The 1820 census records are useful in identifying the locality to be searched for other types of records for a named individual. Free men of color are listed as heads of household by name.
Slaves appear in age groupings by name of owner.
By combining those age groupings with probate inventories and tax list date, it is sometimes possible to determine names of other family members and the birth order of those individuals. The added questions in the 1820 census break down ages so that it is possible to gauge the age of young men more accurately. However, the redundancy of asking the number of free white males Between 16 and 18, and Of 16 and under 26, Of 26 and under 45, Of 45 and upwards, is frequently cause for confusion in attempts to calculate the total number of persons in a given household. The column regarding naturalization status may be some indication of length of residency in the United States and the possibility of finding naturalization papers in a local court. The questions asked regarding number and nature of those involved in agriculture, commercial, or manufacturing enterprises allow researchers to make some distinctions about the occupation of the head and any others in the household who were employed.