Free guide
Free census records: how to find your ancestors
Every U.S. federal census from 1790 to 1950 and every Canadian census from 1825 to 1931 can be searched free. The table below shows where each is free and whether you need an account, followed by what each census tells you and how to search well.
On this page
Short answer: yes, the census is free. Use the National Archives’ 1950 census website for 1950, FamilySearch with a free account for 1790 to 1950, and Library and Archives Canada’s Census Search for Canada from 1825 to 1931.
Where is each census free?
| Country | Years | Where it’s free | Account | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1950 | National Archives’ 1950 census website | No account | Free to search, view and download. |
| United States | 1790 to 1950 | FamilySearch (Research Wiki) | Free account | An index and images for every census year. |
| United States | 1790 to 1950 | Any National Archives facility (National Archives) | In person | Ancestry.com and Fold3 are free on the computers there. |
| Canada | 1825 to 1931 | Library and Archives Canada’s Census Search | No account | Free to search and view; 1931 is the latest. |
| England and Wales | 1841 to 1911 | FreeCEN | No account | Volunteer indexes only, and not every county yet. |
Censuses from 1960 on are still closed: U.S. returns stay private for 72 years (National Archives). Federal censuses 1790–1950 are open; censuses from 1960 onward stay closed for 72 years (so 1960 is due for release in 2032). Most of the 1890 census was destroyed by fire in 1921.
What does each U.S. census tell you?
Each census asked different questions, so look at every one your family appears in (FamilySearch Research Wiki):
| What it records | Census years |
|---|---|
| Names, ages and birthplaces of everyone in the household | 1850 to 1950 |
| Each person’s relationship to the head of the household | 1880 to 1950 |
| Birthplaces of each person’s parents | 1880 to 1950 |
| Year of immigration | 1900 to 1930 |
| Citizenship | 1910 to 1940 |
The 1950 census was released in April 2022 (National Archives). Most of the 1890 census was lost in a fire in 1921.
How do I find my family in the census?
- Start with the most recent census they could be in, and work back ten years at a time. Each one tells you where to look in the one before.
- Search for the person with the most unusual name in the household, with a state and an approximate birth year.
- Try spellings. Census takers wrote names as they heard them, and indexers read old handwriting. The National Archives’ Soundex system groups surnames that sound alike (National Archives).
- If the name search fails, browse. Find the place, then read the pages for that town or district. For the 1950 census, find the enumeration district for the address and browse its pages.
- Write down where you found them and the searches that found nothing, in a research log, so you never repeat a search.
What about censuses before 1850?
From 1790 to 1840, only the head of each household is named. Everyone else is a tally mark by age group and sex. They’re still useful for placing a family in a county in a given year (FamilySearch Research Wiki).
How do I search Canadian censuses?
Library and Archives Canada’s Census Search has the censuses from 1825 to 1931, free to search and view with no account. Canadian returns open 92 years after the census (Statistics Act), so 1931 is the latest (Library and Archives Canada). Search with fewer fields (last name + province) and use * and ? wildcards for spelling variants.
Next: which genealogy websites are really free, and how to start a family tree if you’re just beginning.
Questions people ask
Is the 1950 census free?
Yes. The National Archives’ 1950 census website is free to search, view and download, with no account. Its name index was made by handwriting recognition and has errors, so if a name doesn’t come up, browse the pages for the address instead.
Why can’t I see the 1960 census?
U.S. census returns stay closed for 72 years to protect privacy. The 1960 census is due to open in 2032. In Canada the wait is 92 years, so 1931 is the latest Canadian census you can see.
What happened to the 1890 census?
Most of it was destroyed by fire in 1921. Fragments survive, along with a special schedule of Union veterans and widows, so families often have to be bridged across that gap with other records.
Do I need Ancestry to search the census?
No. FamilySearch has every U.S. census from 1790 to 1950 free with an account, and the 1950 and Canadian censuses are free on government websites with no account at all.
Sources
- United States Census, FamilySearch Research Wiki. Read 8 October 2026.
- About Census Records, U.S. National Archives. Read 8 October 2026.
- 1950 Census Records, U.S. National Archives (reviewed 5 Jun 2026). Read 8 October 2026.
- Census Records: The 72-Year Rule, U.S. National Archives (20 Jan 2022). Read 8 October 2026.
- Statistics Act, section 18.1, Government of Canada (Justice Laws). Read 8 October 2026.
- The 1931 Census is now online!, Library and Archives Canada (1 Jun 2023). Read 8 October 2026.
- The Soundex Indexing System, U.S. National Archives (reviewed 9 Jan 2024). Read 8 October 2026.