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Search the Census
By gathering your home resources, interviewing your relatives, and obtaining vital records for your ancestors, you've established a firm foundation for your genealogical research. Now, you're ready to tackle the census.
Census records have become a major source for locating the place where an ancestor lived, and after 1840 they also list age and place of birth, occupation, personal wealth, education, spouse, children, hired hands, and even immigration information. To protect individual privacy, the government doesn't release census data for 72 years after they take it. The 1930 census is the latest census available.
Microfilm copies of the original records from the 1790 through 1920 censuses are available to archives, libraries, and individuals. You may be able to use these records at a library near you; however, you are sure to find them at one of the regional branches of the National Archives or available for purchase or rental from HeritageQuest.
The National Archives branches are located at Washington, DC; Waltham, MA, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, East Point, GA, Kansas City, MO, Ft. Worth, TX, Denver, CO, San Bruno, CA, Laguna Niguel, CA, Seattle, WA, and Anchorage, AK.
Here's why a genealogist needs the census:
- For census years 1790-1840, it lists names of heads of household in every state. For census years 1850-1920, it lists the name of every person in a household. (Note: damage from a fire destroyed the 1890 census.) From 1880 forward, it shows the relationship of each family member to the head of household. A census tells you precisely where a person lived, which opens the door to many more discoveries.
- A census gives you the name of the county in which your ancestor's vital events occurred.
Genealogist's Glossary:
Census - a count of the population, by order of the constitution, conducted every ten years
For more information:
"The Federal Census Records: An Overview," a more in-depth explanation of the role the census plays in your research
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