1950 Census Press Kit
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.
Attention Producers: You can download free footage for your coverage of our 1950 Census launch.
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)
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
Selected Photographs of the 1950 Census
A census enumerator collects data from a household in Fairlington, VA, for the 1950 Census. (Photo by State Department—Mottar) National Archives Catalog 207899869
An enumerator checks the census form and helps the farmer with any difficult questions. (Photo by the Department of Agriculture) National Archives Catalog 207899868
An advertising campaign for the 1950 Census conducted by the Advertising Council, Inc., in cooperation with the Bureau of the Census, stressed the importance of the census. National Archives Catalog 195980247
Field supervisors visit the Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, MD. National Archives Catalog 207899871
A Census Bureau employee enters data onto punch cards from the handwritten forms. National Archives Catalog 178688266
In the foreground a punch card operator enters data. The machines at the right are tabulators. National Archives Catalog 207527227
An electronic statistical machine tabulates the returns of the 1950 Census. National Archives Catalog 207525023