North Carolina Census

Online Resources

 * United States Online Census, 1790-1940
 * — index and images
 * North Carolina, State Census, 1784-1787 ($)
 * North Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, ($), index


 * For a list of the exact date of each federal census, click here.

North Carolina State Censuses Online

 * North Carolina, State Census, 1784-1787 ($)

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

Microfilm images
The North Carolina State Archives has these nonpopulation censuses for North Carolina: Agriculture: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 Industry/Manufacturing: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 Social Statistics: 1850, 1860, 1870

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

State and colonial censuses
North Carolina took a few censuses in the years before the first federal census was taken. The dates are listed below. These censuses 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.

Existing and lost censuses
For a list of available and missing North Carolina 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