Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925

Source Information

This database contains state censuses for the following years:

• 1856


• 1885


• 1895


• 1905


• 1915


• 1925

It also includes some head of household only censuses and other special censuses from 1836-1897. See below for a list of years and counties covered in this database.

Information available for an individual will vary according to the census year and the information requested on the census form. Some of the information contained in this database though includes:

• Name


• Age


• Gender


• Race


• Birthplace


• Marital Status


• Place of enumeration

Additional information about an individual, such as their occupation, nativity of parents, citizenship status, or war service, may be available on the actual census record. Be sure to view the corresponding image in order to obtain all possible information about an individual.

Note: Some census schedules may be more than one page/image long. For example, the 1925 census schedule is usually comprised of 3 pages. Use the "Next" button on the image viewer to see any continuing pages.

About Censuses in Iowa:

Although Iowa did indeed enumerate its population frequently both in special and regular censuses, not all counties complied each time. Some enumerations are only for specific cities. Also, many of the censuses that were actually completed no longer exist. Take into consideration that not all years include all counties, or all townships of a county, and that in fact some are very limited.

Taken from Carol L. Maki and Michael John Neill, "Iowa," Red Book, ed. Alice Eichholz (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004).

Counties and Years:

Below is a list of all the counties and years included in this database.