National Archives
Contents
Census Bureau
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a key source for U.S. federal census records. The records become publicly available 72 years after the census was taken, due to a privacy law. The most recent census available to the public is the 1950 census.
Access these records:
Online Resources:
| • | NARA's Own Website: NARA provides access to digitized census records through its website. The 1950 census, for example, is available for free on their site and is searchable by name and address. |
| • | Genealogy Websites: NARA has partnered with several commercial and non-profit genealogy websites to digitize and provide access to the records. Many of these sites, such as Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3.com, offer search functionality and images of the original documents. While some of these services require a subscription, many public libraries provide free access to them. FamilySearch.org is a free resource that requires a user account. |