Population Census Items 1790-1930
1790
Name of family head; free white males of 16
years and up; free white males under 16; free
white females; slaves; other persons.
1800
Names of family head; if white, age and sex;
race; slaves.
1810
Name of family head; if white, age and sex;
race; slaves.
1820
Name of family head; age; sex; race; foreigners
not naturalized; slaves; industry (agriculture,
commerce, and manufactures).
1830
Name of family head; age; sex; race; foreigners
not naturalized; slaves; industry.
1840
Name of family head; age; sex; race; slaves;
number of deaf and dumb; number of blind;
number of insane and idiotic and whether in
public or private charge; number of persons in
each family employed in each of six classes of
industry and one of occupation; literacy; pensioners
for Revolutionary or military service.
1850
Name; age; sex; race; whether deaf and dumb,
blind, insane, or idiotic; value of real estate;
occupation; birthplace; whether married within
the year; school attendance; literacy; whether a
pauper or convict.
Supplemental schedules for slaves, and persons
who died during the year.
1860
Name; age; sex; race; value of real estate; value
of personal estate; occupation; birthplace;
whether married within the year; school attendance;
literacy; whether deaf and dumb; blind,
insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict; number of
slave houses.
Supplemental schedules for slaves, and persons
who died during the year.
1870
Name; age; race; occupation; value of real estate;
value of personal estate; birthplace; whether parents
were foreign born; month of birth if born
within the year; month of marriage if married
within the year; school attendance; literacy;
whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic;
male citizens 21 and over, and number of such
persons denied the right to vote for other than
rebellion.
Supplemental schedule for persons who died
during the year.
1880
Address; name, relationship to family head; sex;
race; age; marital status; month of birth if born
within the census year; occupation; months
unemployed during the year; sickness or temporary
disability; whether blind, deaf and dumb,
idiotic, insane, maimed, crippled, bedridden, or
otherwise disabled; school attendance; literacy;
birthplace of person and parents.
Supplemental schedules for persons who died
during the year.
1890
General schedules––destroyed.
Supplemental schedules for Union veterans of
the Civil War and their widows.
1900
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex;
race; age; marital status; number of years married;
for women, number of children born and
number now living; birthplace of person and parents;
if foreign born, year of immigration and whether naturalized;
occupation; months not employed; school attendance;
literacy; ability to speak English; whether
on a farm; home owned or rented and if owned,
whether mortgaged.
1910
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex;
race; age; marital status; number of years of
present marriage for women, number of children
born and number now living; birthplace and
mother tongue of person and parents; if foreign
born, year of immigration, whether naturalized,
and whether able to speak English, or if not, language
spoken; occupation, industry, and class of
worker; if an employee, whether out of work
during year; literacy; school attendance; home
owned or rented; if owned, whether mortgaged;
whether farm or house; whether a survivor of
Union or Confederate Army or Navy; whether
blind or deaf and dumb.
1920
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex;
race; age; marital status; if foreign born, year of
immigration to the U.S., whether naturalized, and
year of naturalization; school attendance; literacy;
birthplace of person and parents; mother tongue of
foreign born; ability to speak English;
occupation, industry, and class of worker; home
owned or rented; if owned, whether free or
mortgaged.
1930
Address; name; relationship to family head;
home owned or rented; value or monthly rental;
radio set; whether on a farm; sex; race; age;
marital status; age at first marriage; school
attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and
parents; if foreign born language spoken in
home before coming to U.S., year of immigration,
whether naturalized, and ability to speak
English; occupation, industry, and class of worker;
whether at work previous day (or last regular
working day); veteran status; for Indians,
whether of full or mixed blood, and tribal affiliation.
from: Availability of Census Records About Individuals 
(National Archives)
For More Information
Census Questions and Research Tips (Ancestry.com Learning Center)
Census in Which Subject Was First Asked (Census Bureau)
