Census Information: Census of Governments

The United States Constitution includes directives for carrying out a census of the population every 10 years.

Finding US Documents: SuDoc Call Numbers

Government Documents are assigned call numbers based on the agency or department printing the information, called the SuDoc Classification (Superindent of Documents). It is a bit different from the regular Library of Congress or Dewey systems. Find the collection on the 4th Floor of the library. Can't find what you need? For assistance, ask at the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor or Ask Us Online

Local Holdings

The Census of Governments identifies the scope and nature of the nation's state and local government sector; provides authoritative benchmark figures of public finance and public employment; classifies local government organizations, powers, and activities; and measures federal, state, and local fiscal relationships.

The data are available by:

  • level of government (state, local, or state and local combined),
  • type of government (state, county, city, township, special district, school district), and
  • category of governmental activity

Current Census of Governments

Find online at: https://www.census.gov/govs/

Historical Census of Governments - 1942 to 1997

A census of governments was taken at approximately 10-year intervals from 1850-1942. The census of governments for the year 1957 was the first taken after 1942. Since 1957, the periodical census of governments has been taken at 5-year intervals (for years ending in 2 and 7). [Bureau of the Census Catalog of Publications, p. 117.]

  • Census of Government 1942: C 3.2:G 74/942 (PSU Library is missing all other volumes in this set.)
  • Census of Governments 1957: C 3.145/4:957/v.1-6 (most volumes have multiple parts)
  • Census of Governments 1962: C 3.145/4:962/v.2-7 (volumes 4, 6, and 7 have multiple parts; missing v.4 part 1)
  • Census of Governments 1967: C 3.145/4:967/v.1-7 (volumes 3, 4, 6, and 7 have multiple parts; missing v.6 part 1, part 6 not issued)​ and C 3.145/5:967
  • Census of Governments 1972: C 3.145/4:972/v.1-8 (volumes 2,3, 4, and 6 have multiple parts; missing v.7 not issued)
    • Volume 9: Procedural History.: Official SuDoc classification is: C 56.247/2:972/. To be shelved with the rest of the government censuses, PSU has classified it at: C 3.145/4:972/​​
    • Preliminary Report. No. 2 Public school systems in 1971-72. Official SuDoc classification is: C 56.247:972/2. To be shelved with the rest of the government censuses, PSU has classified it at: C 3.145/5:972/2
  • Census of Governments 1977: C 3.145/4:977/v.1-7 and C 3.145/5:977/2 (volumes 1,3, 4, and 6 have multiple parts; v.6 part 2 not issued)
  • Census of Governments 1982: C 3.145/4:982/v.1-7 and C 3.145/5:982/1
  • Census of Governments 1987: C 3.145/4:987/v.1-7 and C 3.145/5:987/2 (most volumes have multiple parts; v.5 not published)
  • Census of Governments 1992;C 3.145/4:992/v.1-4 and C 3.145/5:992/ (most volumes have multiple parts: also available online at: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/govern.html)
  • Census of Governments 1997 (Available online at: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/govern.html)