The 1820 United States census was the fourth census conducted in the United States. It was conducted on August 7, 1820. The 1820 census included six new states: Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama and Maine. There has been a district wide loss of 1820 census records for Arkansas Territory, Missouri Territory, and New Jersey.

The total population was determined to be 9,638,453, of which 1,538,022 were slaves. The center of population was about 120 miles (193 km) west-northwest of Washington in Hardy County, Virginia (now in West Virginia).

This was the first census in which any states recorded a population of over one millionNew York, Virginia, and Pennsylvaniaas well as the first in which a city recorded a population of over 100,000New York. Also, in this census and the 14 subsequent ones, New York was the most populous state until being superseded by California in the 1970 census.

Census questions

The 1820 census contains a great deal more information than previous censuses. Enumerators listed the following data in columns, left to right:

Name of the head of family of free white males under age 10 of free white males age 10 to under 16 of free white males age 16 to 18 of free white males age 16 to under 26 of free white males age 26 to under 45 of free white males age 45 and up of free white females under age 10 of free white females age 10 to under 16 of free white females age 16 to under 26 of free white females age 26 to under 45 of free white females age 45 and up of foreigners not naturalized of persons engaged in agriculture of persons engaged in commerce of persons engaged in manufacture of male slaves under 14 of male slaves age 14 to under 26 of male slaves age 26 to under 45 of male slaves age 45 and up of female slaves under 14 of female slaves age 14 to under 26 of female slaves age 26 to under 45 of female slaves age 45 and up of free male colored persons under 14 of free male colored persons age 14 to under 26 of free male colored persons age 26 to under 45 of free male colored persons age 45 and up of free female colored persons under 14 of free female colored persons age 14 to under 26 of free female colored persons age 26 to under 45 of free female colored persons age 45 and up of all other persons except Indians not taxed

Several of these columns were for special counts, and not to be included in the aggregate total. Doing so would have resulted in counting some individuals twice. Census takers were asked to use double lines, red ink or some other method of distinguishing these columns so that double counting would not occur. For example, the count of free white males between 16 and 18 was a special count, because these individuals were also supposed to be tabulated in the column for free white males of age 16 and under 26.

The other special counts were foreigners not naturalized, persons engaged in agriculture, persons engaged in commerce, and persons engaged in manufacture.

Census takers were also instructed to count each individual in only one of the occupational columns. For example, if an individual was engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufacture, the census taker had to judge which one the individual was primarily engaged in.

Note to researchers

Census taking was not yet an exact science. Before 1830, enumerators lacked pre-printed forms, and drew up their own, sometimes resulting in pages without headings, line tallies, or column totals. As a result, census records for many towns before 1830 are idiosyncratic. This is not to suggest that they are less reliable than subsequent censuses, but that they may require more work on the part of the researcher.

State rankings

Rank State Population 01 New York 1,532,981 02 Virginia State included territory of future state of West Virginia, so including total population. 1,075,069 03 Pennsylvania 1,049,458 04 North Carolina 638,829 05 Ohio 581,434 06 Kentucky 564,317 07 Massachusetts 523,287 08 South Carolina 502,741 09 Tennessee 422,823 10 Maryland 407,350 11 Georgia 340,989 12 Maine 298,335 13 New Jersey 277,575 14 Connecticut 275,202 15 New Hampshire 244,161 16 Vermont 235,981 17 Louisiana 153,407 18 Indiana 147,178 19 Alabama 144,317 X West Virginia Between 1790 and 1863, the state of West Virginia was part of Virginia; the data presented here reflects the present-day boundary and is also included in the total population of Virginia. 136,808 20 Rhode Island 83,059 21 Mississippi 75,448 22 Delaware 72,749 X Missouri 66,586 23 Illinois 55,211 X District of Columbia The District of Columbia is not a state but was created with the passage of the Residence Act of 1790. The territory that formed that federal capital was originally donated by both Maryland and Virginia; however, the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846. 23,336 X Arkansas 14,273 X Michigan 7,452 X Wisconsin 1,444

