How do I search for military service members who live on base in the 1950 Census?

Karen:  U.S. military personnel stationed at continental United States military bases and other installations were enumerated at those facilities if that was their usual place of residence. Military personnel who lived nearby at private (family) housing were enumerated at their off-base address.

If you are relying solely on the draft name index, you may have to search a different way.  NARA’s 1950 Census Index was created using machine learning assisted Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which can be inaccurate due to issues such as: illegible handwriting; poor image orientation (i.e., slightly sideways); variations in image quality (i.e., light, dark, or poor contrast); text obscured by handwritten flourishes from letters on the line above or below; different handwriting styles; and because the surnames written only on the line for the head of the household and other persons in the household with a different surname. For more information about this topic, please see:

https://historyhub.history.gov/community/genealogy/census-records/blog/2022/03/18/1950-census-please-help-nara-refine-the-draft-name-index

However, you can assist NARA to make our index better by using the easy-to-use transcription tool we provide. This tool enables you to edit and add names to the index. Your transcriptions will increase the accuracy of the name index and make these records more accessible to everyone.

Instead of using the name index, you can still locate individuals, but using a different search method, namely using the state and county/city search option. To do this, you will need to know the state, county, city, town, etc. within the county. Once you have that information, you can conduct a search at the county level at https://1950census.archives.gov. Look at the Enumeration District (ED) maps provided with the county to help narrow your search. In most counties, if you click on the "ED Maps" icon for any enumeration district you will then be able to see all the maps for the entire county.

Thank you, we have tried all of that and are having no luck.  We will keep trying though.

Which base? Which district?  Do you know the street name they lived on?

I see on our database at stevemorse.org, the One-Step Unified Tool, three Air Force bases ... Andrews Air Force Base on our ED definitions.  If that's what you are looking for, try ED 17-60, 17-75, and 17-109.

They were in Solomons MD in Calvert Cty.  But not at the Naval Test Warfare Station. They were very close though.  It looks like it should be on ED 5-6 but we can't find it

Were they in  Solomons town itself or in the broader Solomons Island Election district?  Based on the Enumeration District maps and description, they might have also been in 5-1, 5-2, or 5-8.

Also, you said "On base."  The military areas were all Special Enumeration district, of which only the Naval Test Warfare Station (5-7) and the Naval Research Laboratory (5-16) had populations.

What was the family name?  Do you know anything else like street name or names of any neighbors?

You can also check first names. For example, a search for "Karen" turns up a Karen M. Woolard living on Enumeration District 5-7.

Unfortunately the name index is imperfect so if something doesn't come up in a name search, that doesn't mean it isn't there.  You may need to go through and read the names one at a time. With so many names and handwriting not always being the greatest, it can be easy to overlook people.

Another consideration is the date they moved there.  If they didn't move there until after April 1st, they may have been enumerated at their previous residence.

I think I have looked in 5-1, 5-2, 5-6 and maybe 5-8 as well.  Probably the others on the map too.  Last name is Pugh.  We know that they were there in 1949 through 1951.

I think the one thing that I am scared of is that they are on schedule 5-7 and 19 of the 28 pages say see reverse because they are occupied by non residents? and the reverse side of the schedule did not get filmed.

William A. Pugh, age 30  ?  ED 5-7 - Line 1.  The handwriting is very light and not very legible.