History of the U.S. Census Bureau
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Factfinding is one of America’s oldest activities. In the early 1600s, a census was taken in Virginia, and people were counted in nearly all of the British colonies that became the United States at the time of the Revolutionary War. (There also were censuses in other areas of the country before they became parts of the United States.)
Following independence, there was an almost immediate need for a census of the entire Nation. Both the number of seats each state was to have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the states’ respective shares in paying for the war were to be based on population.
Census History Story of the Month
Explore Census Bureau History
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Our StoriesOral histories by retiring or retired Census Bureau employees provide a special insight into census operations and planning.
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The 72-Year RuleThe U.S. government will not release personally identifiable information about an individual to any other individual or agency until 72 years after it was collected.
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Facts by DecadeGet a quick portrait of the U.S. by decade with pop culture milestones, population highlights, census details, and the 10 largest urban places.
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Survey and Census HistoryLearn the history of our different censuses, surveys, and statistical programs, from the Decennial Census and Economic Census to demographic and more.
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Census ArtifactsLearn more about some of these interesting artifacts and their importance to the censuses and surveys we conduct.
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Teacher and Student ResourcesCensus data can give students a deeper understanding of historic events.
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Data@MuseumsData@Museums shows how demographic, agriculture, and economic census data are used to educate visitors.
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Census Bureau Data Collection InnovationsAs the science of statistics advanced, the Census Bureau changed and updated its methodology.
Availability of Census Records
Individual census records from 1790 to 1950 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, not the U.S. Census Bureau. Publications related to the census data collected from 1790 to 2020 are available in the Census Bureau Library. Visit the National Archives Web site to access 1940 and 1950 Census records. Decennial census records are confidential for 72 years to protect respondents' privacy. Records from the 1950 to 2010 censuses can only be obtained by the person named in the record or their heir after submitting form BC-600 or BC-600sp (Spanish). Online subscription services are available to access the 1790–1950 census records. Many public libraries provide access to these services free of charge to their patrons. Contact your local library to inquire if it has subscribed to one of these services.
