Census records

Historically, censuses have been taken by state and territorial governments as well as the federal government. Federal censuses are conducted every 10 years while state or territorial censuses were generally conducted between those year spans. The following list describes King County census enumerations and indexes that are available digitally and in physical format.

Physical records

King County Archives holds the original bound volumes of territorial and state census records created by the King County Auditor for the following years: 1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889, and 1892.

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) holds the original bound volumes of the 1877-1878 King County Territorial Auditor’s census records.

Digitized records

Puget Sound Regional Archives holds microfilmed copies of the 1857 and 1871 King County Territorial Auditor’s census records. They also hold microfilmed copies of the original volumes at King County Archives.

Some territorial, state, and federal census records are digitized and available on the Washington State Digital Archives.

The most comprehensive set of territorial, state, and federal census records for Washington State and King County are available on online through Ancestry.com. Check your local library to find out if they provide access to Ancestry Library Edition. FamilySearch.org provides free online access to digitized federal census records.

The National Archives at Seattle holds microfilmed copies of federal census records for Washington State.

Federal census 1950 to present

Access to federal census records is restricted for 72 years after the census is taken. Although the census population schedules for these years are restricted from public access, various statistical information can still be obtained from these enumerations. Contact the U.S. Census Bureau for more information.