1950 Census Records Release

💻 About the 1950 Census

On April 1, 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) made population records from the 1950 Census available to the public for the first time. The 1950 Census records release highlights the importance of responding to U.S. Census Bureau surveys and censuses. 

The Census Bureau conducts the decennial census—the once-a-decade population and housing count of everyone living in the United States—as mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. For 72 years, personal census responses are confidential. Once a census is final and results are issued, the Census Bureau transfers the records to NARA. NARA is then responsible for storing and protecting all census records before releasing them to the public after 72 years.

📣 Social Media Toolkit

Help us spread the word about the 1950 Census records release! Get started with our content and resources below and feel free to make them your own.

How to Use This Toolkit

1. Choose the type of asset you will use (graphic, animation, or video) and the social media channel you plan to post on.
2. Click the download button to save the graphic, animation, or video to your device.
3. Highlight and select the text you want to use for your social media post and copy the text to your clipboard.
4. Go to the social media channel you plan to post on, paste the copied text, and add the downloaded graphic or animation to your post.
5. If posting on Instagram, make sure to add the relevant link to your bio so your followers can learn more.
6. Remember to tag @uscensusbureau in your posts, use the hashtag #1950Census, and link to Census.gov or the National Archives website.

📋 Resources

Census Bureau Resources

• Director Santos Remarks: 1950 Census Records Release
• Overview: 1950 Census Records Release Page
• Press Kit: 1950 Census Records Release
• Census Academy Course: A Stroke of Genealogy: Searching U.S. Census Bureau Records
• Kahoot! Game: Then and Now: A Look Back at the 1950 Census
• America Counts Story: National Archives Releases 1950 Census Records
• America Counts Story: Famous People Who First Appeared in 1950 Census Records
• America Counts Story: 1950 Census Records: A Window to History
• Facts for Features: 1950 Census Records Release
• Fact Sheet: 1950 Census Records Release
• Data Visualization: Historical Apportionment Data Map
• Data Visualization: Center of Population Data (See how it has changed since 1950)
• Recorded Webinar: Demographic Perspectives on the 1950 Census

NARA Resources

• Celebration Videos: 1950 Census Records Release
• Overview: 1950 Census Records Release Page
• Explore: Search the 1950 Census
• Press Release: National Archives Releases 1950 Census Records
• Press Kit: 1950 Census Records Release
• Social Media Toolkit: 1950 Census Records Release
• Blogs: 1950 Census Blog Series
• FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About the 1950 Census
• Video: 2022 Genealogy Series: 1950 Census

🔎 Explore History and 1950 Census Artifacts

The 1950 Census opens a window into one of the most transformative periods in modern American history, revealing a country of roughly 151 million people who had just recently emerged from the hardships and uncertainties of World War II and the Great Depression.

With little housing construction during the prior two decades, the nation's population mostly lived in cities and rural areas, often in crowded conditions. Suburbanization had only recently begun and would increase substantially in the coming decades thanks to the GI Bill, sustained postwar economic expansion and construction of a comprehensive interstate highway system.  

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U.S. Census Bureau Official Social Media Accounts

Facebook – @uscensusbureau

Twitter – @uscensusbureau

Twitter - @censusdirector

LinkedIn - U.S. Census Bureau

Instagram – @uscensusbureau

YouTube - U.S. Census Bureau