Michigan Census

United States   U.S. Census    Michigan    Census

Indexes: fiche, film, or book
For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Michigan, click here

Indexes: fiche, film, or book
For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Michigan, click here.

State, territorial, and colonial censuses
Michigan took censuses in different years than the federal censuses. These censuses may have different data compared to federal censuses. Check these censuses for more information on a family.


 * 1843-1969 Statewide annual county census of school age children.
 * 1935 State special unemployment census
 * 1934 State special old age pension act taxable citizens census, coverage incomplete
 * 1848-1924 Statewide annual county census of deaf, dumb, blind, and insane.
 * 1904 Lost
 * 1894 State census Includes population, mortality, agricultural, industrial, social statistics, or veterans schedules in Allegan, Barry, Bay, Benzie, Dickinson, Emmet, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Iosco, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Keweenaw, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Menominee, Midland, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa, St. Clair, St. Joseph, and Washtenaw counties. For details see Barnett.
 * 1888 Civil War veterans only
 * 1862-1886 Military levy annual statewide county censuses mostly lost; a few rarely at county clerks' offices.
 * 1884 State census Includes population, mortality, agricultural, industrial, or social statistics schedules in Barry, Bay, Benzie, Emmet, Hillsdale, Ingham, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Keweenaw, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Menominee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa, Roscommon, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Van Buren (Paw Paw Twp.), Washtenaw, Wayne, and Wexford counties. For details see Barnett.
 * 1874 State census Only males over 21 years by name, and females in age cagegories in population schedules for Eaton and Houton counties only. Eaton also includes agricultural and industrial schedules. For details see Barnett.
 * 1864 State census Only males over 21 years by name, and females in age cagegories in population, agricultural and industrial schedules in Clinton, Eaton, (Houghton population only), and Newaygo counties. For details see Barnett.
 * 1854 State census Only males over 21 years by name, and females in age cagegories in population, agricultural, and industrial schedules for Eaton County. For details see Barnett.
 * 1845 State census. Only males over 21 years by name, and females in age cagegories in Eaton, Lenawee, Oakland, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Van Buren, and Washtenaw counties. For details see Barnett.
 * 1837 State census. Tallies only; individual names not included except in Kalamazoo County.
 * 1834 Territorial census. Tallies only; individual names not included except in Crawford County (now Wisconsin), and Lenawee County.
 * 1827 Territorial census mostly lost. Surviving fragments for Wayne (Detroit),  Monroe (Lawrence Twp.), and Washtenaw counties
 * 1810 Territorial census, Detroit, and Michilimackinac (everything north of Saginaw Bay)
 * 1805/1806 Territorial census, Detroit
 * 1796 Colonial census, Detroit
 * 1792 Colonial census, Petite Côte (south shore of Detroit River)
 * 1782 Colonial census, Detroit, and south shore of Detroit River
 * 1780 Colonial census, Fort St. Joseph (now Niles)
 * 1779 Colonial census, Detroit
 * 1768 Colonial census, Detroit area
 * 1765 Colonial census, Detroit
 * 1762 Colonial census, Detroit
 * 1750 Colonial census, Detroit area
 * 1743 Colonial census, Huron Indian Mission of the Assumption (south shore of Detroit River)
 * 1710 Colonial census, Detroit

Most state, territorial, and colonial censuses are at the Michigan State Archives. Further archives cited in Barnett, pages 21-23.

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

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
Click here 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