Iowa Census Records

See Also Researching in Census Records - What is the name, age, sex, color, occupation, and birthplace of each person residing in this house? Which of these individuals attended school or was married within the year? Who among them is deaf and dumb, blind, insane, “idiotic,” a pauper, or a convict? Is there anyone in the household over twenty years of age who cannot read and write? What is the name of the slave owner? How many slaves belong to the owner? What is the tribe of this Indian? What were the places of birth of the person’s parents? In what year did this person immigrate to the United States and, if naturalized, what was the year of naturalization? For answers to these and other questions, researchers look to census records......

Statewide Records that exist for Iowa 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules (lists do not exist for all counties for each year) availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890. Census of surviving Union veterans of the Civil War or their widows, listing service information, any service-connected disability, and current address.

  The State Archives at the State Historical Society of Iowa does hold, in addition to the above mentioned census records, the manuscript state copies of the 1850, 1860, 1870 federal censuses for Iowa, but they are only available for use on microfilm. The microfilmed state copies, however, make it possible to compare the microfilm edition of the federal copy from the National Archives for handwriting, spelling errors, completeness of the copy, or other problems suspected from the entry.
Territorial and State

In Iowa History Sources: Census Data for Iowa, No. 1 (Iowa City, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa, 1973) author Loren N. Horton states, “Iowa is rich in the number of censuses taken, probably because legislative apportionment was based upon them during the nineteenth century. This was a period of rapid migration into the area and rapid disposal of public lands, therefore it was thought necessary to have a census taken almost every election in order to maintain fairness in distributing legislative seats.”

Although Iowa did indeed enumerate its population frequently both in special and regular censuses, not all counties complied each time. Some enumerations are for only specific cities. Also, many of the censuses that were actually completed no longer exist. Because of this complexity, any research in these records should be preceded by obtaining the aforementioned publication by Loren N. Horton and the Iowa Special Census microfilm register from the research library of the State Historical Society of Iowa at Des Moines.

Taking into consideration that not all years include all counties, nor all townships of a county, and that in fact some are very limited, the following census enumerations are available for Iowa:

The Wisconsin Territorial Census for 1836 includes the original counties of Dubuque and Des Moines, Iowa. This is indexed, printed, microfilmed and available at the State Historical Society of Iowa. A microfilm copy of the territorial census of 1836 is also held by the National Archives/Central Plains Region (see Introduction) and may also be found in “The Territorial Census for 1836,” Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Volume XIII, edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites, (Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer 1895, pages 247–70).

Most of the following “head of households” census enumerations have been indexed in some form. They are held in manuscript form by the State Archives at the State Historical Society of Iowa and are available for research on microfilm. They are listed by year and county: 1838—Van Buren; 1844—Keokuk; 1846—Louisa, Polk, and Wapello; 1847—Boone, Clinton, Davis, Louisa, Marion, Polk, Scott, Van Buren, and Wapello; 1849—Benton, Boone, Clinton, Louisa, Madison, Poweshiek, Scott, Van Buren, and Washington; 1851—Cedar, Clinton, Decatur, Guthrie, Iowa, Johnson, Madison, Mahaska, Page, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Scott, and Washington; 1852—forty-five counties included; 1853—Warren County for Allen, Greenfield, Lynn, and Richland townships only; 1854—fifty-two counties included; 1859—Carroll and Sac.

For the 1847 Iowa state census, additional details are indicated for some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The enumeration of its members in Pottawattamie includes the standard information but adds a count of wagons and guns; number of family members ill, aged, or infirm; and number oxen, cattle, and horses. It is thought that the extended census information was part of a preparation for moving these families westward.

Clinton in Clinton County is enumerated for 1887 in two bound volumes. The following are Iowa Special Censuses on microfilm: 1881—Mason City, Cerro Gordo County; 1888—Algona, Kossuth County; 1889—Cherokee, Cherokee County; 1889—North part of Des Moines, Polk County; 1891—Emmetsburg, Emmet County; 1891—Spencer, Clay County; 1891—Villisca, Montgomery County; 1892—Carroll, Carroll County; 1892—Eagle Grove, Wright County; 1892—Estherville, Emmet County; 1892—Jefferson, Greene County; 1892—Tama, Tama County; 1893—Mystic, Appanoose County; 1893—Hampton, Franklin County; 1893—Ames, Story County; 1893—Bloomfield, Davis County; 1893—Nevada, Story County; 1893—West Union, Fayette County; 1895—Independence, Buchanan County; 1896—Oelwein, Fayette County; 1897—New Hampton, Chickasaw County.

Although taken in 1863, 1869, 1873 and 1875, the returns are not known to be extant. However, Henry County Genealogical Society has located and printed the 1863 and 1869 censuses for their county only.

