Subject Guides
- Binghamton University Libraries
- Subject Guides
- Subject Guides
- Statistics & Census Data
- Historical census data
Statistics & Census Data
Guide Contents
Decennial Census
- Social ExplorerProvides access to US decennial census data from 1790 to 2010, American Community Survey data and selected business, economic, crime, health, environmental and religious data. It does not include data for all census geographies, particularly for earlier decennial censuses. Users can customize, save, print, export and email reports and maps
- National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS)
Summary statistics and GIS files for U.S. censuses and other nationwide surveys from 1790 through the present. Includes: Statistics from all decennial censuses and the American Community Survey; County and state tables since 1790; census tract tables since 1910; tables for all original census summary levels down to census blocks, since 1970; County Business Patterns data (annual, 1970-2002); vital statistics: births & deaths (1915-2007), marriages & divorces (1867-2010); agricultural census data (1840-1950); religious bodies data (1850-1952); manufacturing census data (1840-1940).
- Census of Population and Housing by decade
Links to PDF reports and data from 1790 to 2020. Also check HathiTrust which may have better PDF scans of some reports.
- Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 2000
History of the census including questions and instructions to enumerators.
- Question topics: See Population Items on Principal Census Questionnaires in Making America, page 119 and Population and Housing Items of the General Census Schedules 1790-2000 (Grace York, Univ. of Michigan Library, Excel.)
- Through the Decades
Index of census questions, scans of original questionnaires, instructions to enumerators
- Evolution of the American Census
Visualization of census questions showing change over time
- Bureau of the Census catalog of publications, 1790-1972
Bibliography and description of all published census reports for each census through 1972.
- Census catalog and guide
Describes data products and publications from the Census Bureau, including geographic scope of the information
- Dubester's U.S. census bibliography with SuDocs class numbers and indexes (Bartle Library HA214 .C66 1996)
Covers 1790-1945
Other Key Sources
In addition to the sources listed below, the Government Documents collection in the Bartle Library has a wide array of older Census records which can be found using the library catalog.
Peruse the census guides above to help locate specific reports, then check the library catalog to see if BU owns it.
- Statistical Abstract of the United StatesAn authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. Can download the statistics files as Excel files. Coverage: 1878-ongoing
- Historical Statistics of the United StatesIncludes over 12,500 time series and all descriptive text. Contains the complete Historical Statistics of the United States, 1975. Standard source for quantitative data of American history starting in Colonial times
