About the Censuses

• Name of family head
• free white males of 16 years and up
• free white males under 16
• free white females
• slaves
• other free persons

• Names of family head
• if white, age and sex
• race
• slaves

• Name of family head
• if white, age and sex
• race
• slaves

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

• Name of family head
• age; sex; race
• foreigners not naturalized
• slaves
• industry.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• Name
• age; race
• occupation
• value of real estate
• value of personal estate
• birthplace
• whether parents were foreign born
• month of birth if born within the year
• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 or deaf and dumb.
• Military Service in the 1910 Census indicates Service in Union or Confederate Army or Navy 
  • A word of caution: On the 1910 census, columns 30-32 are often "overwritten" with numbers like 2-1-0-0 or 6-9-0-0. These numbers are not the answers for columns 30-32, but were data summaries used by Census Bureau tabulators in Washington, DC, to compile statistical data. 
• The 1910 census (column 30) indicates whether the person was a "survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy." The answers are "UA" for Union Army, "UN" for Union Navy, "CA" for Confederate Army, and "CN" for Confederate Navy. These clues lead to military service and pension records.

• Address
• Name
•  relationship to family head
• sex; race; age;
• marital status
•  if 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.

• 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 Indians, whether of full or mixed blood, and tribal affiliation.

• 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 5 years ago and whether on a farm;
• employment status
• if at work, whether in private or non-emergency government work, or in public emergency work (WPA, CCC, NYA, etc.); if in private 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.

• 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.

• Address
• Name
• relationship to household head
• sex; race; age; marital status.

• Address
• Name
• household relationship
• sex; race; age; marital status
• Spanish/Hispanic origin or descent.

• Address
• home owned or rented
• name
• household relationship
• sex; age; birth date;
• race; Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin or descent.

• Agricultural Schedules
• Manufacturing Schedules
• Social Statistics Schedules
• Business Schedules, 1935
• Indian Census Rolls
• Presidents of the US Census Records

• The 1900 census (column 7) indicates the person's month and year of birth; the 1850-1880 and 1910-1940 censuses indicate the person's age. 
   
• The 1870 census (column 13) and 1880 census (column 7) indicate the month in which the person was born, if born "within the year," that is between June 1, 1869 and May 31, 1870 for the 1870 census, or June 1, 1879 and May 31, 1880, for the 1880 census. The official census day was June 1 in both 1870 and 1880, although the enumerator may have visited the household later. 
   
• While the person's age is not an exact date of birth, it at least provides a "ballpark" figure useful (1) for tracking the person from one census to the next, especially if other people have the same name, and (2) for locating the person in any existing vital records.

• The 1850-1940 censuses indicate the person's state or country of birth, which helps narrow the geographic scope of search for the specific town of birth.

• The 1850 census (column 10), 1860 census (column 11), 1870 census (column 14), and 1880 census (column 12) indicate whether the person had married within the year. 
   
• "Within the year" means during the year before the official census day, that is, between June 1, 1849 and May 31, 1850, for the 1850 census; between June 1, 1859 and May 31, 1860, for the 1860 census; between June 1, 1869 and May 31, 1870, for the 1870 census; and between June 1, 1879 and May 31, 1880, for the 1880 census. The official census day was June 1 in each of these census years, although the enumerator may have visited the household later. 
   
• The 1900 census (column 10) and 1910 census (column 9) indicate the number of years of marriage for each married person.

• The 1900 census (column 11) and 1910 census (column 10) indicate how many children were born to each woman. The 1900 census (column 12) and 1910 census (column 11) indicate how many of those children were still living. These clues can help determine whether the researcher has identified all children in each family, and whether any were deceased when either census was taken.

• The 1900 census (column 16), 1910 census (column 15), 1920 census (column 13), and 1930 census (column 22) each indicate the person's year of immigration to the United States. This information should help in locating a ship passenger arrival list.

• The 1870 census (column 19) has a check mark for "Male Citizens of the U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards." If the person was a foreign-born citizen, this means that he had become naturalized by 1870. 
   
• The 1900 census (column 18), the 1910 census (column 16), and 1920 census (column 14), and 1930 census (column 23) indicate the person's naturalization status. The answers are "Al" for alien, "Pa" for "first papers," and "Na" for naturalized. 
   
• The 1920 census (column 15) indicates the year in which the person was naturalized. 
  .
• Foreign-born parentsThe 1870 census (columns 11-12) have check marks if the person's parents were "of foreign birth." 
• The 1880 census (columns 25-26), 1900 census (columns 14-15), 1910 census (columns 13-14), 1920 census (columns 21 & 23), and 1930 census (columns 19-20) indicate the person's parents' birthplaces.

• Service in Union or Confederate Army or Navy 
  
  The 1910 census (column 30) indicates whether the person was a "survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy." The answers are "UA" for Union Army, "UN" for Union Navy, "CA" for Confederate Army, and "CN" for Confederate Navy. These clues lead to military service and pension records.
  • A word of caution: On the 1910 census, columns 30-32 are often "overwritten" with numbers like 2-1-0-0 or 6-9-0-0. These numbers are not the answers for columns 30-32, but were data summaries used by Census Bureau tabulators in Washington, DC, to compile statistical data. 
     
  • The 1930 census (column 31) indicates Civil War veterans with the abbreviation "CW."
     
• Military Service, 1898-1918, in Major Wars 
  
  The 1930 census (column 31) indicates military service in other wars with "Sp" for Spanish-American War, "Phil" for Philippine Insurrection, "Box" for Boxer Rebellion, "Mex" for Mexican Expedition, and "WW" for World War I.

• The 1850 census (column 8), 1860 census (column 8), and 1870 census (column 8) indicate the value of real property (land) owned by each person. 
   
• The 1900 census (column 25), 1910 census (column 26), 1920 census (column 7), and 1930 census (column 7) indicate whether the person owned ("O") or rented ("R") the home or farm. 
   
• The 1900 census (column 26), 1910 census (column 27), and 1920 census (column 8) indicate whether home and farm owners owned their property with a mortgage ("M") or free of mortgage ("F"). 
   
• The 1930 census (column 8) indicates the value of home, if owned, or the monthly rental, if rented. 
  
  These clues should lead researchers to the county recorder's office or equivalent agency for deeds, mortgages, and property tax records.

• The 1850 census (column 7), 1860 census (column 7), 1870 census (column 7), and 1880 census (column 13) all indicate the person's occupation. If the answer is "farmer," the researcher should look for information about the farmer's land ownership, crops, and livestock in the agricultural census schedules. If the person was a saw or grist miller, cheese maker, or other "manufacturer," the researcher should check the manufacturing census schedules.
   
• Agricultural census schedules exist for 1850-1880; manufacturing census schedules exist for 1820 and 1850-1880. 
• All Above Information from National Archives.