*Note: From 1790 - 1820 the Enumeration Date was the first Monday in August. April 1 has been the Enumeration Date since 1930. The Enumeration Date is the "as of" date which recorded an individuals residence as of this date and not when the enumeration actually took place.

The United States census (plural censuses or census) is a census that is legally mandated by the Constitution of the United States. It takes place every ten years. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790 under Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. There have been 23 federal censuses since that time. [1]

Census records give valuable information about your ancestors including: names of family members, residence, year and sometimes month of birth, birthplace (state), and occupation. Some censuses reveal even the parents' birthplace (state).

Individual census records from 1790 to 1950 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, not the U.S. Census Bureau. The United States has collected data about its population since 1790 and continues to collect data every 10 years.

Because of a 72-year restriction on access to the Census, the most recent year available is 1950. The 1950 Census was released on April 1, 2022. The National Archives has the census schedules available from 1790 to 1950, and most have now been digitized by our digitization partners.