Find Ancestors – 1920 & 1930 US Federal Census
Find Parents and Grandparents in Recent Census Records
Jun 29, 2009
Census records are available to the public 72 years after the census was taken. The most recent US Federal Census data available is from the 1920 and 1930 census, and many beginning genealogists will find their parents or grandparents listed here.
About the 1920 Federal Census
The 1920 U.S. Federal Census collected information on household residents as of January 1, 1920. Members of the military were not considered residents of their hometown, but of their duty station.
The 1920 census included all 50 states and territories, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Panama Canal Zone, and overseas military bases. Because of changes in national boundaries because of World War I, foreign places of birth are often very specific, especially regarding areas in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, and Russia.
1920 Federal Census Data
Enumerators asked the following questions:
- Name
- Street address
- Relationship to head of household
- Age at last birthday
- Sex
- Color
- Marital status
- Housing information: rented, mortgaged, or owned free
- Citizenship: year of immigration, whether naturalized, and year of naturalization
- Education: whether attended school within the year, whether can read or write
- Occupation: specific type of work, in what industry, and whether an employer, paid wages, or self-employed
- Can speak English
- Place of birth and native language
- Place of birth and native language of mother and father
About the 1930 Federal Census
The 1930 U.S. Federal Census took information as of April 1st and became more specific in some areas, and less specific in others. The year of naturalization was no longer asked, but more information about the home, marriage and military service was included. Again, military members were considered residents of their duty stations, not their hometowns.
1930 Federal Census Data
Enumerators asked the following questions:
- Name, including middle initial
- Street address
- Relationship to head of household
- Age at last birthday
- Sex
- Color
- Marital status
- Age at first marriage
- Value of home if owned, amount of rent if rented
- If the family owns a radio set or lives on a farm
- Education: whether attended school within the year, whether can read or write
- Citizenship: year of immigration, whether naturalized
- Can speak English
- Occupation: type of work, in what industry, and class of worker (employer, paid wages, self-employed, or unpaid family member)
- Whether actually at work, or if unemployed
- Place of birth of individual and parents
- Native language if foreign-born
- If a military veteran, and of which war (codes for World War I, Spanish-American War, Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, Boxer Rebellion, and Mexican Expedition)
Find Ancestors in the 1920 and 1930 Federal Census Indexes
The best way to find a parent, grandparent or other ancestor in a census record is through an index. Indexes of every name in a census are available at online genealogy sites with a subscription payment or free trial. Some local, state and regional libraries provide public access to these online databases.
Portions of local census records are available for free at various websites, such as the USGenWeb. If only a transcription of a census record is online, it will be searchable either through a website search engine or through the "find" feature on a computer (usually Ctrl-F in Windows).
A Soundex index listing heads of households is available on microfilm for the 1920 census and portions of the 1930 census. These can be found at state and regional libraries, large genealogy libraries, regional NARA offices, and by microfilm loan through local LDS Family History Centers.
View Census Images for Additional Genealogical Information
Be sure to go beyond the index results, which show only selected information. Look at the actual census image to search all the available genealogical data, and to note neighbors and possible relations living close by.
The actual census images have been microfilmed, and are available to view on a microfilm reader or online through the same libraries and online sites listed above. If a census is available online, it is almost always indexed and searchable.
Next Steps in Genealogy Research
- For information on the 1900 & 1910 censuses, see Find Ancestors - 1900 & 1910 US Federal Census.
- For links to articles about the 1850-1880 census records, and other tips on using the US Census for research, see the Find Family Ancestry in the US Federal Census Records blog post.
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