After 72 years have passed, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is responsible for making census records publicly available. Records from the 1790 to 1950 censuses are currently available for genealogical research. Records from the 1950 Census were released by NARA on April 1, 2022. The 1960 records will become available in April 2032.
Visit NARA's Census Records Web site to learn more about the availability of microfilmed and digital census records for genealogical research.
Several online subscription services provide access to digital copies of these publicly available records. In addition to offering individual subscriptions, many libraries purchase institutional subscriptions to one or more of these services which allows their patrons to access digitized census records at libraries and—in some instances—at their own homes using their library card and home computer. Contact your local library to learn if it offers this service.