Bullitt County History

Bullitt County Census Data 1800-1840

The purpose of this page is to provide summary statistics from the censuses of 1800-1840 for Bullitt County. This information was obtained from the University of Virginia Library Historical Census Browser.


1800

The 1800 federal census is the first that shows exclusive data for Bullitt County. According to that census, the total population of Bullitt County was 3,542. That included all persons, white or black, free or slave. The census breakdown by categories is shown below.

Free Whites:MaleFemale
under 10479450
10-15211175
16-25264230
26-44283183
45+184105
Totals14211143
Free Whites2564
Other Free People9
Slaves969
Total Population3542

1810

The 1810 federal census measured according to these same categories, and the results are listed below.

Free Whites:MaleFemale
under 10628594
10-15268256
16-25281339
26-44335258
45+205157
Totals17171604
Free Whites3321
Other Free People14
Slaves976
Total Population4311

1820

The 1820 census continued with the same categories, but added some additional ones. In counting white males between 16-25, those between 16-18 were listed in both the 16-25 count and in a separate 16-18 count. Also, for the first time, non-whites, both free and slave, were identified by gender and age. Finally, a tally was made of persons working in the general fields of agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing.

Whites:MaleFemale
under 10853827
10-15355338
16-18(86)--
16-25445476
26-44393393
45+294204
Totals23402238
Colored:FreeSlave
MFMF
under 1411337267
14-2501151159
26-4401140104
45+405136
Totals53679566

Free Whites4578
Other Free People8
Slaves1245
Total Population5831
Occupations
agriculture1228
commerce7
manufacturing265

1830

The 1830 census expanded its age groups into 13 groups for whites, and 6 groups for colored. The slight decline in population may be attributable to the creation of Spenser County in 1824 which included a portion previously belonging in Bullitt County. See our page on the creation of Bullitt County for more details.

Whites:MaleFemale
under 5 423 451
5-9 348 359
10-14 308 292
15-19 233 252
20-29 383 367
30-39 227 210
40-49 145 145
50-59 106 90
60-69 63 43
70-79 24 17
80-89 8 6
90-99 2 1
100+ 0 0
Total 2270 2233
Colored:FreeSlave
MFMF
under 1000220242
10-2301173193
24-350010284
36-54204245
55-99212516
100+0001
Totals42562581

Free Whites4503
Other Free People6
Slaves1143
Total Population5652

1840

The 1840 census used the same age categories used a decade earlier. In addition, the following information was collected for Bullitt County.

  • There were 103 white persons, 20 years of age and over, who could not read and write.
  • $34,500 was invested in manufacturing.
  • 1614 persons were in agriculture, 173 in manufacturing and trades, 17 in commerce, 15 in mining, and 7 in learned professions or engineering.
Whites:MaleFemale
under 5 502 449
5-9 374 362
10-14 335 337
15-19 259 296
20-29 440 409
30-39 273 235
40-49 165 174
50-59 117 87
60-69 57 55
70-79 34 20
80-89 10 6
90-99 0 0
100+ 0 0
Total 2566 2430
Colored:FreeSlave
MFMF
under 1025210248
10-2311237212
24-3503165110
36-54114552
55-99312318
100+0000
Totals711680640

Free Whites4996
Other Free People18
Slaves1320
Total Population6334

If you, the reader, have an interest in any particular part of our county history, and wish to contribute to this effort, use the form on our Contact Us page to send us your comments about this, or any Bullitt County History page. We welcome your comments and suggestions. If you feel that we have misspoken at any point, please feel free to point this out to us.

The Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is located in the county courthouse at 300 South Buckman Street (Highway 61) in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The museum, along with its research room, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by calling 502-921-0161 during our regular weekday hours. Admission is free. The museum, as part of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and is classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. Contributions and bequests are deductible under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Page last modified: 12 Jan 2024 . Page URL: bullittcountyhistory.org/bchistory/census/census01.html