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U.S. Census of Population and Housing Basics : Censuses & Genealogy

Introduction to finding demographic and housing facts and statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Individual Census Schedules

Individual Census schedules are the questionnaires upon which answers to Census questions are recorded. These schedules contain individual names and addresses, as well as answers to the Census questions. These are kept sealed for 72 years to protect individual privacy.

For individual census schedules, visit the Wisconsin Historical Society Library (main page; Census Records Research Tips), which owns

  • A complete file of all the surviving schedules of the 1790-1940 U.S. censuses for all the states (on microfilm);
  • All of the 1836-1905 Wisconsin State Censuses, as well as indexes to the 1836, 1838, 1842, 1855, 1865 and 1905 state censuses.

Through BadgerLink, UW students, faculty, and staff, have access to HeritageQuest Online a database which includes searchable text and images of all federal censuses 1790-1940.

Wisconsin residents with public library cards also have access to HeritageQuest Online.  Use the link on BadgerLink's geneaology resources page to access HeritageQuest Online.

The National Archives and Records Administration, in partnership with Archives.com, maintains the site 1940 Census, which allows full access to the 1940 census images, in addition to 1940 census maps and descriptions.

Subject Guide

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Beth Harper
she/her/hers
Contact:
Memorial Library
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Government Information Specialist