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US Census 1820

Explore the 1820 United States census and find out more about your ancestors.

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1820 US Census Date: * August 7, 1820 (All reported data is “as of” this official date chosen by the census agency)

1820 Census Duration: * 3 months

1820 US Census Population: * 9,683,453

President During 1820 Census: * James Monroe

23 States participated. New States in 1820 census: Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine Participating territories: Arkansas Territory, Michigan Territory and Missouri Territory.

1820 Census Data: 4th United States Census

  • It took $209,000, approximately 1,188 enumerators and 288 published reports to complete the 1820 census.

  • The US population increased by 33.1 percent from the 1810 census to the 1820 census.

Information requested for the 1820 US Census

  • Name of the head of the family head/ head of household

Number of free white males and females broken down into age categories:

  • Under age 10

  • Age 10-16

  • Age 16-18

  • Age 16-26

  • Age 26-45

  • Age 45 and up

  • Number of foreigners not naturalized

  • Number of persons engaged in agriculture

  • Number of persons engaged in commerce

  • Number of persons engaged in manufacture

  • Number of free persons except Indians not taxed

  • Number of slave owner and number of slaves

  • County and district or town of household

  • Number of male and female slaves under 14

  • Number of male and female slaves age 14-26

  • Number of male and female slaves age 26-45

  • Number of male and female slaves age 45 and up

  • Number of free male and female colored persons under 14

  • Number of free male and female colored persons age 14-26

  • Number of free male and female colored persons age 26-45

  • Number of free male and female colored persons age 45 and up

  • Number of all other persons except Indians not taxed

Notable events

Susan B. Anthony

Born February 15, 1820 in Massachusetts, Susan B. Anthony became involved with the anti-slavery movement, known as the abolitionist movement, which lead to her prominence as a suffragette fighting for gender equality. Anthony pushed for women's right to vote and co-founded the National Women Suffragette Association.

Susan B. Anthony worked for the abolitionist movement in the 1840s holding meetings at her family farm in New York with Frederick Douglass, another famous figure in the struggle to end slavery. Anthony fought for women's right to vote right until she died in 1906 at the age of 86. Women were not granted the right to vote until the 19th Amendment passed in 1920.

Historical Events Surrounding 1820 US Census

  • August 4, 1821: The Saturday Evening Post is published for the first time as a weekly newspaper.

  • December 20, 1820: Missouri imposes a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men between the ages 21 and 50.

  • November 26, 1825: The first college social fraternity, Kappa Alpha, is formed at Union College, Schenectady, New York.

  • March 30, 1822: Florida is purchased from Spain and becomes an official territory of the United States.

What was lost from the 1820 US Census?

While the problem of losing census records was improved by 1820, the 1820 census records for Arkansas Territory, Missouri Territory and New Jersey were lost.

Some of the 1820 census records were lost for counties in Alabama and eastern counties of Tennessee. Also, 1820 census records were lost of counties in Maine but were found in the late 20th century.