The Local History Collection

Westchester County Census Records on Microfilm

The United States Federal Census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. Copies of decennial census forms (the actual forms completed by individuals) for Westchester County are available on microfilm for the years 1790 through 1930 at the White Plains Public Library. Because of confidentiality, census forms are not available to the public until after 72 years (therefore, the 1940 census will become available in 2012).

For explanations of what kinds of information are included by census year, see the Catalog of National Archives Microfilm publications that are available at the Reference Desk (in Census File in Information Drawer). Two websites that can be helpful in understanding how to use census information for genealogy research are the National Archives and Records Administration (www.nara.gov) and the U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov).

Census microfilm should be requested at the Periodicals Desk. In most cases, where multiple rolls cover Westchester County, towns included on individual rolls are listed on the side of microfilm boxes.

Census Indexes:

Name indexes for Westchester County for census years 1790 - 1840 can be found in:

Fuller, Elizabeth Green. Indexes to Westchester County Names in the Federal Censuses, 1790-1840. Elmsford, NY: Westchester County Historical Society, 1994. (317.4727 F in the Local History Collection)

An index to the 1890 census is available on microfilm (see below under microfilm holdings).
An index to the 1910 census is available on microfilm (see below under microfilm holdings).

Microfilm Holdings:

First Census of the United States, 1790
M637 Roll 6 (New York)
Note: M637 reproduces original census schedules for 1790 (handwritten).

First Census of the United States, 1790
T498 Roll 2 (New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania)
Note: T498 are printed schedules as published by the Bureau of the Census in 1907 to 1908.

Second Census of the United States, 1800
M32 Roll 27 (Saratoga, Suffolk and Westchester Counties)

In addition, the 1800 census is published in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society's Record, v. 57, no. 1 - v. 59, no. 1, January 1926 - January 1928. (929.1 N in the Reference Collection)

Third Census of the United States, 1810
M252 Roll 37 (Schenectady, Steuben, Tioga, Ulster and Westchester Counties)

Fourth Census of the United States, 1820
M33 Roll 75 (Lewis, Seneca and Westchester Counties)

Fifth Census of the United States, 1830
M19 Roll 112 (Westchester and Kings Counties)

Sixth Census of the United States, 1840
M704 Rolls 352 and 353 (Westchester County)

Seventh Census of the United States, 1850
M432 Rolls 614 and 615 (Westchester County)

Eighth Census of the United States, 1860
M653 Rolls 878, 879, 880, 881 and 882 (Westchester County)

Ninth Census of the United States, 1870
M593 Rolls 1114, 1115, 1116, 1117 and 1118 (Westchester County)

Tenth Census of the United States, 1880
T9 Rolls 945, 946 and 947 (Westchester County)

Index to the Eleventh Census of the United States, 1890
M496 Rolls 1 (A-J) and 2 (K-Z)

Eleventh Census of the United States, 1890
M407 Roll 3 (Eastchester in Westchester County)
Note: Most of the 1890 population schedules were badly damaged by fire in 1921.

Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War
M123 Roll 48 (Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester Counties)

Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900
T623 Rolls 1174, 1175, 1176, 1177 and 1178 (Westchester County)

Twelfth Census of the United States Enumeration District Descriptions, 1900
T1210 Rolls 6 and 7

Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910
T624 Rolls 1088, 1089, 1090, 1091, 1092 and 1093 (Westchester County)

New York Index to the Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910
T1224 Roll 35 (New York)

Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920
T625 Rolls 1275, 1276, 1277, 1278, 1279, 1280 and 1281

Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930
T626 Rolls 1658, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1665, 1666, 1667, 1668, 1669 (Westchester County)

Index to Selected City Streets and Enumeration Districts of the Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930 (Arizona through Virginia)
M1931 Rolls 4, 5