Census records reveal many details about individuals and families.  They are useful in finding the town and county where a person lived.  Census records list people who lived in every house in each town and county when the United States
census was taken, which was ever ten years since 1790.

Early census records (1790-1840) provide the name of the head of household and the age categories for all the males and females in that household.

Later census records (1850-1930) give at least the name, age, and state (or country) of birth
for each person in the household. 

Additional information can be found in several later census records, such as:  occupation, birthplace of parents, immigration date, and marital status.  And, census records also show you who the neighbors were, who ofter were relatives.