorter) "What to expect from the 1930 census." 1930 is only partially soundexed.

The 1890 census is almost entirely lost; only a tiny portion remains. There is an 1890 census of Civil War Veterans.

In 1885 the federal government partially funded an optional census; Colorado, Florida, and Nebraska, and the Dakota and New Mexico Territories particpated. See "What Do You Know about the 1885 Census." Don't confuse this census with the mid decade census conducted by some states, but not as part of this effort.

1880 is indexed and available through familysearch.org census search. ( Be sure to select 1880 US.) This is a full name index; if you use the microfilm soundex, you need to remember that the 1880 soundex only indexes households with children under 10, and then only heads of households and people in the household with a different surname.

1850-1870 Censuses

Census records for these thre decades include names of everyone in household. Relationships are not specified and one of the pitfalls of genealogy is making relationship inferences from the composition of the household. Most, if not all, are indexed (at least by head of family) in book indexes, which are available at libraries with large genealogy collections.

Online subscription services index all of these censuses, although some may be limited to head of household.

1870 includes names and other information for every individual in the household.

1860 includes names and other information for every individual in the household.

1850 was the first census to offer name and other information for each ndividual in the household.

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1790-1840 Census Records

These are step-children of census records. Incomplete, hard to read and naming only the head of household, they are too often overlooked by researchers.

The NARA site has a section devoted to delving into these earlier census records: Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840

The University of Michigan Documents Center has a nice listing of the questions asked at each census enumeration: Historical United States Census Questionnaires (most useful for the 1790-1840)

John Michael Neill presents a 5 part case study of using pre-1850 census records as a basis for research.
Pt. 1 Categorizing Pre 1850 Census Records
Pt 2 Analyzing Pre 1850 Census Records pt.2
pt 3. The Saga of Thomas Chaney pt 3 The Wife
pt.4 Chasing Thomas Chaney in post 1840 Census Records
pt. 5 More Chasing the Ever Changing Chaneys Know what information you can expect to find, using these guides:

1790 Family History Library Research Guide

 

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Where to find census records.

There is a lot of sharing amongst genealogists. Rootsweb has a census look-up mailing list that you can use sometimes to get a census record from a volunteer-- or volunteer to look for others. Also there is a U.S. GenWeb Census Project census lookup message board.

To find your own records on the census ...

Film
  
Digital

1. Use at libraries with large genealogy collections. Most libraries do not hold a full run of census, but have only selected states. The Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana has a full run, as does the Mid Continent Public Library in Independece Missouri. Often a large University library will hold the census for that state; for example, The University of Michigan Library owns the complete census and soundex for Michigan.

2. Borrow through the LDS Library, which has a full run of the U.S. census. To find census records in the catalog, use the locality index to find the state, then check the subject census. In addition to film copies of the original federal census, you will find transcriptions, indexes and copies of some state censuses (taken mid decade).

3. Ask the librarian at your local public library to get the census you need on interlibrary loan.

4. Purchase or rent the microfilm from NARA. You will need to use the Census catalog to identify the rolls you want. ((It is possible to order a photocopy of a page, but at $17.50 a copy, it would make no sense to do that.)

5 Buy CD versions of the records. Be sure to check whether the CD includes an index or is searchable.

HeritageQuest sells census records on film and CD. They also offer individualized CD's that will show the location of every family with a specific surname.

Ancestry sells CD's that contain searchable images of the census records.

Genealogy.com sells CD's that contain census indexes

CensusView sells CD images of census records for a single county, but not every county is covered.

You can buy the 1880 census on CD from FamilySearch.org

 

 

  

1. Use one of the subscription database available through your local public or academc library's electronic resources collections. Right now the two most widely available are Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest Online. Not all libraries have both; if your library doesn't have at least one, submit a suggestion/request that the library make it available. In my area, only Heritage Quest online is available from home, with a library card. Ancestry Library Edition must be used in the library. I believe this is most often the case.

Ancestry Library Edition has the complete indexed census. You can search Ancestry Library Edit ion at the LDS Family Library and in Family History Centers. If you want access from home, you can purchase your own subscription (see below).

Heritage Quest Online has the complete census, but only some decades are indexed. Heritage Quest Online is available through libraries only, but if you have a library card, libraries can often allow you to search it from home.

2. Find free access sites on the web. Some sites try to keep track of the ever growing census records available online. Many of these are avaialable as part of the the U.S. GenWeb Census Project. U.S. GenWeb Census Project Census Researchers FAQ gives information for using this site.

The complete 1880 census has been transcribed and is available online at FamilySearch.org's Census search (use the dropdown to select this census only or search 1880 U.S. and 1881 British and Canada combined)

Usually these free records are transcripts, not images of the pages, but there are some noteable exceptions of libraries or societies posting the actual images.

Check these sites to see what is available.

3. Subscribe to commercial sites:

Ancestry.com

Genealogy.com (I have reservations about recommending a subscription to this site for anything except searching the numerous CD's they offer... and I don't really recommend a subcription for that purpose either! Access to Ancestry.com or Heritage Quest should suffice for census information.

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Mortality Schedules 1850-1880

Mortality scheudles enumerate those who died in the 12 months preceding census day. Remember: households were as of census day. A person may have died before the enumerator came... but after the official census day. In that case he would be listed on the regular schedules. Mortality schedules may list any or all of the following: name, age, colore, marital status, cause of death, length of ilnees, when and were the death occurred, occupation, place of birth and in 1880, place of birth of parents.

For more information, see George Morgan's "Using Mortality Schedules"

Many mortality schedules are now available on the subscription database, Ancestry.com. back to top

Non Population Census Records

The NARA site devotes a section to non-population census records, which include information about agriculture, manufacturing, business and social statistics.

State Census Records & Census Substitutes

Sometimes you can't get the information you need from one of the decennial censuses.

  • The 1890 census was almost completely destroyed
  • Many of the earlier census records are no longer extant
  • There is no decennial census prior to 1790
  • The 1940 and later censuses are not available
  • Even if a census exists, you may not be able to find your person enumerated.
  • You need information on the family mid decade.

In these instances the researcher must plan other research strategies to find subsitute information. There are two reference books that you will want to use:

State census records are an excellent source of subsitute or supplemental information. They exist for some (not all) states. These were usually taken mid decade and not all that were taken survive today.

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Calculating birthdates:

Aids on the web:
Calculating Birth Year Based on Census Information: this is my favorite. Nice layout, easy to use.

1790-1840 Census Year Birthchart -- very handy Here is a handy, printable

1850-1920 Census Year Birth Chart I disagree with the birth charts in this respect. I believe that if a person is age 6 in 1850, the birth year should be 1843/1844, not just 1844. We only know that the person was 6 as of the census date. Absent information about the month he was born, we don't know that he will not yet turn 7 in 1850. Thus the birth year for all these should be expressed as the year given or the year prior to that, i.e. 1843 or 1844. Census information is so uncertain anyway, perhaps this is being too picky. Still I think we should eek out every bit of information we can.

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Census Day

Census Day is the "as of" day that was supposed to be used for all census records. On the top of the form the enumerator specifies the exact date he took the census for a given page. It is always helpful to look at the actual enumeration day, when given, since the information could have been given with that date in mind, but information was supposed to represent the household as it existed on the official census day.

  • 1790 -1820 First Monday in August

  • 1830 -1880 June 1 1890 First Monday in June

  • 1900 June 1

  • 1910 April 15

  • 1920 Jan. 1

  • 1930 April 1, 1930 (Oct. 29. 1929 for Alaska)

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MORE LI NKS...
Cyndi's List: US Census Records

This page last updated June 12, 2008