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Access Census Enumeration Records
1950 Census Enumeration Forms
April 1, 2022 is the release date for the 1950 Census records, the original enumeration forms which include names, ages, occupations, household relationships, addresses, and a host of related information about the American people. 1950 was the 17th time in American history that a complete counting of the population was conducted. Information about this data release is provided by the National Archives 1950 Census Records website. From this site you can find the Questions Asked on the 1950 Census, census forms used to collection census information, Native Americans in the 1950 Census, and much more information to help you make effective use of this enormous resource.
Enumerations forms, also called surveys or questionnaires, are kept private for 72 years after which the National Archives and the Census Bureau make these records available to the public.
Total Population 1950: 151,325,798 in 48 states. This was a 14.5 % increase from the 1940 Census.
- Number of Enumerators: 142,962
- Total Pages in Published Reports: 61,700
Counting all those people to generate statistical tables required customized technology, including UNIVAC I, the first successful civilian computer. Below are a few images of the people who worked, and the technology used, to compile the 1950 Census.
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| UNIVAC I computer | Creating punch cards | Electrical sorting machine |
The Census Bureau 1950 Census Records page also provides information about the 1950 Census, how it was conducted, and what you can find using the 1950 Census Records. Blog Posts on the 1950 Census provide insight into what questions were asked, how enumerators did their work, language barriers experienced by enumerators, how Native Americans were counted, how many people it took to gather and process the data, and much more.
Bulk download of the full dataset, inclusive of metadata index, enumeration district maps, and enumeration district descriptions (>165 Terrabytes, 10x the size of the 1940 Census dataset) will also be available via Amazon Web Services Registry of Open Data for those who wish to explore aggregations of the records or post the information to their own websites.
Access to Census records from each decennial census, 1790-1940, is provided by the National Archives. Helpful information about these records and their use is provided through the menu of links along the left side of the screen.
Census Questionnaires & Instructions 1790 - 2020
Use these blank forms to see what questions were asked during each Decennial Census and how Census workers and the general public (self-response was implemented nationwide in 1970) were instructed to complete the forms. While these records provide an invaluable historical and genealogical resource, be aware that historical census documents may contain outdated terminology or views which reflect the authors’ attitudes or that of the period in which the item was written and may be considered inappropriate or offensive today
Native American Census Records
- Native American Tribal Histories, Series 1-4, 1813-1880 This link opens in a new windowOfficial record of encounters between Indigenous peoples and American Territorial officials as chronicled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Series 1-4, 1813-1880. Among the materials included are Census Records and School Census & Records. Use the Publication Type filter to quickly locate these census materials.
Measuring America: The Decennial censuses from 1790 to 2000 by Publication Date: 2002Provides Census questionnaires and instructions to enumerators. The first explicit mention of including Indians in the count of population appears in description of the 1880 census. Separate forms were used to enumerate those Indians living on reservations while those living off-reservation were coded by race.
- Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940Information about how Native Americans were included in the decennial census count of the population. These records are available online through Ancestry.com (NU subscription, limited to currently affiliated NU faculty, staff and students) and Fold3.com (membership required)
- Native Americans in the National ArchivesVarious sources for information about individuals such as Census records, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), school records, employment, and military service.
- Native Americans in the 1950 CensusForms and instructions used to include Native Americans in the 1950 count of the population.
- Indigenous Peoples: North America This link opens in a new windowThis database allows users to trace the history of Native Peoples in North America from colonial relations in the 1600s to twentieth-century issues such as civil rights. Includes manuscript collections, rare books and monographs, newspapers, periodicals, census records, legal documents, maps, drawings and sketches, oral histories, and photos, as well as video content from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Examples of Census records included in this digital collection include:
- Census Roll of the Cherokee Indians East of the Mississippi and Index to the Roll, 1835
- Census of Creek Indians Taken by Parsons and Abbott in 1832
- Schedules of a Special Census of Indians, 1880
Non-Census Records that include statistics and names
- Statistical Records and Reports of the Alaska Division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1912-1941
- Miscellaneous Indian Removal Muster Rolls, 1832-1846
- Chemawa Indian School: Register of Students Admitted, 1880-1928; Descriptive Statements of Students, 1890-1914; and Graduating Class Rolls, 1885-1921
- Census Roll of the Cherokee Indians East of the Mississippi and Index to the Roll, 1835