Census Records From 1950

Are The Census Records From 1950 Available?

If you are reading this post then you are probably wondering what census records that you can check. The 1940 census records are already out there but are the census records from 1950 available?

Census Records From 1950

It’s an important question to ask as family historians we try to gather as much information about our ancestors as we possibly can.

With more recent records there is more and more vital information within them.

So, read on and I will show you what is and what isn’t available when it comes to the 1950 census records.

Discussed in this post:

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Express Your Thoughts Below!

I would love to hear from you.

Census Records, Important For Research?

If you have been tracing your family history for a while then you may want to skip this section.

Census Records, Important For Research?

However, if you are new to genealogy research then please read on as I share with you how valuable census records are.

Get help filling in the blanks!

I just want to share with you just why you should be using census records to discover your family history.

For me, these records have helped me a great deal by filling in the blanks when it came to the vital information regarding my ancestors.

Yes, you probably think that it is obvious, these records will have the basic facts about your ancestors.

They can tell you where they were born, where they lived, their occupation, who their family was, and so on.

So, they can give you a ton of information about your ancestors.

Census records can give you a snapshot of their lives.

But they can also help you to back-track through the generations.

Here’s an example!

For example, if you know who your 2nd great-grandfather was then check these records to see when he was a child.

By doing so you will discover who his parents were. You can continue this process until you have exhausted these records.

And then you will need to research other types of documents, such as parish records.


Are The Census Records From 1950 Available?

The short answer is …

No!

The long answer is …

There is more to it than that, so in a way, the answer is actually yes!

If you are familiar with U.S. census records you may know that there is a 72-year rule, where you have to wait that long until these records are made public.

Please watch this!

Here’s a short video from Ancestry that explains why.

Credit:   Ancestry

The latest 1940 census records are available and were made available in April 2012.

So, by following this rule we know that to gain access to the 1950 census records that we will, unfortunately, have to wait until April 2022.

Just count your blessings America!

You may think that this sucks but as Americans, we have it much better than our British or Canadian counterparts.

If you want to check out the latest British census records then there is a 100-year rule.

So, the latest census records for the dates to 1911. And to top it off there are no census records for 1931 and 1941 for them.

The Canadians fair a bit better as there is ‘only’ a 92-year rule. The latest Canada census record that is available dates to 1921.


How Can I Access the Census Records From 1950?

Apologies but I digressed slightly there from the question. To answer your question though the answer is yes.

How to access the census records from 1950?

So how can you access these records and what do you have to do?

The Census Bureau and the Age Search Service

Through the Census Bureau Age Search Service, you can request the census records from 1910 right up to 2010.

So, that means that not only can you get your hands on records from 1950 but even the last census that was carried out.

What’s the catch though?

I knew you would ask that.

Well, there is currently a $65 charge for this service.

And you can only request to search for one census for one person for each search.

I must point out also that personal checks and money orders are accepted, except for credit cards, unfortunately.

So, it’s not a cheap service but it can help you if you have encountered a brick wall in your genealogy research!

By using this service though you will get an official transcript of the results that you requested.

And then from these results you not only can break down brick walls but you may search for other records, such as birth, death, or marriage certificates.

How do you access these records then?

You will need to download an application form from the Census Bureau Age Search Service.

How to access the 1950 census records!

The form is titled “BC-600 Application For Search of Census Records“.

If the person that you are looking for is deceased then you will need to get an appropriate signature.

This is no problem if you are a relative.

But if you are not then you can get the signature from any one of the following:

  • Their partner;
  • Administrator or executor of the estate; or
  • A beneficiary by will or insurance.

You will also need to provide a copy of their death certificate as well!

So, the process may not seem so simple but if you want to find out something that is bugging you about your family tree then this is one service that you can use.

What results do you get?

For the $65 that you pay you will get an official census transcript. This transcript will list the person’s name, relationship to the head of the household, their age when the census was taken, and also the state where they were born.

What results can you get from the 1950 census records?

The person’s citizenship will be provided as well if they were born overseas.

Note: A person’s state of birth and their citizenship is not available from the 1910 and 1950 census records!

But to get the full schedule, i.e. the complete line of entry as it appears in the census, then you will need to pay an additional $10.

This service is not available for the census years 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000.

And if you want details about other persons in the household then there is an extra $10 to pay.

How long does this service take?

