Daily AncestorThe 1920 U.S. 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.
The fourteenth census was taken as of January 1, 1920, at the request of the Department of Agriculture, which wanted farm counts between growing seasons. Visits began on January 2. People with no fixed home were counted where they slept on the night of January 1.
The questions follow 1910 closely, but two favorites are gone: there is no count of children born and living, and no years of marriage.
The questions, column by column
| Home owned or rented, free or mortgaged | Leads to deeds and mortgages. |
|---|---|
| Name and relationship to the head of the family | As in 1910. |
| Sex, color or race, age, marital status | Children under 5 in years and months. |
| Year of immigration, naturalized or alien, year of naturalization | The year narrows your search for court papers. |
| Attended school, can read, can write | Marks of Yes or No. |
| Place of birth and mother tongue of the person, father, and mother | Asked for the person and for each parent. |
| Speaks English, occupation, industry, employer or employee | As in 1910. |
New this census
- Year of naturalization.
Watch out for
- Census day moved from April 15 to January 1, so ages can seem a year off when you compare 1910, 1920, and 1930.
- No children born or living and no years married.
- There was no separate Indian schedule in 1920.
Other schedules
- A separate population schedule covered military and naval personnel abroad, adding rank and a U.S. address.
Where to see it
- Microfilm T625. FamilySearch (free with an account) and Ancestry (free on computers at National Archives facilities) both index it and show the images.