The state censuses for 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925 include name, age, sex, color, birthplace, and occupation (age sixteen and up) for each member of each household. Additional information, listed by year of enumeration is also listed:

• 1856—voter; native/naturalized/alien; owner of land; years in state; marital status.
• 1885—marital status; house number and street in towns, smallest legal description if rural; county of birth if born in Iowa; nativity of parents; foreign/native; alien who has/has not taken out first papers.
• 1895—marital status; births and deaths in household in 1894; county of birth if born in Iowa; nativity of parents; foreign/native; naturalized; Civil War service, including company, regiment and state; Mexican War soldiers, including regiment and state.
• 1905 and 1915—marital status; birthplace of parents;owner of home or farm, with value; naturalized; years in United States/Iowa; military service in Civil, Mexican, or Spanish War.
• 1925—marital status; birthplace of parents; names of parents, including maiden name of Mother, place of birth and marriage; age of parents, if living; house number and street in cities and towns; years in United States/Iowa; amount for which each listed property owner's house was insured.

There is no state-wide index for the censuses of 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 or 1925. Indexes, however, for counties or portions of counties are becoming available through individuals, chapters of the Iowa Genealogical Society, Hawkeye Heritage, or the staff of the State Historical Society.

All extant state censuses are microfilmed, available for research at the State Historical Society of Iowa and can be purchased; most years are available on interlibrary loan from the organization's branch in Iowa City.

• Iowa Census Books at Amazon.com
• Iowa Census, 1838-70: This collection contains the following indexes: 1838 Territorial Census; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1841-1849 Tax Lists; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1851 State Census Index; 1852 State Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index.
• Iowa State Census 1885: This database is an index to the 1885 Iowa State Census (U.S.A.). It covers several counties and contains the following information: the names of every member of the household, their genders, ages, birthplaces, lcation (town, county, state), marital status, and much more.
• Iowa State Census, 1895: This database contains information for 91 counties from the 1895 Iowa State Census in the united States. Information listed includes the name of every member of the household, their sex, age, birthplace, and location (town and county).
• Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925: This database contains Iowa state censuses for the following years: 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925. It also includes some head of household censuses and other special censuses from 1836-1897. Information available for an individual will vary according to the census year and the information requested on the census form. Some of the information contained in this database though includes: name, age, gender, race, birthplace, marital status, and place of enumeration.
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Since 1790, the U.S. government has taken a nationwide population count every ten years. Unique in scope and often surprisingly detailed, the census population schedules created from 1790 to 1920 are among the most used of records created by the federal government. Over the course of two centuries the United States has changed significantly, and so has the census. From the six basic questions asked in the 1790 census, the scope and categories of information have changed and expanded dramatically.

Early censuses were essentially basic counts of inhabitants; but as the nation grew, so did the need for statistics that would reflect the characteristics of the people. In 1850, the focus of the census was radically broadened. Going far beyond the vague questions previously asked of heads of households, the 1850 census enumerators were instructed to ask the age, sex, color, occupation, birthplace, and other questions regarding every individual in every household. Succeeding enumerations solicited more information; by 1920, census enumerators asked twenty-nine questions of every head of household and almost as many questions of everyone else in the residence. (Only a very small segment of the 1890 census remains; a fire in the Commerce Department destroyed the vast majority of the original records for that year. Because of privacy considerations, census records less than seventy-two years old are not available to the general public; thus, the 1930 census is the most recent available to the public.)

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do the U.S. federal censuses. The population schedules are successive “snapshots” of Americans that depict where and how they were living at particular periods in the past. Once home sources and library sources have been exhausted, the census is often the best starting point for further genealogical research. Statewide indexes (see “Indexes,” below) are available for almost every census; they are logical tools for locating individuals whose precise place of residence is unknown. While some inaccuracies are to be expected in census records, they still provide some of the most fascinating and useful pieces of personal history to be found in any source. If nothing else, census records are important sources for placing individuals in specific places at specific times. Additionally, information found in the census will often point to other sources critical to complete research, such as court, land, military, immigration, naturalization, and vital records.

The importance of census records does not diminish over time in any research project. It is always wise to return to these records as discoveries are made in other sources because, as you discover new evidence about individuals, some information that seemed unrelated or unimportant in a first look at the census may take on new importance.

When you can’t find family, vital, or religious records, census records may be the only means of documenting the events of a person’s life. Vital registration—the official recording of births, deaths, and marriages—did not begin until around 1920 in many areas of the United States, and fires, floods and other disasters since have destroyed some official government records. When other documentation is missing, census records are frequently used by individuals who must prove their age or citizenship status (or that of their parents) for Social Security benefits, insurance, passports, and other important reasons.

How to Find Census Records - All available federal census schedules (those made from 1790 to 1920) have been microfilmed and are available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.; at the National Archives’ regional archives; at the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Salt Lake City and LDS family history centers throughout North America (see chapter 8, “The Family History Library and Its Centers”) ; at many large libraries; in genealogical society libraries; and through companies that lend microfilmed records. Some state and local agencies have census schedules for the state or area they serve. Generally, microfilm copies may be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Starting With the Census - It is usually best to begin a census search in the most recently available census records (1920) and to work from what is already known about a family. With any luck, birthplaces and other clues found in these more recent records will point to locations of earlier residence.