New Mexico Census

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Existing and lost censuses
For a list of available and missing New Mexico censuses, click here.

Availability
1850-1930--The Family History Library has the U.S. federal censuses for New Mexico.

1850 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1850, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

1860 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1860 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1860, birthplace, occupation, other family members, whether married or single, and neighbors.

 1870 United States Census---A free internet index and images can be viewed on FamilySearch Record Pilot site. This index includes the full name, age, sex, race, birthplace, occupation, month if born in census year, month if married in census year, birth place of father and mother, if born in a foreign country.

1880 United States Census– A Free Internet Index and Images to the US Census can be viewed on the Family Search Record Pilot – Pilot Site. This index includes an every name index to population schedules listing inhabitants. It includes the full name, race, sex, age, birth month (if born during the previous year), relationship to head of household, whether married, single or divorced, whether married during the previous year, country or state of birth of each person and his parent’s, occupation and street address and house number.

1885--Special 1885 territorial census.

1890--Census was destroyed, but the 1890 Union veterans schedule and index are available at the National Archives and at the Family History Library.

1900 Federal Census - A free Internet index and images to the 1900 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. Important additions to this census are month and year of birth of each household member, number of years married for each married person, number of children born to each mother and the number of those still living, year of immigration, and number of years in the United States.

Historical Background
1598--San Juan was founded as the first permanent Spanish colony in New Mexico. The capital was established at Santa Fe in 1610.

1706--Albuquerque was founded and became a center of settlement.

1821--When Mexico achieved independence from Spain, New Mexico became a Mexican province, and trade with the United States was opened over the Santa Fe Trail.

1848--Mexico ceded New Mexico to the United States. The Santa Fe Trail soon became a favorite route of those heading to the California gold fields.

1850-1863--Congress created the New Mexico Territory in 1850 and the first counties were established. The territory was enlarged somewhat with the Gadsden Purchase from Mexico in 1853, but greatly reduced by the creation of Colorado Territory in 1861 and Arizona Territory in 1863.

1912--New Mexico became a state.

Book Indexes
1850, 1860, 1910--The Family History Library has state-wide indexes for the censuses in book format.

Soundex
1880, 1900, 1920-- Soundex (phonetic) indexes are available on microfilm.

Colonial Censuses
1750, 1790, 1802, 1816, 1822, 1823, 1826, 1827, 1830 and 1845-- Spanish and Mexican colonial censuses exist. The colonial censuses include the wife's maiden name. These censuses are incomplete and do not include all families in New Mexico.

The colonial censuses are available at:


 * The New Mexico Records Center and Archives
 * The University of New Mexico Library
 * The Family History Library.

They have been transcribed and indexed in:


 * Olmsted, Virginia L. Spanish and Mexican Colonial Censuses of New Mexico: 1790, 1823, 1845. Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 1975. (Family History Library book 978.9 X2o.)


 * Olmsted, Virginia L. Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico: 1750-1830. Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 1981. (Family History Library book 978.9 X2ov 1750-1830.)

Mortality Schedules
1850, 1860, 1870--The New Mexico State Historical Society in Santa Fe has mortality schedules. These records are not at the Family History Library.

Web Sites
Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/NM/

Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/nm/census.html

Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/newmexico.htm

National Archives:http://www.archives.gov/

Historical Society of New Mexico: http://www.hsnm.org/

University of New Mexico Libraries: http://www.unm.edu/libraries.html