Wisconsin Census

United States  U.S. Census    Wisconsin    Census

Using Censuses
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 can be used to help find additional kinds of records about the family.

Additional details about how to use censuses can be found here:


 * United States Census
 * United States Census Historical Background
 * United States Census Analyzing Census Data
 * United States Census Accuracy
 * United States Census Searching

Wisconsin State and Territorial Censuses
Censuses were taken in Wisconsin in different years than the federal censuses and contain different information than that in federal censuses. Check these censuses for more information on a family.

Federal Population Schedules
For a list of the exact date of each federal census, see Wisconsin Censuses Existing and Lost.

Manuscripts
Two manuscript versions of the 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses exist, one at the National Archives and the other at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Because these are copies, there may be transcription errors, so that the information in each may be different. The two may also differ in the legibility of the handwriting, the condition of the manuscript, and the quality of the microfilm. The Family History Library has microfilms of the set in the possession of the National Archives.

Fiche, Film, and Book Indexes
For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Wisconsin, see Wisconsin Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book.

Fiche, Film, and Book Indexes
For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Wisconsin, see [[Wisconsin Non-Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book].

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections
Online collections containing these records are located in FamilySearch.org. Wiki articles describing these collections are found at:


 * Wisconsin 1855 State Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Wisconsin 1875 State Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Wisconsin 1885 State Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Wisconsin 1895 State Census Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Wisconsin 1905 State Census Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)