Beautiful Family Tree

About State Census Records

Since 1790 the USA conducted research to count the population and where people lived. The Federal Census is taken every 10 years and State information was recorded periodically. From these records you can learn about your ancestors, only if you carefully read and digest the contents of these documents. You can also find valuable genealogy information from agricultural, business, and mortality census records too.

What you can Learn from a Census Record

Each census has different questions that can help you to learn about your ancestors in various ways. Below are just a few examples of what you can find:

  • After 1900, you can map exactly where your relative lived as most contain the street address and house number.
  • You can see if your ancestor changed occupations.
  • You can discover if they owned land and how much money it was worth.
  • You can find out how long someone was married.
  • You can also find out how many children were born and how many are living.

Avoid Five Common Census Research Mistakes

  • Consider all reasonable matches when performing genealogy searches. Do not assume the first “close” match is the right person or family. When tracing your ancestors When tracing your ancestors, remember there could be several families with the same name, living in the same area.
  • Not verifying or comparing the information with other documents to confirm the source is for your ancestor.
  • Don't assume the oldest male is necessarily the head of household or that everyone is a family member. The family could have raised children other than their own.
  • Don’t overlook a family because it lists more children than expected. This can indicate a prior marriage.
  • A family structure that is different than what you expected can indicate you are looking at the wrong household.

Hints to be Successful with your Searches

  • Try using a different spelling if you can’t find your ancestor. The people recording the data often wrote the name the best they could with the way it sounded.
  • When using online databases, mistakes may have been made during the transcription process. It is easy to do when copying handwriting.
  • If you can’t find what you are looking for, search using abbreviations, variations, phonetic spellings, nicknames, initials, or substitute letters that are commonly mistaken for other letters.
  • Be sure to check surrounding counties, as boundaries have changed over the years.
  • If you can’t find your ancestor, think of various reasons why you couldn't find your ancestor. Maybe they got married or temporarily moved for a job.
  • Check to see where the parents, siblings, other family members, or known close friends are. Locating other family members can lend a clue to finding your ancestor.
  • If searching for information from 1890, remember the federal census for that year was destroyed in a fire and only a few records remain.

Good Genealogy Research Practice Includes:

  • Using several documents to verify the information you have is correct.
  • Be careful to analyze all the data that can be learned from each and every document.
  • Analyze the data and make notes as to why you think the information is or is not for your ancestors.
  • Good record keeping will help you to stay on the right track for future searches.

Coming Soon – The 1940 Federal Census

It will be made available to the public on April 1, 2012 by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Available State Census Records:

*1890 Federal Census available for these states

State First Year Federal Census State Census Records
Alabama 1820* 1818 (partial), 1820, (partial), 1821 (partial), 1823, 1850, 1855, 1866, 1907
Alaska 1900 1870, 1878, 1879, 1881, 1885, 1887, 1890-1895, 1904, 1905, 1906-1907, 1914, 1917, (all Partial)
Arizona 1870 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1874, 1876, 1880, 1882 (all partial)
Arkansas 1830 1823, 1829, 1865, 1911 (all partial)
California 1850 1788, 1790, 1796, 1797-1798, 1816, 1836, 1844 (all partial), 1852 (complete)
Colorado 1870 1861, 1866 (partial) and 1885
Connecticut 1790 *Colonial: 1670, 1756, 1762, 1774, 1776. State: No state census records are known to exist
Delaware 1800 1782 (partial)
District of Colu mbia 1800* 1803, 1867, 1878
Florida 1830 1825, 1885 and 1895 (complete), 1855, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1875, 1935, 1945 (all partial)
Georgia 1820* 1859 (complete), 1798, 1800, 1810, 1827, 1834, 1838, 1845, 1852, 1853, 1865, 1879 (all partial)
Hawaii 1900 1878 (partial), 1890, 1896 (partial)
Idaho 1870 none
Illinois 1820* 1810, 1818, 1825, 1830, 1835, 1845 (each missing all but a few counties), 1840 (missing about half the counties), 1820, 1855, 1865 (partial, but reasonably intact)
Indiana 1820 1807, 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919, 1931 (all partial)
Iowa 1840 1836, 1838, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1854 (all Partial), 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925.
Kansas 1860 1855 (partial), 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925
Kentucky 1810 none
Louisiana 1810 1853 (partial), 1858 (partial)
Maine 1790 1837 (partial)
Maryland 1790 1776 and 1778 (both partial)
Massachusetts 1790 1855, 1865
Michigan 1820 1854, 1864, 1874, 1884, 1894, 1904 (complete), 1837, 1845, 1888 (all partial)
Minnesota 1850* 1849, 1853, 1855, 1857, 1865 (all partial), 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905
Mississippi 1820 1801, 1805, 1808, 1810, 1816, 1818, 1820, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1830, 1833, 1837, 1840, 1841, 1845, 1850, 1853, 1860, 1866 (all partial)
Missouri 1830 1797, 1803, 1817, 1819, 1840, 1844, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1876, 1880 (all partial)
Montana 1870 none
Nebraska 1860 1854, 1855, 1856, 1865, 1869 (all partial), 1885
Nevada 1870 1862-1863 (partial), 1875
New Hampshire 1790 none
New Jersey 1830* 1855, 1865, 1875 (all partial), 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915
New Mexico 1850 1790, 1823, 1845, 1885 (all partial)
New York 1790 1790, 1825 (all partial), 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, and 1925
North Carolina 1790* 1786 (partial)
North Dakota 1880 1885 (partial), 1915, 1925
Ohio 1820* none
Oklahoma 1900 1890 and 1907 (both partial)
Oregon 1850 1875, 1895, 1905 (complete), 1842, 1843, 1845, 1849, 1850, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1865, 1870, 1885 (all partial)
Pennsylvania 1790 none
Rhode Island 1790 1774, 1777, 1782, (partial), 1865, 1875, 1885, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935
South Carolina 1790 1825, 1839, 1869, 1875 (all partial)
South Dakota 1880* 1885, 1895 (both partial), 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1945
Tennessee 1810 1891 (partial)
Texas 1850* 1829 - 1836
Utah 1850 1856
Vermont 1790 none
Virginia 1810 1782, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786 (all partial)
Washington 1860 1856, 1857, 1858, 1860, 1871, 1874, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1898 (all partial)
West Virginia 1870 none
Wisconsin 1840 1836, 1842, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905 (entire state), 1838, 1846, 1847, 1855, 1865 (all partial)
Wyoming 1870 1875, 1878 (both partial)