Daily AncestorEvery U.S. census, 1790 to 1950
What each census asked, the official census day that ages count from, what is new that year, and the traps to watch for.
The 1790 census
The first U.S. census, begun August 2, 1790, names only the head of each household and counts everyone else in a few broad groups.
Census day August 4, 1800The 1800 census
The 1800 census, dated August 4, 1800, still names only household heads but sorts free white people into five age groups for each sex.
Census day August 6, 1810The 1810 census
The 1810 census, dated August 6, 1810, asks the same questions as 1800, but many states' pages are lost, so check what survives before you search.
Census day August 7, 1820The 1820 census
The 1820 census, dated August 7, 1820, adds counts of unnaturalized foreigners, of workers in farming, trade, and manufacturing, and of free people of color by age.
Census day June 1, 1830The 1830 census
The 1830 census, dated June 1, 1830, was the first on uniform printed forms and splits free white people into 13 age groups, starting with under 5.
Census day June 1, 1840The 1840 census
The 1840 census, dated June 1, 1840, names Revolutionary War and other military pensioners with their ages, a rare chance to find an older relative by name.
Census day June 1, 1850The 1850 census
The 1850 census, dated June 1, 1850, is the first to list every free person in a household by name, with age, sex, and place of birth.
Census day June 1, 1860The 1860 census
The 1860 census, dated June 1, 1860, adds the value of personal property and records occupations for women as well as men, the last count before the Civil War.
Census day June 1, 1870The 1870 census
The 1870 census, dated June 1, 1870, is the first taken after slavery ended, so formerly enslaved people are listed by name for the first time.
Census day June 1, 1880The 1880 census
The 1880 census, dated June 1, 1880, is the first to give each person's relationship to the head of household, plus marital status and parents' birthplaces.
Census day June 2, 1890The 1890 census
Most of the 1890 census was destroyed after a 1921 fire, but fragments naming over 6,160 people and special schedules of Union veterans and widows survive.
Census day June 1, 1900The 1900 census
The 1900 census, dated June 1, 1900, is the only one to give each person's month and year of birth, and it counts how many children each mother had.
Census day April 15, 1910The 1910 census
The 1910 census, dated April 15, 1910, asks if each man survived service in the Union or Confederate Army or Navy and records years of the present marriage.
Census day January 1, 1920The 1920 census
The 1920 census, dated January 1, 1920, adds the year an immigrant was naturalized, and its winter date can make ages look a year off.
Census day April 1, 1930The 1930 census
The 1930 census, dated April 1, 1930, asks the value of each home or the monthly rent, whether the family had a radio, and each person's age at first marriage.
Census day April 1, 1940The 1940 census
The 1940 census, dated April 1, 1940, asked two people on each page extra 'sample line' questions and marks who gave the answers to the enumerator.
Census day April 1, 1950The 1950 census
The 1950 census, dated April 1, 1950, and released April 1, 2022, is free to search by name at 1950census.archives.gov, the newest census open to the public.