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1810 United States census

Adapted from Wikipedia Β· Adventurer experience

An historical page from the 1810 United States Census, showing records from Watervliet, Albany County, New York.

The 1810 United States census was the third census in the United States. It happened on August 6, 1810, and counted 7,239,881 people living in the country.

This census was special because it included one new state: Ohio. Sadly, some of the original records from places like the District of Columbia, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Ohio were lost or destroyed many years later. Most of Tennessee’s records were also lost, except for a few counties.

This was also the last time that Virginia was recorded as the most populous state in the United States.

Census questions

The 1810 census asked for basic information about people living in each area. It collected details like the name of the family head and the numbers of free white males and females in different age groups. It also counted other free people and slaves. This helped the government learn how many people lived in the United States at that time.

The questions were the same as those used in the 1800 census. They focused on counting different groups of people instead of asking about jobs or birthplaces.

Note to researchers

Census taking in the early 1800s was not very organized. Before 1830, people who counted the population did not have special forms. They sometimes made their own, which could make the records hard to read. Some of these record-keepers did not finish counting everyone. Because of this, the old census records can be tricky for researchers to understand, but they are still useful.

Data availability

No detailed records from the 1810 United States census are available, but general population numbers for smaller areas can be found. These numbers can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System along with maps that show where people lived at that time.

State rankings

The 1810 United States census was the third time the country counted its population. It was carried out on August 6, 1810. The census found that 7,239,881 people lived in the United States at that time. This information helped leaders learn about population growth and where people lived.

RankStatePopulation
01Virginia 983,152
02New York959,049
03Pennsylvania810,091
04Massachusetts 700,745
05North Carolina556,526
06South Carolina415,115
07Kentucky406,511
08Maryland380,546
09Connecticut262,042
10Tennessee261,727
11Georgia251,407
12New Jersey245,555
13Ohio230,760
β€”Maine 228,705
14Vermont217,713
15New Hampshire214,360
–West Virginia 105,469
16Rhode Island76,931
β€”Louisiana76,556
17Delaware72,674
β€”Mississippi31,306
β€”Indiana24,520
β€”Missouri19,783
β€”District of Columbia 15,471
β€”Illinois12,282
β€”Alabama9,046
β€”Michigan4,762
β€”Arkansas1,062

City rankings

The 1810 United States census was the third time the country counted its population. It happened on August 6, 1810. It found that 7,239,881 people lived in the United States. Of these people, 1,191,362 were slaves. This information helped leaders learn how many people lived in different places and plan for the country's growth.

RankCityStatePopulationRegion (2016)
01New YorkNew York96,373Northeast
02PhiladelphiaPennsylvania53,722Northeast
03BaltimoreMaryland46,555South
04BostonMassachusetts33,787Northeast
05CharlestonSouth Carolina24,711South
06Northern LibertiesPennsylvania19,874Northeast
07New OrleansTerritory of Orleans17,242South
08SouthwarkPennsylvania13,707Northeast
09SalemMassachusetts12,613Northeast
10AlbanyNew York10,762Northeast
11ProvidenceRhode Island10,071Northeast
12RichmondVirginia9,735South
13NorfolkVirginia9,193South
14WashingtonDistrict of Columbia8,208South
15NewarkNew Jersey8,008Northeast
16NewportRhode Island7,907Northeast
17NewburyportMassachusetts7,634Northeast
18AlexandriaDistrict of Columbia7,227South
19PortlandMassachusetts7,169Northeast
20PortsmouthNew Hampshire6,934Northeast
21NantucketMassachusetts6,807Northeast
22GloucesterMassachusetts5,943Northeast
23SchenectadyNew York5,903Northeast
24MarbleheadMassachusetts5,900Northeast
25New HavenConnecticut5,772Northeast
26PetersburgVirginia5,668South
27New BedfordMassachusetts5,651Northeast
28LancasterPennsylvania5,405Northeast
29SavannahGeorgia5,215South
30CharlestownMassachusetts4,959Northeast
31GeorgetownDistrict of Columbia4,948South
32PittsburghPennsylvania4,768Northeast
33BeverlyMassachusetts4,608Northeast
34GrotonConnecticut4,451Northeast
35BrooklynNew York4,402Northeast
36MiddleboroughMassachusetts4,400Northeast
37GilmantonNew Hampshire4,338Northeast
38LexingtonKentucky4,326South
39WoodbridgeNew Jersey4,247Northeast
40PlymouthMassachusetts4,228Northeast
41LynnMassachusetts4,087Northeast
42HudsonNew York4,048Northeast
43HartfordConnecticut3,955Northeast
44TauntonMassachusetts3,907Northeast
45MiddletownNew Jersey3,849Northeast
46SmithfieldRhode Island3,828Northeast
47DanburyConnecticut3,606Northeast
48South KingstownRhode Island3,560Northeast
49GreenwichConnecticut3,533Northeast
50ReadingPennsylvania3,462Northeast
51EveshamNew Jersey3,445Northeast
52New LondonConnecticut3,238Northeast
53AndoverMassachusetts3,164Northeast
54South AmboyNew Jersey3,071Northeast
55TrentonNew Jersey3,002Northeast
56NorwalkConnecticut2,983Northeast
57ElizabethNew Jersey2,977Northeast
58NorwichConnecticut2,976Northeast
59North KingstownRhode Island2,957Northeast
60CoventryRhode Island2,928Northeast
61YorkPennsylvania2,847Northeast
62HackensackNew Jersey2,835Northeast
63BerlinConnecticut2,798Northeast
64SpringfieldMassachusetts2,767Northeast
65LondonderryNew Hampshire2,766Northeast
66FarmingtonConnecticut2,748Northeast
67BristolRhode Island2,698Northeast
68HaverhillMassachusetts2,682Northeast
69PittsfieldMassachusetts2,665Northeast
70WorcesterMassachusetts2,577Northeast
71CincinnatiOhio2,540Midwest
72NashvilleTennessee2,490South

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