Overview
A census of the population of the United States has been taken every ten years by the federal government since 1790. Copies of this census for Pennsylvania are available online through Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org for the years 1790 to 1950. Pennsylvania also had a state census taken every seven years from 1779-1870 and a State Farm Census in 1924 and 1927.
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Federal census records
The National Archives holds all of the following records. To learn more, see NARA's Census Records guide.
| Record | Digital images |
|---|---|
| Federal Census Population Schedules, 1790-1950 |
FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) |
| Federal Census Agricultural Schedules, 1850-1880 | FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) |
| Federal Census Manufacturing Schedules, 1820, 1850-1880 | FamilySearch.org (1850–1880, limited remote access) PA State Archives (1850 and 1880) |
| Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 | Ancestry.com |
| Federal Census Social Statistics, 1850-1880 | Ancestry.com (1850–1870) FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) |
| Federal Census 1890 Veterans Schedules | Ancestry.com |
State census records
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Septennial Census Returns, 1779-1863 | Grouped by county, then arranged by year. Few original records survive. Information provided in most of the surviving returns is the name of the taxpayer and occupation. Some returns may be found with the county. | Records of the General Assembly (RG-07) | Ancestry Pennsylvania or Ancestry.com |
| Farm Census Returns, 1924, 1927 | Grouped by year and thereunder arranged alphabetically by name of county, and thereunder by name of borough or township. | Records of the Department of Agriculture (RG-01) | PA Digital Archives |
