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Agency History
Learn more about our facilities, our innovations, and the who played a role in shaping the U.S. Census Bureau.
Census Records & Family History
The United States has collected data about its population since 1790 and continues to collect data every 10 years. Learn how to find previous census records.
Historical Censuses & Surveys
Learn how the census expanded over time from a simple headcount in 1790, to over 200 different surveys today.
Galleries & Archives
View publications, maps, and more that provide information about the history of the Census Bureau and its programs.

Agency History FAQs

The U.S. Census Bureau was established as a permanent agency within the Department of Commerce in 1902. Prior to that, the work was performed by a temporary office overseen by other agencies, including the Department of State and Department of Interior. The first censuses were conducted by U.S. Marshals and their assistants, and replaced by specially-appointed and trained census takers in 1880.

These questions are some of the most frequently asked about the Census Bureau's history and the people who have worked here.

In 1790, approximately 650 U.S. Marshals were employed to conduct the census. Most recently, the 2020 Census employed approximately 500,000 enumerators. The chart on each of the Fast Facts page provides estimates of the number of census takers needed for each census, along with other census-related data.

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The Census Bureau moved to Suitland, MD, in Spring 1942, so the Office of Price Administration (OPA) could move into the building it had previously occupied at Virginia Avenue and D Street in Washington, DC. At the time, the Roosevelt Administration and Census Bureau agreed it was critical to have the OPA's war-related operations close to Congress and the White House.

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Noted authors, inventors, statisticians, politicians, geographers, and television personalities have worked at the Census Bureau. Learn more at the Notable Alumni Web page.

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The Secretary of State oversaw the first censuses. By the mid-19th century, temporary census offices supervised the census as part of the Department of the Interior. In 1902, the Census Bureau became a permanent agency within the Department of Commerce and Labor. In 1913, it became part of the Department of Commerce upon its separate establishment.

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The Census Bureau became a permanent agency within the Department of Commerce and Labor following passage of An Act to Provide for a Permanent Census Office in 1902. In 1913, in became part of the Department of Commerce upon its separate establishment.

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The first censuses were loosely "supervised" by the Secretary of State. Temporary census offices under the Department of the Interior were headed by a "Superintendent of the Census" or other administrator. Since its establishment as a permanent agency in 1902, the U.S. Census Bureau has been overseen by a director. More information about the "head" of each census can be found at the Director Biographies Web page.

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Page Last Revised - September 3, 2024
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