United States Census Data

This page provides information about the 1850 census and links to online resources for digital data, transcripts of the original and printed results of the originals.

See more about the 1850 census from the National Archives 

• Direct URL : https://www.archives.gov/research/census/1850

See more below for:

• Questions Asked
• Data Description
• 1850 Census Geography
• Data Sources, including tabular data and original reports and enumerations.

• Schedule 1 - Free Inhabitants
  • Dwelling-house numbered in the order of visitation
  • Families numbered in the order of visitation
  • Name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1850, was in this family.
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Color (white, black, or mulatto)
  • Profession, occupation, or trade of each male person over 15 years of age
  • Value of real estate owned
  • Place of birth, naming the State, Territory, or country
  • Married within the year [hash mark if yes]
  • Attended school within the year [has mark if yes]
  • Persons over 20 years of age who cannot read and write [hash mark if yes]
  • Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict [hash mark if yes]
• Schedule 2 - Slave Inhabitants
  • Name of slave owner
  • Number of slaves
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Color
  • Fugitive from the state
  • Number manumitted
  • Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic
  • Remarks

Aggregated results of the 1850 census are available from the National Historical GIS Project at IPUMS from the University of Minnesota : NHGIS (Requires free registration).  

• Direct URL : nhgis.org

An index of variables is available HERE

• Direct URL : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Iw7ShxgIckwPrxJ-04cG8PSrKJ3vIJpElgF_AjIKLEI/edit?usp=sharing

The following spatial data are available from NHGIS.org

1850 States

32 States : Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin.  

5 Territories : Minnesota Territory, New Mexico Territory, Oregon Territory, Unorganized Territory, Utah Territory

1850 Counties

1632 Counties : Some Counties and districts contain no population data.

Digital data in tabular format:

Aggregated results of the 1850 census are available from the National Historical GIS Project at IPUMS from the University of Minnesota. 

Click here: https://www.nhgis.org/ (Requires free registration)

Official Reports

• Decennial Census of Population and Housing Questionnaires & Instructions Schedules 1 to 6

Direct URL : https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/technical-documentation/questionnaires.1850_Census.html

• 1850 Census: The Seventh Census of the United States

​​​​​​​Direct URL : https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1853/dec/1850a.html