New census records from 1950 could help you trace your family tree. Here’s what to know
If you’re trying to trace your family tree or want to know more about your relatives, the newly-released 1950 U.S. Census data may help.
Unlike other historical records that may not exist, census data is easily accessible and contains information for nearly everyone who lived in the U.S. at the time it was taken.
You can go to 1950census.archives.gov to search through roughly 6.5 million digital images of the 1950 census questionnaire, which includes information of each person who was documented. The website also includes a transcription feature to correct and add names to online records.
For privacy reasons, access to this data is restricted to all but the person named on the record for 72 years, according to the Pew Research Center.
Here’s what you need to know about the 1950 census archives:
Tips for searching through records
On the website, you can search for your relatives by first or last name, and the state and county they lived in.
Searches can also be done by enumeration district (ED), or the geographic area that a census taker could complete within two weeks in cities, or within a month in rural areas. Each ED has a two-part number, with the first representing the county and the second noting the geographic area of that county. ED maps can be found at catalog.archives.gov.
The National Archives and Records Administration offers these tips to find information about a family member:
When searching for a last name, be sure to enter the state and county of residence of the person you are looking for.
Search for the first and last name of the head of household. Last names were not used for others written on the census form unless they had a different last name.
If the person you’re searching for has a unique first name, search for them plus their state and county of residence.
If you know the names of your relative’s nearby neighbors, search for that head of household’s last name.
Don’t ignore search results that aren’t an exact match. The name may have been extracted incorrectly due to poor handwriting.
Was everyone counted during the 1950 census?
The census bureau estimated that the 1950 census missed approximately 4.1% of the population, according to NARA.
Though information about infants who were born in January, February or March was documented, the records were temporary and were later destroyed by the census bureau, NARA says.
Data on civilians and military personnel who were overseas was also collected, according to NARA, but most of the information was not retained.
How can I request a copy of a page of the 1950 census?
NARA can provide copies of a specific page of the census for a fee of $35. In order to get a copy, you must provide the name of the individual listed, page number, census year, state, county and enumeration district.
Orders can be placed by filling out NATF Form-82 and emailing it 1950censuscerts@nara.gov.
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 4:24 PM with the headline "New census records from 1950 could help you trace your family tree. Here’s what to know."
