What’s On Each US Federal Census From 1790-1940?

1790 Census

• Name of family head of the household
• Free white males, 16 years of age and up
• Free white males, under 16 years of age
• Free white females
• Slaves

1800 Census

• Name of family head of the household
• If they are white
• Their age and sex
• Their race
• Slaves

1810 Census

• Name of family head of the household
• If they are white
• Their age and sex
• Their race
• Slaves

1820 Census

• Name of family head of the household
• Their age, sex, and race
• If they are foreigners that are not naturalized
• Slaves
• Industry (agriculture, commerce, and manufactures)

1830 Census

• Name of family head of the household
• Their age, sex, and race
• Slaves
• If they are deaf and dumb, or blind
• If they are foreigners that are not naturalized

1840 Census

• Name of family head of the household
• Their age, sex, and race
• Slaves
• The number of deaf and dumb
• The number of blind
• The number of insane and idiotic and whether in public or private charge
• The number of persons in each family
• If they are employed in each of six classes of industry and one of occupation
• If they are literate
• If they are pensioners of the Revolutionary War or military service

1850 Census

• Name of each person in the household
• Their age, sex, and race
• Whether they are deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic
• The value of real estate owned
• The occupation of each person
• The birthplace by state
• Whether they were married within the year
• School attendance
• Literacy
• Whether a pauper or convict
• Supplemental schedules for slaves, and persons who died during the year

1860 Census

• Name of each person in the household
• Their age, sex, and race
• The value of real estate
• The value of personal estate
• The occupation of each person
• The birthplace by state
• Whether they were married within the year
• School attendance
• Literacy
• Whether they are 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 Census

• Name of each person in the household
• Their age, sex, and race
• The persons occupation
• Value of real estate
• Value of personal estate
• The birthplace by state
• 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
• Supplemental schedules for persons who died during the year

1880 Census

• Address
• Name of each person in the household
• Relationship to head the head of the household
• Their sex, race, and 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 Census

• General schedules mostly destroyed. Supplemental schedules for Union veterans of the Civil War and their widows

1900 Census

• Address
• Name of each person in the household
• Relationship to family head
• Their sex, race, and age
• Month and year of birth
• 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 Census

• Address
• Name
• Relationship to family head of household
• Persons sex, race, and 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 Census

• Address
• Name
• Relationship to family head of household
• Persons sex; race; and 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

1930 Census

• Address
• Name
• Relationship to head of household
• Home owned or rented
• Value or monthly rent
• Radio set
• Whether on a farm
• Persons 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 Census

• Address
• Home owned or rented
• Value or monthly rent
• Whether on a farm
• Name
• Relationship to head of the household
• Persons 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