The Census Bureau is the nation's most prolific publisher of data. The Bureau compiles data for its own publications, as well as for other Federal agencies such as the Department of Labor. From the first census in 1790 through the twelfth census in 1900, the census was the responsibility of the Department of the Interior. In 1902 the Census Bureau was transferred to the Commerce Department, so censuses from that date on are shelved under C 3.
Most early censuses cover only population statistics.
Later agriculture, government expenses and product statistics were included. Since then, only the Census of Population and the Census of Housing are conducted at the beginning of each decade. The statistics found in the economic and decennial censuses become dated very quickly. The following pages list various censuses and the classification numbers under which they can be found in the Government Publications Department of McIntyre Library. In some cases CD-ROMs provide access to information not previously available.