United States Census Data

This page provides information about the 1870 census and links to online resources for digital data, transcripts of the original and printed results of the originals.

See more about the 1870 census from the National Archives 

• Direct URL : https://www.archives.gov/research/census/1870

See more below for:

• Questions Asked
• Data Description
• 1870 Census Geography
• Data Sources, including tabular data and original reports and enumerations.

Schedule 1, Inhabitants, asked the questions listed below.  The Assistant Marshal supplied answers to question 1 (dwelling house number), question 2 (family number), and probably in most cases to question 20 (vote denied or abridged).

• Dwelling houses, 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 1870, was in this family.
• Age at last birthday.  If under 1 year, give months in fractions, thus, 3/12.
• Sex - Males (M), Females (F).
• Color - White (W), Black (B), Mulatto (M), Chinese (C), Indian (I).
• Profession, occupation, or trade of each person, male or female.
• Value of real estate owned.
• Value of personal estate owned.
• Place of Birth, naming the State or Territory of U.S., or the Country, if of foreign birth.
• Father of foreign birth [hash mark if yes]
• Mother of foreign birth [hash mark if yes]
• If born within the year, state month (Jan., Feb., etc.).
• If married within the year, state month (Jan., Feb., etc.).
• Attended school within the year [hash mark if yes]
• Cannot read [hash mark if yes]
• Cannot write [hash mark if yes]
• Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict [indicate disability]
• Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards [hash mark if yes]
• Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards, whose right to vote is denied or abridged on other grounds than rebellion or other crime.

Aggregated results of the 1870 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/1CzUWtGFPFc4I9e8VFBEDlx_RBWqGyW5mXb0gZd3tPOM/edit?usp=sharing

The following spatial data are available from NHGIS.org

1870 States

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

10 Territories : Arizona Territory, Colorado Territory, Dakota Territory, Idaho Territory, Indian Territory, Montana Territory, New Mexico Territory, Utah Territory, Washington Territory, Wyoming Territory

1870 Counties

2334 Counties : Some Counties and districts contain no population data.