Recent News Articles

National Archives' Info About the 1950 Census

16 May 2023 5:59 AM | Anonymous

1950 Census logoOn 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

Visual Resources

NARA Blog Posts

refer to caption

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

Useful Links

U.S Census Bureau Resources

Comments

  • 17 May 2023 6:52 AM | Anonymous
    Just as an interesting point, I notice the painter in the second picture is using Dutch Boy paint which is owned by Sherwin-Williams Company now but in 1950 was owned by the National Lead Company. Dutch Boy paint brand is still made since 1907.
    Link  •  Reply

Blog posts

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter









































Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software