How to Use Census Records to Trace Ancestors

Learn to use census records to trace and find ancestors and use the information in writing narratives, building a family profile, history, and more.

What are census records?

A census is a government-sponsored enumeration of the population in a particular area. It contains a variety of information—names, heads of household (or all household members), ages, citizenship status, ethnic background, and so on. Below, I’ve discussed some different types of census records you are likely to come across in your research.

Search U.S. Census Records for Historical Family Research. Introduction to researching the U.S. Census when conducting individual and family historical research. Learn about U.S. Census records, prepare and use, and partial list of dos and don’ts in research.

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Census Records: Population Schedule

What are U.S. Census Population Schedules?

U.S. census records provide your research building blocks, allowing you to confirm the information and learn more. Since 1790, census “population schedules” are compiled every decade, detailed records of the federal government’s decennial survey of American households. The federal government uses information from the schedules for timely demographic analysis. The schedules themselves, of interest primarily to Genealogists, contain the personal information of the survey respondents. To protect the privacy of the people whose names appear in each schedule, census records are restricted for seventy-two years after the census is taken, not available to researchers during that time. I have prepared a series of census tutorials on how to search each U.S. Federal Census. Click on the year link to each guide.

1950 U.S. Census 1940 U.S. Census 1930 U.S. Census
1920 U.S. Census 1910 U.S. Census 1900 U.S. Census
1890 U.S. Census 1880 U.S. Census 1870 U.S. Census
1860 U.S. Census 1850 U.S. Census 1840 U.S. Census
1830 U.S. Census 1820 U.S. Census 1810 U.S. Census
1800 U.S. Census 1790 U.S. Census

Also, find these articles to assist you:

What information will you find in census records?

The earliest census records contain information on people born well before the American Revolution. In contrast, the 1940 schedules—the most recent ones open to public inspection—contain information on many people who are still living. Using these records, a researcher might conceivably trace a Family line from a living person down to an Ancestor born more than 250 years ago.

From 1790-1840, only the head of household is listed, along with the number of household members in selected age groups. Beginning in 1850, the name of every household member was recorded, along with their age, color, occupation, and place of birth. As other censuses were taken, additional questions were added.

From the 1850 census, the names, ages, occupations, and birthplaces (country or state only) of each household member were included.

The 1870 census gave, in addition to previous information, the month of birth if born during the year, the month of marriage if married within the year, and whether the father or mother of each individual was foreign-born.

The 1880 census (and later censuses) added two valuable pieces of information: the relationship of each person to the head of the household and the birthplace of the father and mother of each person.

The 1885 census was a special census, with population and mortality schedules conducted by the federal government to help five states or territories—Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Dakota Territory.

The 1890 census was largely destroyed by fire in 1921, and only fragments of it are available.

1900 and 1910 censuses ask the questions on the 1880 census, but also include the age of each individual, how many years he had been married, his year of immigration, and his citizenship status. The 1900 census also gives the month and year of birth. For mothers, it lists the number of children born and surviving. The 1910 census identifies Civil War veterans.

The 1920 census includes the same information found on the 1910 census. It gives ages but not the month and year of birth, and it also lists the year of naturalization, the only census to do so.

The 1930 census asks questions on the 1920 census and asks for marital status and, if married, age at first marriage. If the individual was an American Indian, it asks whether they are full-blooded or mixed blood and tribal affiliation.

The 1940 census included several standard questions: name, age, gender, race, education, and place of birth. But the census also introduced some new questions. After furnishing the family’s information, the instructions ask the enumerator to enter a circled x. It also asked whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24-30, 1940, and asked for their income for the twelve months ending December 31, 1939. The 1940 census also has a supplemental schedule for two names on each page. The supplemental schedule asks the place of birth of the person’s father and mother; the person’s usual occupation, not just what they were doing the week of March 24-30, 1940; and for all women who are or have been married, whether this woman had been married more than once and age at first marriage.

Other Census Records and Schedules

Be aware that in addition to population schedules, there were other schedules taken usually at the same time. There are online and print resources that provide more detail on these schedules and how to use them in ancestry research.

(Video) Introduction to U.S. Census Special Enumeration Schedules. An overview of the special enumeration schedules that are found in the U.S. Censuses. Learn about the mortality, agricultural, veterans, slave, and Indian special enumerations.

