Skip to Main Content
The Library

Census Research Guide: Population Schedules

Population Schedules

Census population schedules (also known as "name schedules" or "manuscript census") are copies of the original questionnaires collected during each decennial census. They list the individual names and family information of the people enumerated. If you're doing genealogy research, the population schedules are what you're looking for.

Unlike the statistics published soon after the census, the population schedules remain confidential for 72 years. 1950 is the most recent population schedule available.

Sources:

  • HeritageQuest (limited to UCSD affiliates) - includes census records from 1790-1950.
  • National Archives partners - federal census records have been digitized by several of NARA's partners, such as Ancestry.com. This webpage provides links to those partner sites and related resources for 1790-1950 censuses.
  • The San Diego Public Library has access to the Ancestry Library Edition database.