Notes

City rankings Rank City State Population Region (2016) 01 New York New York 123,706 Northeast 02 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 63,802 Northeast 03 Baltimore Maryland 62,738 South 04 Boston Massachusetts 43,298 Northeast 05 New Orleans Louisiana 27,176 South 06 Charleston South Carolina 24,780 South 07 Northern Liberties Pennsylvania 19,678 Northeast 08 Southwark Pennsylvania 14,713 Northeast 09 Washington District of Columbia 13,247 South 10 Salem Massachusetts 12,731 Northeast 11 Albany New York 12,630 Northeast 12 Richmond Virginia 12,067 South 13 Providence Rhode Island 11,767 Northeast 14 Cincinnati Ohio 9,642 Midwest 15 Portland Maine 8,581 Northeast 16 Norfolk Virginia 8,478 South 17 Alexandria District of Columbia 8,218 South 18 Savannah Georgia 7,523 South 19 Georgetown District of Columbia 7,360 South 20 Portsmouth New Hampshire 7,327 Northeast 21 Newport Rhode Island 7,319 Northeast 22 Nantucket Massachusetts 7,266 Northeast 23 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 7,248 Northeast 24 Brooklyn New York 7,175 Northeast 25 New Haven Connecticut 7,147 Northeast 26 Kensington Pennsylvania 7,118 Northeast 27 Newburyport Massachusetts 6,852 Northeast 28 Petersburg Virginia 6,690 South 29 Lancaster Pennsylvania 6,633 Northeast 30 Charlestown Massachusetts 6,591 Northeast 31 Newark New Jersey 6,507 Northeast 32 Gloucester Massachusetts 6,384 Northeast 33 Marblehead Massachusetts 5,630 Northeast 34 Hudson New York 5,310 Northeast 35 Lexington Kentucky 5,279 South 36 Wilmington Delaware 5,268 South 37 Troy New York 5,264 Northeast 38 Hartford Connecticut 4,726 Northeast 39 Middleborough Massachusetts 4,687 Northeast 40 Smithfield Rhode Island 4,678 Northeast 41 Groton Connecticut 4,664 Northeast 42 Taunton Massachusetts 4,520 Northeast 43 Lynn Massachusetts 4,515 Northeast 44 Middletown New Jersey 4,369 Northeast 45 Plymouth Massachusetts 4,348 Northeast 46 Reading Pennsylvania 4,332 Northeast 47 Beverly Massachusetts 4,283 Northeast 48 Woodbridge New Jersey 4,226 Northeast 49 Deep River Connecticut 4,165 Northeast 50 Fairfield Connecticut 4,151 Northeast 51 Roxbury Massachusetts 4,135 Northeast 52 Lyme Connecticut 4,069 Northeast 53 Louisville Kentucky 4,012 South 54 Evesham New Jersey 3,977 Northeast 55 New Bedford Massachusetts 3,947 Northeast 56 Trenton New Jersey 3,942 Northeast 57 Schenectady New York 3,939 Northeast 58 Springfield Massachusetts 3,914 Northeast 59 Andover Massachusetts 3,889 Northeast 60 Danbury Connecticut 3,873 Northeast 61 Greenwich Connecticut 3,790 Northeast 62 Gilmanton New Hampshire 3,752 Northeast 63 South Kingstown Rhode Island 3,723 Northeast 64 New Bern North Carolina 3,663 South 65 Frederick Maryland 3,640 South 66 York Pennsylvania 3,545 Northeast 67 Fayetteville North Carolina 3,532 South 68 Elizabeth New Jersey 3,515 Northeast 69 Spring Garden Pennsylvania 3,498 Northeast 70 South Amboy New Jersey 3,406 Northeast 71 East Hartford Connecticut 3,375 Northeast 72 New London Connecticut 3,330 Northeast 73 Bristol Rhode Island 3,197 Northeast 74 East Hampton Connecticut 3,159 Northeast 75 Coventry Rhode Island 3,139 Northeast 76 Londonderry New Hampshire 3,127 Northeast 77 Glastonbury Connecticut 3,114 Northeast 78 Franklin, Somerset County New Jersey 3,071 Northeast 79 Haverhill Massachusetts 3,070 Northeast 80 Farmington Connecticut 3,042 Northeast 81 Granby Connecticut 3,012 Northeast 82 Norwalk Connecticut 3,004 Northeast 83 Harrisburg Pennsylvania 2,990 Northeast 84 Norwich Connecticut 2,983 Northeast 85 Utica New York 2,972 Northeast 86 Worcester Massachusetts 2,962 Northeast 87 Carlisle Pennsylvania 2,908 Northeast 88 Berlin Connecticut 2,877 Northeast 89 Nassau New York 2,873 Northeast 90 Dover New Hampshire 2,871 Northeast 91 Concord New Hampshire 2,838 Northeast 92 Orange New Jersey 2,830 Northeast 93 Pittsfield Massachusetts 2,768 Northeast 94 Raleigh North Carolina 2,674 South 95 Hagerstown Maryland 2,670 South 96 Cumberland Rhode Island 2,653 Northeast 97 Piscataway New Jersey 2,648 Northeast 98 Wilmington North Carolina 2,633 South 99 Middletown Connecticut 2,618 Northeast 100 Hackensack New Jersey 2,592 Northeast

Gallery

References

Notes on references

External links Census for 1820 Contains links to 1820 census results Historic US Census data