Rhode Island, State Census, 1925 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to the 1925 Rhode Island state census. The census lists residents of the state as of April 15, 1925 by household. The head of household is indicated and the relationship of each person to the head of household is given. Children born after April 15, 1925 are not listed. The records are arranged by county and enumeration district. Records for Providence County, Providence Enumeration district: 241 are missing.

Rhode Island began taking its own census every ten years on the half-decade year between 1865 and 1935. However, the records for the 1895 census no longer exist. The records include most individuals within the counties that were enumerated. The state census was taken in order to enumerate the population for representation purposes. Population schedules were handwritten on printed forms by the enumerators. They are arranged by county and community.

Censuses are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the census enumerator. Information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified. Microfillm copies of original records are available at the FamilySearch Library and at FamilySearch Centers.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Town/city, county and voter district of enumeration
 * Names of individuals living in household on 15 April 1925
 * Address
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Gender, race and age of each person
 * Birthplace of each person
 * Naturalized citizen or alien

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * Other identifying information such as their residence and age
 * Other identifying information such as their birthplace or the names of other family members

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Search for vital records, such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Use the naturalization information to find their naturalization papers in the county court records. It can also help you locate immigration records such as a passenger list which would usually be kept records at the port of entry into the United States
 * If they are subject to military service, they may have military files in the State or National Archives
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related
 * Search for land and probate records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Be sure to search both the male section (listed first) and the female section
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Rhode Island.
 * Rhode Island Guided Research
 * Rhode Island Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Rhode Island Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Rhode Island state census, 1925

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.