South Carolina Census

Federal  Many federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal archives. The United States Research Outline (30972) provides more detailed information about these records.

Federal censuses were taken in South Carolina at ten-year intervals beginning in 1790. They are available on microfilm for 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920. The 1890 schedules were destroyed, except those for Civil War veterans and widows, which are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the National Archives, and the Family History Library. www.census-online.com/links/SC/

Indexes are available for the 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses in book format. Microfilm soundex (phonetic) indexes are available for part of the 1880 and all of the 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses.

Mortality schedules (lists of deaths in the year preceding the census) exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 (FHL films 1294287-89). Indexes have been published for 1850 and 1860. The originals are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Colonial and State   No colonial censuses have been preserved. See the “Taxation” section of this outline for similar lists of names for this time period.

An 1848 census for the city of Charleston is available at the Family History Library (FHL film 823835 item 2). Although not available at the Family History Library, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History has the following state censuses:


 * 1829 state census (Fairfield and Laurens Districts)
 * 1839 state census (Kershaw District)
 * 1869 population returns
 * 1875 agricultural and population returns