Guide to Census Records

 

Below is a chart telling what information you will find on which Census.

 

Census Day
The census day is often misunderstood. The information given to the census taker was to be correct as of the census day. That was not always the same day as the census was taken. Person's who had died between the census day and the day the enumerator came to the house were to be listed as they were alive on the census day. Babies born after the census day were to be omitted as they were not there in the house on census day.

Census Day 1790-1960

First Monday in August
1790-1820
June 1
1830-1900
October 1
1880 Indian Schedule
April 15
1910
Jan 1
1920
April 1
1930-1960

 

Census Questions 1790-1930

age, sex, race of each person in Household
1850 forward
agriculture schedule
1850-1880
attendance in school
-months attending school
1850 forward
1900
birth month/year of each person
-birth month if born in census year
-birth state or country
1900
1870-1880
1850 forward
deaf, dumb, or blind
1850-1890, 1910
defective, dependant, delinquent schedules
-pauper or convict
-prisoner, convict, homeless child, pauper
1880
1850-1860
1890
disabled, crippled, maimed, bedridden, or other disability
-deformed
1880
1890
employer, self-employed, or wage earner
-months unemployed
-whether person worked yesterday or number on unemployment schedule
1910-1930
1880-1900
1930
home or farm as residence
-home owned or rented
-home free of mortage
-value of home or monthly rent
-farm owned or rented
-farm free of mortage
1890-1910, 1930
1890-1930
1890-1920
1930
1890
1890
illness, current or temporary disability
-chronic or acute illness
-length of time afflicted
1880
1890
1890
immigration year
-number of years in US
1900-1930
1890-1900
industry/manufacturing schedules
1820, 1850-1880
insane, idiot
-defective in mind
1850-1880
1890
language, native
-native language of parents
-speaks English
1890, 1910-1930
1920
1890-1930
male, eligible/not eligible to vote
1870
marital status
-age at first marriage
-married within the census year
-month of marriage within the census year
-number of years present marriage
1880 forward
1930
1850-1890
1870
1900-1910
mortality schedules
1850-1880
mother of how many children
-number living
1890-1910
1890-1910
name of each person in household
1850 forward
name of head of household only
1790-1840
naturalized citizen or first papers
-year of naturalization
1890-1930
1920
occupation
1850 forward
parents whether foreign born or not
-birthplace of parents
1870
1880 forward
radio set in home
1930
reading and writing, whether able to do so
-persons unable to read and/or write
1890-1930
1850-1880
relationship to head of household
1880 forward
slaves by age, sex, color
-number and age groups of slaves owned
1850-1860
1790-1860
social statistics schedule
1850-1880
street address of family
1880 forwardd
value of real estate owned -value of personal estate
1850-1870
1860-1870
veterans, pensioners
-Union Vets and widows special schedule
-Civil War Veteran, Union or Confederate, or widow
-Civil War Veteran, Union or Confederate
-veteran of US military or naval forces, which war
1840
1890
1890
1910
1930


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