These other schedules include the following:

  • Mortality Schedule. Conducted from 1850 to 1885, provides information about persons who died during the twelve months before the census.
  • Veterans Schedule. Conducted in 1840 and 1890, provides information about Union veterans and their widows.
  • Slaves Schedule. Conducted in 1850 and 1860, shows enslavers and the number of enslaved people they owned. Slave schedules play a significant role in identifying the person who owned the enslaved people.
  • Agricultural Schedule. Conducted from 1850 to 1880, provides data on farms and the names of the farmers.
  • Manufacturing Schedule. Conducted in 1810 (fragments only), 1820, and 1850-1880, provides information on businesses and industries.
  • Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Schedule. Conducted in 1880, focuses on handicapped, paupers, or criminals.
  • Indian Schedules. Conducted in 1910. Indian schedules are found at the end of the regular population schedules for each county. The Indian schedules are similar to regular population schedules but have slightly different questions. They are not to be confused with the Indian census rolls.
  • Institutions schedule. Usually follows the county population schedules and includes jails, hospitals, poor houses, or asylums.
  • Merchant Seamen Schedule. Conducted on United States flag merchant vessels in 1930.
  • Military and Naval Forces Schedule. Conducted from 1900 to 1930 on forts, bases, and Navy ships and is usually found after the population schedule.
  • Social Statistics Schedule. Conducted from 1850 to 1870, includes information about real estate, annual taxes, cemeteries, school statistics, libraries, newspapers, and churches.

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Census Records Research Insights

What are some research insights for census records?

Use the census records to track your Ancestors’ movement over time, find names and rough birth years, determine relationships, learn birthplaces, find clues to the previous generation (such as their birthplace), learn street addresses, learn whether Ancestors were slaves or slave owners, learn occupations, learn another country of birth, learn of other children who likely died young, learn the year of immigration or naturalization, note naming patterns in your family, find clues to your family’s economic status, find some clues to education, find some clues to military service, find some clues to medical conditions, narrow year and place of marriage, learn about employment status, learn about exceptional circumstances (such as convicts and homeless children), learn native tongue, narrow death dates, and identify other potential branches of your family living nearby.

Using maps in conjunction with the census schedules is important

State and county boundaries have changed over the years so that an Ancestor may have lived in the same place for years but have been enumerated in several different counties. This is also important for urban dwellers since city precincts also change with time. The use of city directories and books such as those listed in guidebooks will help provide clues to possible localities.

Where will you find census records?

There are several resources for finding the United States Federal Census, including the following:

  •  United States Censuses 1850-1930—Free Internet census indexes and images of 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (index only), 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses can be viewed the FamilySearch Record Search.
  • Ancestry.com, a subscription Internet site, has online images and indexes for all available 1790-1940 population schedules, 1850 and 1860 slave schedules, most 1850 to 1885 mortality schedules, surviving 1890 veteran’s schedules (Ohio and Pennsylvania), and the 1930 merchant seamen schedules.
  • Heritage Quest, a subscription Internet site, has online images for all 1790 to 1940 federal population schedules and 1850 and 1860 slave schedules. They also have indexes for some years.

Are there other census or enumeration schedules?

Below is an outline of other censuses and enumeration schedules that may be helpful in your research.

  • State censuses. In addition to the decennial censuses of the federal government, many states also produced their censuses in the intervening years. State census records vary significantly from state to state based on the code required and when the state thought it was essential to enumerate its citizens. The state and local enumerations can fill in gaps for when the federal census does not exist and when you “just know” the people were in a particular area, but the federal census records don’t show them. Many researchers have used state and local enumerations to fill in for the 1890 Federal census.
  • Local enumerations. Many cities, towns, and counties conducted special censuses. Some of these local enumerations are found under such titles as school censuses, sheriff’s censuses, and various ethnic censuses.

Other Records to Help in Ancestry Research

Where can I learn more about how to trace ancestry?

The following are important articles for learning about ancestry and historical research.

Where can I learn more about records to trace ancestry?

The following is an overview of 15 types of vital, government and historical records I have found constantly valuable in my individual, family, and narrative research. These records provide vital and biographical information on individuals and families. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces for writing narratives and other historical research.

For each record type, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each record type. I would encourage you to use this article as a starting point from which you can search out and find other record tutorials guides and help to provide deeper insights.