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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