United States census facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United States census |
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The Bureau of the Census is part of the United States Department of Commerce.
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| Frequency | Decennial |
| Location(s) | 4600 Silver Hill Rd. Suitland, Maryland 20746 |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | August 2, 1790 |
| Most recent | April 1, 2020 |
| Next event | April 1, 2030 |
The United States census is a special count of all people living in the U.S. It happens every ten years. The Constitution of the United States says it must be done.
The very first census happened in 1790. This was after the American Revolution. Thomas Jefferson helped organize it. Since then, there have been 24 official counts. The census also includes U.S. territories. The United States Census Bureau is in charge of this big task.
The most recent census was in 2020. The next one is planned for 2030. For the 2020 census, people could answer online, by phone, or with a paper form. In between these big ten-year counts, the Census Bureau also makes estimates. They use surveys and other methods to guess population changes.
From 1940 to 2000, some households got a "long form." This form asked more questions about families and homes. The U.S. census is different from the Census of Agriculture. It is also different from local counts done by states or cities.
Contents
What is the U.S. Census?
The U.S. census is required by the country's main law. This law is Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. It says that the number of representatives each state gets in Congress depends on its population. It also says that a count must happen every ten years.
The Fourteenth Amendment later clarified this. It said that "the whole number of persons in each State" should be counted. This means everyone living in the state. The United States Census Bureau is the government office that does this job. It is part of the United States Department of Commerce.
There are laws that explain how the census is done. These laws also explain how your information is kept safe. Your answers are kept private. No one, not even census workers, can share your personal details. It is important to answer the census questions. There can be penalties for not responding or giving false answers.
How the Census Works
The U.S. census counts everyone living in homes across the country. This includes citizens and all other people living in the U.S. The Census Bureau counts people based on where they usually live. This means the place where a person lives and sleeps most of the time.
The Census Bureau has special ways to count people. This includes those who might not have a regular home. This helps make sure everyone is included.
Who Gets Counted?
Most Americans living overseas are not counted in the census. However, U.S. government employees and their families living abroad are counted. These counts help decide how many representatives each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives.
When Does the Census Happen?
"Census Day" has been April 1st since 1930. Before that, the date changed several times. For example, it was August 1st for the first few censuses.
The Census Bureau chooses a specific date like April 1st. This helps them get a clear picture of the population. It also helps avoid counting people more than once. The actual counting starts before this date. It continues for several months afterward. For the 2020 census, counting began in January in Alaska. It started in March for most other Americans.
How Census Data is Used
The main reason for the census is to decide how many representatives each state gets. But the information is used for many other important things too:
- It helps decide how much money communities get from the government. This money is used for many programs.
- It helps plan for new roads, schools, and public transportation.
- It helps with planning for emergencies and national defense.
- It helps people understand how the country's economy is doing.
- Businesses use the data to decide where to open stores or offer services.
- It helps computers tell the difference between places with similar names.
- It is used in many books and reports as general information.
A Look Back: History of the Census
People were counted in the American colonies even before the U.S. Constitution. For example, a census was taken in Virginia in the early 1600s.
Early Census Taking
For the first six censuses (from 1790 to 1840), only the names of household leaders were recorded. Other family members were just counted by age group. Starting in 1850, every person in a household was named. This included women, children, and enslaved people. Records about enslaved people were also made in 1850 and 1860.
Early censuses also collected information about farms and factories. This helped understand the country's economy. Records about how long people lived and what caused deaths were also collected.
The first nine censuses (1790–1870) were done by U.S. Marshals. These marshals hired assistants to do the actual counting. These assistants often knew the people in their local areas. In these early years, the census taker decided a person's racial group. People did not identify their own race until later.
How the Census Changed Over Time
As the country grew, its needs became more complex. More statistics were needed to help with planning. So, the questions on the census changed. In 1810, questions about manufacturing were added. In 1840, questions about fishing were included. By 1850, the census asked about social issues like taxes and churches.
