How to Use Online Census Records for Genealogy Research
The Census Bureau has collected household records since the late eighteenth century. Before America's independence, the British regularly conducted a census throughout the colonies. The public records online contain valuable information that can help you identify your ancestors and verify births, deaths, marriages and even relocations from one area of the United States to another. Use the census data to discover your ancestors.
Instructions
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Preliminary Research
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Collect the names and approximate birth dates (and deaths) of your ancestors from family members. Find out where each person lived.
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Use family bibles and graduation, funeral, insurance and military service records to verify as much information as possible, including alternate spellings of names that your ancestors might have used.
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Draft a family tree that shows where your ancestors might have lived during their lifetimes. Since the census data is only gathered every 10 years, list the known places of residence of your key family members (heads of household) from 1930 backward, in 10-year increments.
Online Research
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Visit the U.S. Census Bureau's website to begin searching for your family's records (see Resources below). The latest year that you can search is 1930 due to the bureau's privacy policy. The Census Bureau website does not have its data records available in digital format. The online records provide pointers to microfilm records for each state's enumeration district.
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Start with the census archives to use either the Soundex or the Geographic research features at the Census Bureau's site. Search for the targeted ancestor, using the option "Search ED."
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Locate your ancestor by either method to get microfilm matches. The Soundex search is available for only 13 states, all located in the south. The Soundex search requires you to select your ancestor's state.
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Enter either the family name or one of the Soundex codes that NARA developed for this census if you already have it. If you enter a surname, the Soundex codes will be generated for you.
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Use the Geographic search option for any ancestor who did not reside in one of the states with Soundex records. Enter the targeted city, county or other place identifier such as the name of a township, election precinct, river, prison or mental institution.
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Use the NARA codes to identify the microfilm stored at the Washington, D.C., National Archives and regional satellites. The site will provide the Soundex roll number, the Soundex's beginning and ending code numbers and the state that you selected. The Geographic search will also provide the correct county. Record it for future use.
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Record the publication number of the enumeration district's microfilm record that contains the name of the ancestor you have found in the census data online.
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Click on the microfilm's Soundex roll number. You can now choose to request a copy of the Soundex roll or view the regional NARA centers that have the roll in their local files. Get information from the matching microfilm roll by ordering and paying for a copy of it or by visiting the NARA regional satellite to see it. You can rent or buy the microfilm record.
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Tips & Warnings
The NARA site has direct links to conduct searches on all census records from 1790 to 1930.
The census records become public 72 years after the official census date. The 1940 census records will not be made public until 2012.
Many genealogy sites provide paid access to the census data. It is not necessary to pay to search the public census records
