U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial census. The federal census is taken every ten years since 1790 and reapportion seats in the House of Representatives, realign congressional districts, and as a factor to distribute federal funds each year. There is a 72 year privacy restriction on census records.
The latest U.S. Federal Census available to the public is the 1950 census. This census covered the continental United States, the territories of Alaska and Hawaii, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and smaller island territories.
Americans abroad were enumerated for the first time in 1950 including members of the armed forces, crews of vessels, and employees (and families) of the US government living in foreign countries.
According to the Census Bureau, “To improve the accuracy and completeness of the this census included improved enumerator training, detailed street maps, publishing “Missed Person” forms in local newspapers, and setting a specific night to conduct a special enumeration of persons in hotels, tourist courts, and other places frequented by transients.”
The Census Bureau recanvassed a sample of about 3,500 small areas afterwards to verify the accuracy of the information and to find households that might have been missed.
According to the Census Bureau, “The Census Bureau began use of the first non-military computer shortly after completing the 1950 enumeration. UNIVAC I (for Universal Automatic Computer), the first of a series, was delivered in 1951, and helped tabulate some of the statistics for the 1954 economic censuses. It weighed 16,000 pounds and used 5,000 vacuum tubes.”
The 1950 Census had 20 questions for all persons, and additional questions at the bottom of the schedule were asked of six persons whose name fell on a highlighted line. Only those on sample lines age 14 or over were asked income questions. A supplemental schedule, Form P8, Indian Reservation Schedule, was used to obtain additional information on Native Americans who resided on reservations.
The 1950 census was the last time enumerators personally visited most households. During later censuses, households received enumeration forms in the mail. The 20 questions asked all people were
In April, 2022, the 1950 Census was released to the public. Enumeration district maps show the boundaries and the numbers of the census enumeration districts to help administer data collection. You can find these resources at the National Archives. You can search the 1950 census at Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other websites. For more information on this census, see our previous posts.
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