Census schedules are among the most useful resources available to family historians. This is in a large part due to the details that they can provide. But because of the differences in each census, the questions asked and information provided may vary. Another variable is the availability of indexes, which directly impacts their usability for researchers.

Ancestry.com has developed the pages below to guide researchers through the challenges of research in U.S. Federal Censuses. They include the dates that the censuses were taken, questions asked in each enumeration, significant facts about the census, and research tips to help you get the most from these valuable resources. The information is from The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, edited by Loretto D. Szucs and Sandra H. Luebking, Chapter 5, “Census Records,” by Loretto D. Szucs.

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

Census Data at Ancestry.com
(Subscriber only databases)

Census Records Main Page

AIS Census Indexes

1890 Census Substitute