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History
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Decennial Census Records
Census Records
Interviewing a family for the 1950 census.
Individual census records from 1790 to 1950 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, not the U.S. Census Bureau.
Publications related to the census data collected from 1790 to 2020 are available at https://www.census.gov/library/publications.html.
Visit the National Archives Web site to access 1940 and 1950 Census records.
Decennial census records are confidential for 72 years to protect respondents' privacy.
Records from the 1960 to 2020 censuses can only be obtained by the person named in the record or their heir after submitting form BC-600 or BC-600sp (Spanish).
Online subscription services are available to access the 1790–1950 census records. Many public libraries provide access to these services free of charge to their patrons.
Contact your local library to inquire if it has subscribed to one of these services.
The Census Bureau's National Processing Center (NPC) in Jeffersonville, IN, maintains copies of the 1910 to 2010 census records. Records from the censuses of population and housing are publicly accessible 72 years after each decennial census' "Census Day." The most recent publicly available census records are from the 1940 census, released April 2, 2012.
After the 72 years have passed, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is responsible for making the records publicly available for viewing or purchase. Therefore, records from the 1950 census will be released on April 1, 2022.
Individuals may request their own records (before they are publicly available) via the Census Bureau's Age Search service. This service provides individual information from censuses that are still protected by the 72-year rule, but only to the named person, his or her heirs, or legal representatives. There is a Congressionally-mandated fee for this service. Individuals interested in requesting a search of their personal census records must complete a form BC-600 [PDF 142k], Application for Search of Census Records (form BC-600sp [PDF - 156k], Solicitud Para Busqueda De Registros Censales).
1940 Census of Population
The National Archives released the 1940 population census records on April 2, 2012. The digital images are accessible at NARA facilities nationwide through its public access computers as well as on personal computers via the internet.
Only the population schedules are available from 1940. Housing and agriculture schedules were destroyed after data were collected, and therefore, were not microfilmed for eventual public release.
A portion of the 1940 Population schedule.
1930 Census of Population
The 1930 census became available on April 1, 2002, as National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication T626, Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930 (2667 rolls).
The 1930 census and all existing Soundex indexes are available at the National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001; the Archives' regional facilities around the country; many public libraries; and for a fee at online commercial genealogy sites.
For more information about using the 1930 census to complete your genealogical research, visit the National Archives' 1930 Federal Population Census Web Site.
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