The whole process takes between 3 to 4 weeks. If you do wish to speed up the process you can pay a further $20.


My Final Thoughts!

Census records are a great resource to genealogists and family historians. They can not only provide a lot of information but they can help you immensely to build your family tree.

You can also use what you find to search for other records.

But if you want to access more recent information than what appears in the 1940 census records then it doesn’t come cheap.

If you want to get just one line of entry from the census records for one person then you will need to cough up as much as $105.

But the process is a lot easier for the 1950 census records than records from 1960 to 2010!

Is there an alternative?

Check out the 1950 Census Substitute from Ancestry, where you can access city directories from the 1940s to the 1950s.

These directories will help you locate where your ancestors were living during this period.

It’s not much but it can give you some more information about them.

Strive to find the information that you are after!

Whatever you do decide when it comes to researching your family tree just remember that sometimes genealogy research is not easy.

We do sometimes have to go through several hoops to get the information that we are looking for.

And we occasionally have to pay for that information.

But at the end of the day, we want to do our family history research justice.

So, we do have to go that extra mile to create a legacy that we can be proud of.


Thank You and Please Leave A Comment

I hope you enjoyed this post discussing whether the Census Records from 1950 are available. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.

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Summary
Article Name
Access The Census Records From 1950
Description
Can you access the 1950 census records? Well, you actually can. This guide shows exactly what you need to do to find your ancestors from 1950.
Author
Publisher Name
The Genealogy Guide
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12 thoughts on “Are The Census Records From 1950 Available?”

  1. Hi. I’m trying to find info on a cousin. If I send for the bc-600 for my uncle does it show the children listed. Thanks for all the information. Linda

    1. Hi Linda,

      As far as I’m aware you would need authority from your uncle, but it does state for the bc-600 that you need to be an immediate family member, i.e. father, mother, brother, sister.

      Best bet would be to contact the US Census and ask whether you can apply for a census featuring your cousin.

      I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help, I hope though that you did find success.

      All the best,
      Owain

  2. Since my mother was adopted (or so I’m told), the genealogy records I have from my “grandmother” that go back to 1611, are useless 🙁
    I may spend the money since I’m mainly interested in health etc. but 3 years isn’t too long to wait.

    1. Hi Jon,

      That is a lot of history that has been recorded thus far, and even though your mother may have been adopted I feel like that it is someone’s ancestry that should be preserved.

      Three years in the terms of genealogy research isn’t that long too wait I agree. I have been researching my ancestry for 9 years and I can’t believe that it has been that long.

  3. A cousin has a delayed birth certificate and to get a passport, States department insist on her providing 1950 census records which they have access to but my cousin does not. Agree with protecting census info from public but for a government agency to insist that a citizen pay for info that they have access to is stupid!!

  4. Hi Owain,

    As usual when I visit your site, I just learned a lot I didn’t know. And I actually chuckled out loud at the short answer/long answer part near the beginning.

    I didn’t know about the 72-year rule, or the demand for the 1950 census. It’s all really interesting.

    Interesting, isn’t it, how you can speed up the process with a little more money?

    Great work!

    Kevin

    1. Thanks Kevin, I am glad that you like the post and that it made you chuckled. I didn’t even try to do that, lol.

      Whenever we do find information about our ancestors we became thirsty, thirsty for more information. So checking through census records is a great way to connect with our family’s past.

      I feel that is why that many people want to get hold of the 1950 census records. It’s only 5 more years away until that information is readily available. But we can get that information quicker albeit with some money.

      If you can wait though until then that’s fine as there is plenty of information out there besides using census records. And we have so many ancestors for us to research. So I’m sure that will keep us busy until te 1950 census records are ready.

      All te best and enjoy your genealogy journey.

  5. Seeing this has made me really want to find out more about my family history. After reading this I just feel that there is so much out there. Who knows what interesting things I might discover! The mystery remains unsolved as of yet. But I am so looking forward to discovering my heritage.

    1. That’s great Peter, I am glad that I have motivated you. And you’re right there is just so much information out there that can tell us our own family history.

      As a starting point you may wish to check out my Ten Step Guide that can really put you on your way. All the best.

  6. Hi I have never looked into my family History. I’m wondering if this problem is the same in the UK ?
    I might have to start looking up my family ?
    Thanks for the great post. It has given me something to think about.
    Paul

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