Search the 1820 U.S. Census
Key facts
- The count for the 1820 census began on Aug 7, 1820 and lasted 13 months.
- The total number of people counted was 9,683,453. This included 1,538,022 enslaved people.
- The census included 23 states and the territories of Arkansas, Michigan, and Missouri.
- There were six new states in the 1820 census: Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, and Maine.
- Records were lost from New Jersey and the territories of Arkansas and Michigan. Partial losses include half the counties of Alabama and the eastern counties of Tennessee. However, some of the schedules for these states have been re-created using tax lists and other records.
- The 1820 census was the first to capture information about alien foreigners who weren’t naturalized (by count only, not by name).
Information listed on the census
- Name of head of household
- Number of free white males and females broken down by age category
- Number of other free persons, except Indians not taxed
- Name of enslaver
- Number of enslaved people
- Number of enslaved people by gender and age
- Number of foreigners (not naturalized) in the household
- District or town
- County