1810 U.S. Census
This article originally appeared in "Census Records" by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Matthew Wright in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy
The 1810 census began on 6 August 1810. The count was due within nine months, but the due date was extended by law to ten months. The official census population count was 7,239,881.
Contents
Questions Asked in the 1810 Census
The 1810 Census called for the name of the family head; the number of free white males and females in age categories 0 to 10, 10 to 16, 16 to 26, 26 to 45, 45 and older; the number of other free persons except Indians not taxed; the number of slaves; and the town or district and county of residence.
Research Tips for the 1810 Census
The 1810 census records are useful in identifying the locality to be searched for other types of records for a named individual. The 1810 census will, in most cases, help distinguish the target family from others of the same name; help to determine family size; locate possible relatives with the same name; identify immediate neighbors who may be related; identify slaveholders; and spot spelling variations of surnames. Free men 'of color' are named as heads of household. Slaves appear in age groupings by name of owner. By combining those age groupings with probate inventories and tax list data, it is sometimes possible to determine names of other family members and the birth order of those individuals. Manufacturing schedules are scattered among the 1810 population schedules.
For a state-by-state listing of census schedules, see The 1790'1890 Federal Population Censuses: Catalog of National Archives Microfilm. For boundary changes and identification of missing census schedules, see Thorndale's and Dollarhide's Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790'1920.
Comparison of Census Information, 1790-1940
Personal Info on Census | 1790 | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 |
Name of family head only | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
Headcount by age, gender, ... | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
Standard census form | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
Names of all individuals | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Age | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Sex | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Color | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Profession or occupation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Place of birth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
Attended school that year | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Highest grade completed | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Married that year | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
Read or write | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
Deaf, blind, insane, idiotic, ... | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
Real estate value | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||
Personal estate value | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
Separate slave schedule | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
Father of foreign birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Mother of foreign birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Month of birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Month of birth that year | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
Male citizen over 21 years | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Male over 21 denied vote | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Visitation number of dwelling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Visitation number of family | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
Street name in city | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
House number in city | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
Relationship to family head | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
Marital status | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||
Month of marriage that year | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
No. of months unemployed | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
Father's birthplace | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | sup | |||||||||
Mother's birthplace | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | sup | |||||||||
Sickness on census day | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Year of birth | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
No. of years present marriage | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
Mother how many children | ✔ | ✔ | sup | ||||||||||||
Number of children living | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||||
Year of immigration to US | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||
No. of years in US | ✔ | ||||||||||||||
Naturalization status | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||||||
Months attended school | ✔ |