On April 1, 2022, the National Archives released the 1950 Census (kept confidential for 72 years) online at archives.gov/1950census. See the press release. Anyone, anywhere can search freely—experienced researchers, genealogy buffs, and novices! 

Speak with a trusted expert: Are you a member of the media who is covering the release of the 1950 census records? Upon request, we can share a list of historians, genealogists, and archivists who can provide you with more information for your coverage. Email: public.affairs@nara.gov.

Here is a condensed version of the 1950 Census tabulation picture. In the foreground is a punch card machine. Holes are punched in the card according to a prearranged code, transferring the facts from the questionnaire into statistics. The man operating the machine labeled “140” is running a sorter. This machine sorts cards into any desired classification. The other two machines are tabulators which add up the final results.

1950 Census Release: What's Old?

• Outlined in the Constitution and taken every 10 years since 1790, the census is used to define “We the People" by providing a snapshot of the nation's population.

1950 Census Release: What’s New?

• First time using optical character recognition/artificial intelligence (OCR/AI) for handwriting recognition
• First time using a transcription tool to improve the name index
• First chance to download the entire census in bulk
• First time releasing the census during a pandemic
• First 1950 Census National Archives Genealogy Series on our YouTube channel

Getting Started

• 1950 Census Fact Sheet
• The 1950 Census Records Release
• NARA’s 1950 Census web page 
• Search Census Records Online
• Social Media Kit

Visual Resources

• Selected Photographs
• 1950 Census GIFs
• Blank 1950 Census forms
• 1950 Census PSAs, including “Helping the Census helps Uncle Sam!”
• 1950 Census: Training Filmstrips

NARA Blog Posts

• The 1950 Census is Here! (AOTUS Blog)
• National Archives Publishes 1950 Census Records (National Archives News)
• Preparing for the 1950 Census (AOTUS Blog)
• Please Help NARA Refine the Draft Name Index! (History Hub)
• Volunteers Can Contribute to Nation’s History by Collaborating on 1950 Census Records (National Archives News)
• Census Records: The 72-Year Rule (Pieces of History)
• Public Access to Census Records at the National Archives (Pieces of History)
• Census Records Come to the National Archives (Pieces of History)
• Standout Census Stories: Using the U.S. Census to Solve Adoption Mysteries (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: Familial Connections and Federal Records—The Ties that Bind (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: Who Are You? Using the Census to Add Context to Family Photos (National Archives News)
• Genealogy Series 2022 Kicks Off With “What's on the 1950 Census” (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: An Archivist Untangles Immigration Records Using Leads from the Census (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: Schoel to Samuel to Saul Through Four Decades of Records (National Archives News)
• ​1950 Census on Track for 2022 Release, Despite Pandemic (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: An Archives Executive Discovers His “Huckster” Grandfather (National Archives News)
• Release of 1950 Census Will Increase Access to Records in St. Louis (National Archives News)
• Counting Down Until the Release of the 1950 Census! (The Text Message)
• The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule (The Text Message)
• Archivist Explores History of 1950 Census Indian Reservation Schedule (National Archives News)

Door-to-door census-taking, April 1950.

View in National Archives Catalog

​Posts from NARA's Experts

View all the 1950 Census posts on History Hub

• Census fun facts
• 1950 Census
• 1950 Census: 20 Tips for Research Success
• Census Enumeration of U.S. Civilians and Military Personnel Overseas, 1790–1950
• 1950 Census: “Your Map is Your Guide—Use It!”
• 1950 Census: Field Enumeration Procedures
• 1950 Census: How the Data Were Used
• 1950 Census: The Official Census Day—April 1, 1950

Useful Links

• U.S. Presidents in Census Records
• Intro to Census Records
• Search Census Records Online
• NARA Fact Sheet

U.S Census Bureau Resources

• Census Bureau Press Kit
• 1950 Overview
• About the Decennial Census of Population and Housing
• Census in the Constitution
• History of the Census