South Carolina Census

Online Resources

 * United States Online Census, 1790-1940
 * — index and images
 * South Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, index, ($)

Indexes: fiche, film, or book
For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of South Carolina, South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book

Microfilm images
For a list of non-population schedules available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, click here.

For 1890 Union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War at the National Archives M123, click here

Indexes: fiche, film, or book
For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of South Carolina, South Carolina Non-Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book.

State and colonial censuses
South Carolina took censuses in the years between the federal censuses. The dates are listed below. State census records may have columns that were different or more unusual than those found on federal censuses. The responses and years of coverage may give additional information on the family.

For a list of state censuses available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, click here.

Family History Library collection

 * "1829 Census of Laurens District," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Spring 1976):103-113; Vol. 4, No. 3 (Summer 1976):139-151.
 * "The 1839 State Census of Lexington District," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Summer 1997):137-143.
 * "The 1839 State Census of Beaufort District," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Summer 2008):139-143; Vol. 36, No. 4 (Fall 2008):193-195; Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2009):29-31; Vol. 37, No. 2 (Spring 2009):89-91; Vol. 38, No. 2 (Spring 2009):89-91. [Abstract of SCDAH microfilm CN 656B.]

Census substitutes
Hendrix's publication can be used as a census substitute for the late 1770s:


 * Hendrix, Ge Lee Corley and Mom McKoy Lindsay. The Jury Lists of South Carolina 1778-1779. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1975. Free Name Search ; publisher's bookstore: Genealogical.com; ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Existing and lost censuses
For a list of available and missing South Carolina censuses, South Carolina Censuses Existing and Lost.

Why use a census?
A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.

More about censuses
United States Census for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:


 * index searching tips
 * analyzing and using what you find
 * census accuracy
 * historical background
 * contents of various census years and types
 * A Guide to Census Resources in the SC Room