U.S. Census records are invaluable tools for genealogists and family historians. They provide snapshots of individuals and households across decades, offering insights into ancestry, occupations, migration patterns, and more.
Key Resources:
Accessing Records:
By leveraging these resources, you can uncover rich details about your family's past and build a comprehensive family history.
HeritageQuest Online (Library Edition) is a research tool that lets you search actual historical U.S. Census records—great for locating individual people or households in the Census from 1790 to 1950.
Use it to:
Getting Started:
Pro Tip: If you can't find someone, try alternate spellings or a wider date range. Spelling wasn't always consistent in historical records!
The U.S. Census Bureau interface for distributing the Decennial Census of Population and Housing, the Economic Census, the American Community Survey, annual economic surveys, and other upcoming major related statistical files. This site is the primary source for the Census and the current economic census reports. The site is updated regularly with new data as it becomes available to the public.
HeritageQuest Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources -- rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. The collection consists of six core data sets: U.S. Federal Censuses, Genealogy and Local History Books, Periodical Source Index (PERSI), Revolutionary War Records, Freedman's Bank Records, and the Lexis Nexis U.S. Serial Set. Due to licensing agreements, the U.S. Serial Set is not available to academic libraries, so will not be searchable from our link. Milwaukee city directors from 1861-1960 are also available online.
Interactive tool that combines modern and historical US census and demographic data with an intuitive map interface, 1790 to present.