The census also grew geographically. It covered new states and territories as they joined the U.S. The 1880 census had so many questions that it took almost ten years to publish all the results. To speed things up, the 1890 census used new tabulating machines. These machines were invented by Herman Hollerith. This reduced the processing time to two and a half years.
| Year | Total population | Change in population | Most populated state | Most populated city | Ethnic demographics counted | Slaves | Notes |
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| 1790 | 3,929,326 | — | .png){kind=small} Virginia(747,610) |
 New York, NY(33,131) |
Free white females and males, other free persons, slaves | 694,280 | Original numbers were corrected later. |
| 1800 | 5,308,483 |  35% |
Virginia (676,682) |
New York, NY (60,515) |
Free white females and males, other free persons, slaves | 893,605 | Original numbers were corrected later. |
| 1810 | 7,239,881 | 36% |
 New York(959,049) |
New York, NY (96,373) |
Free white females and males, other free persons, slaves | 1,191,362 | The authorizing act of the third census stipulated that each marshal (enumerator) must personally visit each household, rather than rely on hearsay. |
| 1820 | 9,638,453 | 33% |
New York (1,372,812) |
New York, NY (123,706) |
Free white females and males, other free persons, free people of color, slaves | 1,538,022 | — |
| 1830 | 12,866,020 | 33% |
New York (1,918,608) |
New York, NY (202,589) |
Free white females and males, other free persons, free people of color, slaves | 2,009,043 | — |
| 1840 | 17,069,453 | 33% |
New York (2,428,921) |
New York, NY (312,710) |
Free white females and males, other free persons, free people of color, slaves | 2,487,355 | The census estimated the population of the United States at 17,100,000. The results were tabulated by 28 clerks in the Bureau of the Census. |
| 1850 | 23,191,876 | 36% |
New York (3,097,394) |
New York, NY (515,547) |
Black, Mulatto, White | 3,204,313 | The 1850 census was a landmark year in American census-taking. It was the first year in which the census bureau attempted to record every member of every household, including women, children and slaves. Accordingly, the first slave schedules were produced in 1850. Prior to 1850, census records had only recorded the name of the head of the household and tabulated the other household members within given age groups. |
| 1860 | 31,443,321 | 35% |
New York (3,880,735) |
New York, NY (813,669) |
Indian, Chinese, Black, Mulatto, White | 3,953,761 | The results were tabulated by 184 clerks in the Bureau of the Census. This was the first census where American indigenous people officially were counted, but only those who had 'renounced tribal rules'. The figure for the nation was 40,000. |
| 1870 | 39,818,449 | 23% |
New York (4,382,759) |
New York, NY (942,292) |
Indian, Chinese, Black, Mulatto, White |
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The first census to provide detailed information on the black population, only years after the culmination of the Civil War when slaves were granted freedom. The results are controversial, as many believed it underestimated the true population numbers, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. |
| 1880 | 50,189,209 | 30% |
New York (5,082,871) |
New York, NY (1,206,299) |
Indian, Chinese, Black, Mulatto, White | The first census that permitted women to be enumerators. Also led to the discovery of Alabama paradox. | |
| 1890 | 62,947,714 | 25% |
New York (6,003,174) |
New York, NY (1,515,301) |
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Black, Mulatto, Quadroon, Octaroon, White | Because it was believed that the frontier region of the United States no longer existed, the tracking of westward migration was not tabulated in the 1890 census. This trend prompted Frederick Jackson Turner to develop his milestone Frontier Thesis. The 1890 census was the first to be compiled using the new tabulating machines invented by Herman Hollerith. The net effect of the many changes from the 1880 census (the larger population, the number of data items to be collected, the Census Bureau headcount, the volume of scheduled publications, and the use of Hollerith's electromechanical tabulators) was to reduce the time required to fully process the census from eight years for the 1880 census to six years for the 1890 census. The total population, of 62,947,714, was announced after only six weeks of processing (punched cards were not used for this family, or rough, count). The public reaction to this tabulation was disbelief, as it was widely believed that the "right answer" was at least 75,000,000. |
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| 1900 | 76,212,168 | 21% |
New York (7,268,894) |
New York, NY (3,437,202) |
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Black (Negro or of Negro descent), White | — | |
| 1910 | 92,228,496 | 21% |
New York (9,113,614) |
New York, NY (4,766,883) |
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Black (Negro), Mulatto, White, other | — | |
| 1920 | 106,021,537 | 15% |
New York (10,385,227) |
New York, NY (5,620,048) |
Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Hindu, Japanese, Korean, Black (Negro), Mulatto, White, other | This was the first census that recorded a population exceeding 100 million. | |
| 1930 | 122,775,046 | 13% |
New York (12,588,066) |
New York, NY (6,930,446) |
Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Hindu, Japanese, Korean, Negro, Mexican, White, other | — | |
| 1940 | 132,164,569 | 7% |
New York (13,479,142) |
New York, NY (7,454,995) |
Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Hindu, Japanese, Korean, Negro, White, other | — | |
| 1950 | 150,697,361 | 14% |
New York (14,830,192) |
New York, NY (7,891,957) |
American Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Negro, White, other | The most recent census where individuals' data have now been released to the public (by the 72-year rule). | |
| 1960 | 179,323,175 | 19% |
New York (16,827,000) |
New York, NY (7,781,984) |
Aleut, American Indian, Eskimo, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Negro, Hawaiian, part-Hawaiian, White | Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2032. | |
| 1970 | 203,302,031 | 13% |
 California(19,953,134) |
New York, NY (7,894,862) |
American Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Negro or Black, Hispanic origin, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, Hawaiian, White, other | The first census that recorded a population exceeding 200 million. Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2042. | |
| 1980 | 226,545,805 | 11% |
California (23,667,902) |
New York, NY (7,071,639) |
Aleut, Eskimo, American Indian, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Black or Negro, Hispanic origin, Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, other Hispanic, Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, White, other | Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2052. | |
| 1990 | 248,709,873 | 10% |
California (29,760,021) |
New York, NY (7,322,564) |
Aleut, Eskimo, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Asian Indian, other API, Black or Negro, Hispanic origin, Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, other Hispanic, Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, White, other race | Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2062. | |
| 2000 | 281,421,906 | 13% |
California (33,871,648) |
New York, NY (8,008,278) |
American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, other Asian, Black, African American, or Negro, Hispanic origin, Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, other Hispanic, Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, other Pacific Islander, White, other race | Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2072. | |
| 2010 | 308,745,538 | 10% |
California (37,253,956) |
New York, NY (8,175,133) |
American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, other Asian, Black, African American, or Negro, Hispanic origin, Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, other Hispanic, Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, other Pacific Islander, White, other race | The first short-form-only census since 1940, as the decennial long form has been replaced by the American Community Survey. The first census that recorded a population exceeding 300 million. Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2082. | |
| 2020 | 331,449,281 | 7% |
California (39,538,223) |
New York, NY (8,804,190) |
American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, other Asian, Chamorro, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, other Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin, Chicano, Cuban, Mexican, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, another Hispanic origin, White, some other race | The first U.S. census to offer options to respond online or by phone, in addition to the option to respond on a paper form as with previous censuses. Will be available for public inspection on April 1, 2092. |
Keeping Your Information Private
One main goal of the census is to divide seats in the House of Representatives fairly. Also, the data helps decide how resources are shared. The information collected is used to create general statistics. It is very important that your answers are kept private. By law, no one, not even census workers, can share your personal information.
Individual census records are kept secret for 72 years. This rule was set to protect people's privacy. The 1950 census records were made public on April 1, 2022. This means you can now look at those old records. The overall census data is released as soon as it is ready.
See also
In Spanish: Censo de los Estados Unidos para niños
- Norman K. Brown, known as "Mr. Census" for working on many censuses.
- Census-designated place (CDP), a community without its own local government.
- Combined statistical area (CSA), a large area that combines smaller city areas.
- DUALabs
- List of U.S. states by historical population, a table of past U.S. state populations.
- Race and ethnicity in the United States census
- State censuses in the United States of America
- United States metropolitan area (MSA), a city area with nearby communities.
- United States micropolitan area (μSA), a smaller urban area around a town of 10,000 to 49,999 people.
