1820 United States census

Fourth US census

1820 United States census

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| <- 1810 | August 7, 1820 (1820-08-07) | 1830 ->

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Seal of the United States Marshals Service, which administered the census

General information
Country| United States
Authority| Office of the United States Marshal
Results
Total population| 9,638,454 ( 33.1%)
Most populous state| New York
1,532,881
Least populous state| Illinois
55,211

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,[1] 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 million—New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania—as well as the first in which a city recorded a population of over 100,000—New 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 Also, in this census and the 14 subsequent ones, New York was the most populous state until being superseded by California in the 1970 census.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

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

1. Name of the head of family
1. of free white males under age 10
2. of free white males age 10 to under 16
3. of free white males age 16 to 18
4. of free white males age 16 to under 26
5. of free white males age 26 to under 45
6. of free white males age 45 and up
7. of free white females under age 10
8. of free white females age 10 to under 16
9. of free white females age 16 to under 26
10. of free white females age 26 to under 45
11. of free white females age 45 and up
12. of foreigners not naturalized
13. of persons engaged in agriculture
14. of persons engaged in commerce
15. of persons engaged in manufacture
16. of male slaves under 14
17. of male slaves age 14 to under 26
18. of male slaves age 26 to under 45
19. of male slaves age 45 and up
20. of female slaves under 14
21. of female slaves age 14 to under 26
22. of female slaves age 26 to under 45
23. of female slaves age 45 and up
24. of free male colored persons under 14
25. of free male colored persons age 14 to under 26
26. of free male colored persons age 26 to under 45
27. of free male colored persons age 45 and up
28. of free female colored persons under 14
29. of free female colored persons age 14 to under 26
30. of free female colored persons age 26 to under 45
31. of free female colored persons age 45 and up
32. 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

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Censustaking 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

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Rank | State | Population

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01 | New York | 1,532,981
02 | Virginia [2] | 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[a]
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[b]
17 | Louisiana | 153,407
18 | Indiana | 147,178
19 | Alabama | 144,317[4]
X | West Virginia [5] | 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 [6] | 23,336
X | Arkansas | 14,273
X | Michigan | 7,452
X | Wisconsin | 1,444

### Notes

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1. ^ Printed as 422,813 in the 1820 report, but later corrected.[3]
2. ^ Printed as 235,764 in the 1820 report, but later corrected.[3]

## City rankings

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Rank | City | State | Population[7][8] | Region (2016)[9]

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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

## References

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1. ^ "Missouri historical review. v.32 1937-38". HathiTrust. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
2. ^ State included territory of future state of West Virginia, so including total population.
3. ^ a b "Population, 1870-1790, in each State and Territory, by Counties, in Aggregate, and as White, Free Colored, Slave, Chinese, and Indian" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau.
4. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (1996). Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990. Washington: U.S. Bureau of the Census, pp. 8–11. ISBN 0-934213-48-8. Retrieved May 19, 2021. Due to the late arrival of returns from the counties of Lawrence, Perry, and Washington, the population of the state was incorrectly listed as 127,901 in the official state total.[subnote 1]
5. ^ Between 1790 and 1860, 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.
6. ^ 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.
7. ^ Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
8. ^ "Population of Connecticut Towns 1756-1820". Connecticut Secretary of the State. State of Connecticut. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
9. ^ "Regions and Divisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

Notes on references

1. ^ The relevant note on p. 10 erroneously switches the population values for Perry and Washington counties. The correct values can be found on page 121 of the final census report for 1820.

## External links

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

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