1820 United States census


The 1820 United States census was the fourth census conducted in the United States. It was conducted on August 7, 1820. The 1820 census included six new states: Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama and Maine. There has been a district wide loss of 1820 census records for Arkansas Territory, Missouri Territory, and New Jersey.
The total population was determined to be 9,638,453, of which 1,538,022 were slaves. The center of population was about 120 miles west-northwest of Washington in Hardy County, Virginia.
This was the first census in which any states recorded a population of over one millionNew York, Virginia, and Pennsylvaniaas well as the first in which a city recorded a population of over 100,000New York. Also, in this census and the 14 subsequent ones, New York was the most populous state until being superseded by California in the 1970 census.

Census questions

The 1820 census contains a great deal more information than previous censuses. Enumerators listed the following data in columns, left to right:
  1. Name of the head of family
  2. # of free white males under age 10
  3. # of free white males age 10 to under 16
  4. # of free white males age 16 to 18
  5. # of free white males age 16 to under 26
  6. # of free white males age 26 to under 45
  7. # of free white males age 45 and up
  8. # of free white females under age 10
  9. # of free white females age 10 to under 16
  10. # of free white females age 16 to under 26
  11. # of free white females age 26 to under 45
  12. # of free white females age 45 and up
  13. # of foreigners not naturalized
  14. # of persons engaged in agriculture
  15. # of persons engaged in commerce
  16. # of persons engaged in manufacture
  17. # of male slaves under 14
  18. # of male slaves age 14 to under 26
  19. # of male slaves age 26 to under 45
  20. # of male slaves age 45 and up
  21. # of female slaves under 14
  22. # of female slaves age 14 to under 26
  23. # of female slaves age 26 to under 45
  24. # of female slaves age 45 and up
  25. # of free male colored persons under 14
  26. # of free male colored persons age 14 to under 26
  27. # of free male colored persons age 26 to under 45
  28. # of free male colored persons age 45 and up
  29. # of free female colored persons under 14
  30. # of free female colored persons age 14 to under 26
  31. # of free female colored persons age 26 to under 45
  32. # of free female colored persons age 45 and up
  33. # of all other persons except Indians not taxed
Several of these columns were for special counts, and not to be included in the aggregate total. Doing so would have resulted in counting some individuals twice. Census takers were asked to use double lines, red ink or some other method of distinguishing these columns so that double counting would not occur. For example, the count of free white males between 16 and 18 was a special count, because these individuals were also supposed to be tabulated in the column for free white males of age 16 and under 26.
The other special counts were foreigners not naturalized, persons engaged in agriculture, persons engaged in commerce, and persons engaged in manufacture.
Census takers were also instructed to count each individual in only one of the occupational columns. For example, if an individual was engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufacture, the census taker had to judge which one the individual was primarily engaged in.

Note to researchers

Census taking was not yet an exact science. Before 1830, enumerators lacked pre-printed forms, and drew up their own, sometimes resulting in pages without headings, line tallies, or column totals. As a result, census records for many towns before 1830 are idiosyncratic. This is not to suggest that they are less reliable than subsequent censuses, but that they may require more work on the part of the researcher.

State rankings

RankStatePopulation
01New York1,532,981
02Virginia1,075,069
03Pennsylvania1,049,458
04North Carolina638,829
05Ohio581,434
06Kentucky564,317
07Massachusetts523,287
08South Carolina502,741
09Tennessee422,823
10Maryland407,350
11Georgia340,989
12Maine298,335
13New Jersey277,575
14Connecticut275,202
15New Hampshire244,161
16Vermont235,981
17Louisiana153,407
18Indiana147,178
19Alabama144,317
XWest Virginia136,808
20Rhode Island83,059
21Mississippi75,448
22Delaware72,749
XMissouri66,586
23Illinois55,211
XDistrict of Columbia23,336
XArkansas14,273
XMichigan7,452
XWisconsin1,444

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