U.S. Census Records

What's On Each Census Record?

U. S. Federal census records are a valuable tool for genealogists. Different information is contained in each record and each census is just a small piece of the puzzle. By collecting all the census records for your family, you will discover basic family information. Listed below is information you can expect to find in each census from 1790-1990.


Census Year Information Provided on Each Census

1790
Name of family head, free white males of 16 years and up; free white males, under 16; free white females; slaves; other persons.

1800 & 1810
Names of family head; if white, age and sex; race; slaves.

1820
Name of family head; age; sex; race; foreigners not naturalized; slaves; industry (agriculture, commerce, and manufactures).

1830
Name of family head; age; sex; race; slaves; deaf and dumb; blind; foreigners not naturalized.

1840
Name of family head; age; sex; race; slaves; number of deaf and dumb; number of blind; number of insane and idiotic and whether in public or private charge; number of persons in each family employed in each of six classes of industry and one of occupation; literacy; pensioners for Revolutionary or military service.

1850
Name; age; sex; race; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; value of real estate; occupation; birthplace; whether married within the year; school attendance; literacy; whether a pauper or convict. Supplemental schedules for slaves, and persons who died during the year.

1860
Name; age; sex; race; value of real estate; value of personal estate; occupation; birthplace; whether married within the year; school attendance; literacy; whether deaf and dumb; blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict; number of slave houses. Supplemental schedules for slaves, and persons who died during the year.
1870
Name; age; race; occupation; value of real estate; value of personal estate; birthplaces; whether parents were foreign born; month of birth if born within the ear; month of marriage if married within the year; school attendance; literacy; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; male citizens 21 and over, and number of such persons denied the right to vote for other than rebellion. Supplemental schedules for persons who died during the year.

1880
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; month of birth if born within the census year; occupation; months unemployed during the year; sickness or temporary disability; whether blind, deaf and dumb, idiotic, insane, maimed, crippled, bedridden, or otherwise disabled; school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and parents. Supplemental schedules for persons who died during the year.

1890
General schedules most destroyed. Supplemental schedules for Union veterans of the Civil War and their widows.

1900
Address; name: relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status, number of years married; for women, number of children born and number now living; birthplace of person and parents; if foreign born. year of immigration and whether naturalized; occupation; months not employed; school attendance; literacy; ability to speak English; whether on a farm; home owned or rented and if owned, whether mortgaged.

1910
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; number of years of present marriage; for women, number of children born and number now living; birthplace and mother tongue of person and parents; if foreign born, year of immigration, whether naturalized, and whether able to speak English, or if not, language spoken; occupation, industry, and class of worker: if an employee, whether out of work during year; literacy; school attendance; home owned or rented; if owned, whether mortgaged; whether farm or house; whether a survivor of Union or Confederate Army or Navy; whether blind, deaf and dumb.

1920
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; ii foreign born, year of immigration to the U.S., whether naturalized, and year of naturalization; school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and parents mother tongue of foreign born; ability to speak English; occupation, industry, and class of worker; home owned or rented; if owned, whether free or mortgaged,

1930
Address; name; relationship to family head; home owned or rented; value or monthly rental; radio set; whether on a farm; sex; race; age; marital status: age at first marriage: school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and parents; if foreign born, language spoken in home before coming to U.S., year of immigration, whether naturalized, and ability to speak English; occupation. industry, and class of worker; whether at work previous day (or last regular working day); veteran status; for Indian; whether of full or mixed blood, and tribal affiliation.

1940 *
Address; home owned or rented; value or monthly rental; whether on a farm; name; relationship to household head; sex: race; age; marital status; school attendance; educational attainment; birthplace; citizenship of foreign born; location of residence a years ago and whether on a farm; employment status; if at work, whether in private or nonemergency government work, or in public emergency work (WPA, CCC, NYA, etc.); if in private or nonemergency government work, hours worked in week; if seeking work or on public emergency work, duration of unemployment; occupation. industry, and class of worker; weeks worked last year; income last year.

1950 *
Address; whether house is on farm; name; relationship to household head; race; sex; age; marital status; birthplace; if foreign born, whether naturalized: employment status; hours worked in week; occupation, industry, and class of worker.

1960 & 1970 *
Address; name; relationship to household head; sex; race; age; marital status.

1980 *
Address; name; household relationship: sex; race: age: marital status; Spanish/Hispanic origin or descent.

1990 *
Address; name: household relationship; sex; age; marital status; race; Hispanic origin or descent; type of building occupied; owner or renter; size and value of property; rent cost.


* These census records are not currently available for viewing by the public. The US Government has mandated that the records be closed for 72 years after the census was taken. The 1940 census will be open after 2012.


...Sheila D. Watson.


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