01 December 2010

Census day

If one of your relatives was born, married, or died during a census year, it’s important to know what date the census taker was using to collect household data. For example, if the census taker arrived August 15 and your ancestor died July 15, will he be listed on the census? That depends on the year. If the census was for 1850, then yes, your ancestor should be listed because the census taker was supposed to be asking who was in the household on June 1, 1850.

Use this chart as reference to the census days:  


Census
Year
Series
Census Day
1st
1790
M637
August 2 (1st Monday in August)
2nd
1800
M32
August 4 (1st Monday in August)
3rd
1810
M252
August 6 (1st Monday in August)
4th
1820
M33
August 7 (1st Monday in August)
5th
1830
M19
June 1
6th
1840
M704
June 1
7th
1850
M432
June 1
8th
1860
M653
June 1
9th
1870
M593
June 1
10th
1880
T9
June 1
11th
1890
M123
June 1
12th
1900
T623
June 1
13th
1910
T624
April 15
14th
1920
T625
January 1
15th
1930
T626
April 1
16th
T627
April 1
17th - 20th
1940 - 1980

April 1

For more information about the census, visit the U.S. Census Bureau web site.