The Census Information

Information Found in Census Records listed on Ancestry.com (1)

Name
1790–1840: Lists head of household only.
1850–1870: Lists each resident.
1870–1930: Asked names of slaves and Native Americans.

Address
1880–1930: Lists street name and house number.

Birth Information
1790–1840: Lists number of residents within specified age categories.
1850–1930: Lists age and birthplace of each individual.
1880–1930: Lists birthplace of each person’s mother and father.

Marriage Information
1850–1890: Asked if married within previous year.
1880–1930: Lists marital status.
1910–1930: Asked age at first marriage.

Death Information
1850–1880: Includes mortality schedule, lists data on persons who died within a previous year.

Children
Pre-1850: Lists number of residents within specified age categories.
Post-1850: Lists each child by name and age.

Relation to the head of household
1880–1930: Lists each person’s relationship to the head of household.

Citizenship/Immigration/Naturalization
1820: Lists number of persons not naturalized.
1830–1840: Lists number of aliens.
1870: Asks if parents were foreign born and if adult males were citizens.
1880–1930: Lists birthplaces of parents.
1890: Asks if naturalization papers had been filed.
1900–1930: Asks for year of immigration to the U.S. and naturalization status.
1930: Asks if a different language was spoken before immigrating to the U.S.

Occupation
1820–1840: Lists employment statistics in agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing.
1840: Includes statistics on mining, trade, navigation, engineering, and "learned professions."
1850: Lists the occupation (including military service) of any male over the age of fifteen.
1870: Lists the occupation of any resident, regardless of gender.
1880: Lists the periods of employment during the census year.
1910–1930: Lists industry as well as occupation.
Each census asks questions concerning unemployment.

Military Service
1840: Lists the name and age of military pensioners, or their widows.
1850: Lists the occupation (including military service) of any male over the age of fifteen.
1880: Lists enumerations of military personnel, reservists, civilian employees, and base residents.
1890: Lists military service in Civil War, if any. An 1890 military schedule provides service details.
1900: Lists military personnel serving abroad.
1910: Asks all males over fifty-five if they served in the Civil War.
1930: Asks all residents if they were veterans, and if so, from which conflict.


(1)Ancestry.com