United States Census of Population and Housing (Decennial Census)

Census 2010

Preparation for the 2010 Census is underway. View the timeline established by the Census Bureau. The 2010 Census will differ in that only the short-form questionnaire (name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship and housing tenure) will be used. The American Community Survey now collects more extensive socioeconomic information about your community every year, rather than once every 10 years. It is sent to a small percentage of the population on a rotating basis throughout the decade.

Census 2000

Try American FactFinder, the Census Bureau's main census data dissemination tool for 1990 and 2000 census tables and maps.

See the Census Bureau's Census 2000 page for more information on the most recent census. WSU Libraries received Census 2000 products in a variety of formats: online, DVD, paper, and CD-ROM. "U.S. Census Resources on the Web; Introduction to the 2000 Census," provides an overview.

To find census resources at WSU Libraries, search Griffin, the Libraries' online catalog. Census volumes from 1790 to 1940 are located in locked compact storage and can be retrieved by request. Volumes from the year 1950 to 1970 are in compact storage on the basement level of Terrell Library. Volumes from years since 1980 are in the federal documents collection on 3rd floor of Holland Library. Those in electronic format are accessible in the Griffin catalog.

Census 2000 for Washington State

Census 2000 Results for Washington (WA Office of Financial Management - OFM) includes Summary File 1, 2, and 3 (SF1, 2, 3) data, demographic profile data, the redistricting summary file, Census Bureau data, and OFM data.

Historical Censuses

The entire set of Census of Population and Housing publications, 1790 - present have been digitized by the Census Bureau.

Washington State Historical Data Set 1890 to 2000 includes the state, counties, and cities. Federal decennial population figures have been corrected and revised with state population statistics after 1970.

Prior to 1976 the bibliographic records for many government documents are not in our online catalog Griffin and must be searched in the library using tools such as the Monthly Catalog of Government Publications, the shelf list, and the serial record. Please ask a reference librarian for assistance.

For a complete listing of Census Bureau population & housing, agricultural, economic, and government census publications, 1790-1972, use the book U.S. Census Bureau Historical Compilation Series, Holland and Terrell Libraries Reference Doc C 56.222/2-2:1790-1972. Annual updates continue under C 3.163/3: in the federal documents collection on Holland 3rd floor. For electronic copy, all years, go to http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/catalogs.html

Census Index searches Decennial Census publications produced between 1790 and 1997.
See the Population Schedules page for information about microfilm holdings at WSU Libraries. These microfilm records are of interest to historical researchers and genealogists for work on family histories, immigration, local history, and many other topics.
Historical Census Data provides a search function for state and county census data from 1790 to 1960.
The Census Bureau's Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housing Counts is a good list of retrospective data sources.
Historical Censuses, a bibliography and compilation of reference and data sources, is maintained by the Government Information Technology Committee of the ALA Government Documents Round Table.
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is available online in pdf files from 1878 to the present (many are in zip format also). WSU Libraries' collection of the Statistical Abstract of the United States (Hol Doc C 3.134: ) goes back to 1887.
See also the database Historical Statistics of the United States, Millenial Edition (WSU access only) and Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Hol Doc Ref C 3.134/2:H62 colonial times-1970 pt.1 & 2)
University of Michigan Documents Center has posted a complete inventory of Historical Census Publications in electronic format.

Census Data Files

Census 2000 data for GIS (Geographic Information Systems).
The Census Bureau's Access Tools page provides downloadable software and direct access files.
The Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) consists of thirty-nine high-precision samples of the American population drawn from fifteen federal censuses and from the American Community Surveys of 2000-2005.
ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research) offers numeric raw data files for many decennial censuses. WSU Libraries, a member of ICPSR, makes this available to WSU faculty, students, and staff through the Holland and Terrell Libraries Data Archive.
National Historical Geographic Information Service provides free aggregate census data and GIS-compatible boundary files for the United States between 1790 and 2000. NHGIS is supported by the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota.
See also the FTP site for the University of Wisconsin Center for Demography and Ecology. Included are the 1970 Census Summary Tape Files (all available states and the District of Columbia for the 1970 4th Count A and C population and housing files).

Reference Resources

The following books are in the Holland and Terrell Libraries Reference collection unless otherwise noted:

The American census handbook / Hol Ref CS49 .K4 2001

Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census / Hol Ref HA37.U55 C66 2000

Measuring America: the decennial censuses from 1790 to 2000 / Hol Ref C 3.2:M 46/2 and online at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/ma.html.

The population of the United States (1990 census) / Hol Ref HB3505 .B63 1997

Population of states and counties of the United States : 1790 to 1990 from the twenty-one decennial censuses / Hol Ref Doc C 3.2:P 81/26

Understanding the census : a guide for marketers, planners, grant writers, and other data users / Hol Ref HA201 1990ar

Dubester's U.S. census bibliography with SuDocs class numbers and indexes / Hol Ref HA214 .C66x 1996

The historical atlas of state power in Congress, 1790-1990 / Hol Ref G1201.F7 M3 1993

Historical statistics of the states of the United States : two centuries of the census, 1790-1990 / Hol Ref HA214 .H57 1993

Atlas of the 1990 census / Hol Ref G1201.E2 M3 1992

Population information in twentieth century census volumes, 1950-1980 / Hol Ref HA214 .S345x 1988

Population information in twentieth century census volumes, 1900-1940 / Hol Ref HA214 .S348x 1985

Population information in nineteenth century census volumes / Hol Ref HA214 .S38x 1983

We the people : an atlas of America's ethnic diversity (based on 1980 census) / Hol Ref Atlas and Education Ref Atlas E184.A1 A479 1988

Atlas of American women (based on 1980 census) / Hol Ref G1201.E1 S5 1987

Map guide to the U.S. federal censuses, 1790-1920 / Hol Ref G1201.F7 T5 1987