Historical census records from past decennial censuses of population are the most requested historical information produced BY the Census Bureau but are not available FROM the Census Bureau. Records from population censuses that occurred over 72 years ago are passed on to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) where they are made available to the public. Personal census records that haven’t been made public by NARA are available only to the individual or legal heirs via the Census Bureau’s Age Search service.
In this section you’ll find links to information about census records that will help you to:
Online subscription services are available to access the 1790–1950 census records. Many public libraries provide access to these services free of charge to their patrons.
Contact your local library to inquire if it has subscribed to one of these services.
The United States has collected data about its population since 1790 and continues to collect data every 10 years. Currently, the National Archives has the 1790 to 1940 census records available to the public.
In addition to the censuses conducted by the federal government, many state censuses have been conducted. Some of these date to the colonial period. Although the National Archives may have some of these records, contact your state or local archives to inquire about their state census holdings.