Daily AncestorO
O in the home column of the 1900 to 1940 census means the family owned its home; in the 1930 class of worker column it means own account.
From 1900 to 1940, the enumerator wrote O on the head of the family's line when the home was owned and R when it was rented. Owned did not mean paid off: a home still under a mortgage was owned, and the 1900 rule counted even part ownership.
The same letter has another use. In the 1930 class of worker column, O meant working on one's own account, neither employer nor employee. An O on the head's line in the home column is a reason to look for a deed and tax records.
As seen in a recordHome ownership columns of the 1910 census
Bauer, Henry, Head, O, M
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "O." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/census-o. Last checked 2026-10-10.