LibGuides: Historic Preservation: Census Data and City Directories

Census Records

Heritage Quest Online Ancestry This link opens in a new window
HeritageQuest Online is a database of American genealogical sources, including primary sources, local and family histories, research guides, interactive census maps, and more. Core datasets include census, books, city directories, military records, wills and probate records, Freedman's Bank records, US Serial Set, maps, and photos.
Explore Census Data This link opens in a new window
Updated regularly. Provides population, housing, industry, economic, and geographic data and maps from the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

US Census Bureau
National Archives Census Records The first Federal Population Census was taken in 1790, and has been taken every ten years since. Because of a 72-year restriction on access to the Census, the most recent year available is 1940. The 1950 Census will be released in 2022. The National Archives has the census schedules on microfilm available from 1790 to 1940, and most have now been digitized by our digitization partners. Family researchers generally find it most helpful to begin with the most current census and work backwards as a strategy for locating people in earlier generations.

OnTheMap This link opens in a new window Dates of coverage vary. Unlimited users.
OnTheMap is a web-based mapping and data application that shows where workers are employed and where they live, produced by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. It also provides companion reports on age, earnings, industry distributions, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, and sex. To begin, type a place name or Zip Code in the search box. Additional information on the underlying data is available on the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics web site.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window 1790 - present. Unlimited users.
Updated regularly. Provides easy access to historical census data for the United States. Allows users to visually analyze and understand the demography of any part of the United States with access to the following:
- Interactive thematic maps of historical census data
- Customized reports for any chosen area or areas (including aggregates)
- Complete coverage of the United States, down to neighborhoods and streets
- Simple navigation buttons and a find tool make it easy and efficient to study neighborhoods
Users can examine geographic areas while selecting the type of data to be shown, such as population density or income level. The corresponding data tables are also available.

These online resources are additional sources of census data or are complementary to the information presented in the census.

Portal to Texas History
A gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas, including select city directories.

Heritage Quest Online Ancestry This link opens in a new window
Coverage varies. Unlimited users.
HeritageQuest Online is a database of American genealogical sources, including primary sources, local and family histories, research guides, interactive census maps, and more. Core datasets include census, books, city directories, military records, wills and probate records, Freedman's Bank records, US Serial Set, maps, and photos.

Measuring Race and Ethnicity Across the Decades
Timeline tracking the changes in race and ethnicity terms by year in the census. By the Census Bureau.