Censuses and Census Substitutes, including tax records

Background Reading, Lists, and Locations

	CENSUS ON MICROFILM	INDEX (See Below)
1790	Yes	Yes
1800	Yes	Yes
1810	Yes	Yes
1820	Yes	Yes
1830	Yes	Yes
1840	Yes	Yes
1850	Yes	Yes
1860	Yes	Yes
1870 (1)	Yes	Yes
1870 (2)	Yes	No
1880	Yes	No (But see below)
1890	No	No (But see below)
1900	Yes	No (But see below)
1910	Yes	No (But see below)
1920	Yes	No (But see below)
1930	Yes	No (But see below)

 

1790: Heads of Families: Pennsylvania. C 3.11:P 38. For persons residing within the CITY limits of Philadelphia in 1790, it is very important to see the census on microfilm because places of residence and occupations are shown for many of these residents. Other indexes in the Heads of Families series are available for Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Virginia. Use the Heads of Families series in conjunction with A Century of Population Growth From the First Census of the U.S. to the Twelfth 1790-1900, C 3.2:P 81, which lists the surnames of heads of households for the entire U.S. in 1790 in one continuous alphabetical list and shows the distribution of surnames by state. All of the Heads of Families volumes are collectively indexed in the American Genealogical and Biographical Index. SSH P929 Am31.

1800: There are two indexes to this census: Pennsylvania in 1800, 929.3 St41p, and Pennsylvania 1800 Census, 929.3 J137p. See the front matter in these indexes.

1810: The index is Index to 1810 Census of Pennsylvania. 929.3 Oh3i. See the front matter in this index.

1820: The index is Pennsylvania 1820 Census Index. 929.3748 J137p. See the front matter in this index.

1830: The index is Pennsylvania 1830 Census Index. 929.3748 J137p 1830. See the front matter in this index.

1840: The index is Pennsylvania 1840 Census Index. 929.3748 J137p 1840. See the front matter in this index. In 1840, persons drawing pensions based on a veteran's military service were listed. A list of these pensioners was published as A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services.... 929.34 Un34c. This list should be used with A General Index to a Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services.... 973.34 G286g.

1850: The index is Pennsylvania 1850 Census Index. 929.3748 J137p 1850. See the front matter in this index. There is also a separate index for Philadelphia: "Heads of Families" Index, 1850 Federal Census, City of Philadelphia. 929.3 P386h.

1860: There are four separate indexes for Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania 1860 Philadelphia. Gov Pub Soc. A 22-1:P53. Pennsylvania 1860 East. Gov Pub Soc. A 22-1:E77. Pennsylvania 1860 West. Gov Pub Soc. A 22-1:W52. Pennsylvania 1860 Pittsburgh. Gov Pub Soc. A 22-1:P687. See the front matter in these indexes.

1870: In 1870 there were two census enumerations taken in Philadelphia. The index to the first enumeration is Philadelphia, PA 1870 Census Index. 929.3748 P53p. Look at the addenda in the front of this index for Wards 27 and 28. There is no index to the second enumeration. There are, however, descriptions on microfilm of many of the second enumeration boundaries. These boundaries are also shown graphically in a series of drawings at the Map Department.

1880: The SOUNDEX index to this census in not available at FLP. However, An Urban Finding Aid for the 1880 Federal Population Census of Philadelphia, 304.6021 St62u, is available. This document gives enumeration district boundaries for 1880 and, in many cases, is a better way to find persons and families on this census. Also see Report on the Social Statistics of Cities, 1880 census, vol. 18, part 1, pp. 773-849 at the Government Publications Department for an excellent description of Philadelphia at the time of the 1880 census.

1890: The 1890 census population schedules for most of the United States and almost all of Pennsylvania were destroyed in a fire. However, a special schedule for 1890 is available at FLP that lists military pensioners (or any other person drawing a pension based on a military person's service) who lived in Philadelphia at the time of the census. To use these microfilm reels effectively, you must know the ward and enumeration district in which the pension recipient lived. This can usually be determined by using city directories and the 1890 enumeration district descriptions on microfilm. The special schedules are arranged on three microfilm rolls as follows:

Roll 78:	ED 1 (1st Wd.) to ED 152 (8th Wd. - part); ED 300 (16th Wd.) to ED 499 (23d Wd. - part); ED 640 (In SE corner of the 28th Wd.); Institutions: Hospitals, the Navy Yard, etc.
Roll 79:	ED 152 (8th Wd. - part) to ED 299 (15th Wd.); Miscellaneous.
Roll 80:	ED 500 (23rd Wd. - part), to ED 821 (34th Wd.); ED 640 is near the end of Roll 78.

 1900, 1910, 1920: The Soundex indexes for these censuses are not available at FLP. Enumeration district boundary descriptions are available on microfilm for 1900, 1910, and 1920. Use city directories to determine the street address and ward where the family lived, consult the enumeration district boundary descriptions on microfilm to determine the most likely enumeration districts, place the appropriate reel for the ward on the microfilm reader, scroll to the most likely enumeration districts, then look down the left side of the census schedules until you find the street address. For the 1910 census, use Philadelphia Enumeration Districts of 1910, GPD 917.4811 K818p. Look up the street name and house number to get the enumeration district, and use Appendix II to get the microfilm reel number. Load the reel on the reader and look down the left side of the census schedules until you find the street address.

1930: Soundex indexes are available for the following states only: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky (part), Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia (part). None of these indexes are available at the Free Library. There is no index for PA. To find someone in Philadelphia in the 1930 census: find out where they lived by using a City Directory and then look in Philadelphia Enumeration Districts of 1930. GPD 917.4811 K818p3. Look up the street name and house number to get the enumeration district, and use Appendix II to get the microfilm reel number. Load the reel on the reader and look down the left side of the census schedules until you find the street address.

Septennial Census of Pennsylvania. GPD Gov Pub States P 38-5321: microfilm.Census of Montgomery County (1786, 1793, 1800), Northampton County (1786, 1800), Philadelphia City (1793, 1800), Philadelphia County (1793), and York County (1786, 1793, 1800).

Age Search Information. GPD C 3.2:Ag 3/2. Explains how to get some very limited information from the Bureau of the Census for years after 1930.

Tax records are frequently used census substitutes. The Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd Series, vols. 14-16 contain Philadelphia County tax lists for the years 1769-1783. These volumes are indexed in vols. 27-29 of the same series. SSH. Also see "Taxables in Chestnut, Middle, and South Wards, Philadelphia: 1754" in Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, v. 21, 1958-60, pp. 159-196 and "Taxables in the City of Philadelphia, 1756" inPennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, v. 22, 1961-62, pp. 3-41 and "Taxables in Chestnut, Walnut, and Lower Delaware Wards, Philadelphia, 1767" in Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, v. 22, 1961-62, pp. 170-85. SSH.

National Archives - Mid-Atlantic Branch (NARA)

Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP)

Pennsylvania State Archives (PAA)

Philadelphia City Archives (PAR)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS)

Internet