The record-union., 1891-04-24
POPULATION OF TOWNS AND
CITIES,
AND


CITIES.
The first official bulletin of the Census
Bureau, giving the population in cities
and towns having over 5000 inhabitants,
is at hand. 1t differs materially from the
statements ofpopulation that have been
heretofore published and it presents some
interesting facts and comparisons.
The city, except one, that has made the
greatest percentage of gain since 1880 is
Kansas City, Kansas. In 1880 it had g, 200
population, in 1890 it has 3S,316, percent
age of gain of ,O97.3S. Kansas City, Mo-,
gained 1871 per cent, its population be-
ing 132, ,716, as against 55, ,765 in 1880.
We now have the exact figures for the
great cities, and thus ascertain that New
York has 1,5l5,3 ,30l, as against 1,206, ,299 in
1880; the percentage of gain being 25.62.
Brooklyn has advanced 4230 per cent, or
from 566, ,663 in 1880 to SO6,343 in 1890.
Chicago has 1,099,S50. In 1880 she had
503,1S5. Her gain has been therefore
$685. ,665, or percentage of 118.58. Boston
has advanced from 362, ,S39 to AS, Az, or
M.60 per cent. st. Louis, 45l,77O, a gain
OF 1O1, ,252 since 1880, or 2S.S9 per cent.
Philadelphia had S47, ,l7O population in
1850, but IN 1890 had !, ,O46, ,964, or a gain of
23.5S per cent. The smallest percentage
of gain is in thecase Iof Weymouth, Mass,
which has gained but 296 in ten years, the
percentage being $50. Sacramento's per
cent. of gain has been 23.18, her advance
being from q, ,42O to 26, 1856. The Los An
geles gain has been SO, ,2l2, she now hav-
ing 50,395 population, as against II, ,1S3 in
1880, a percentage of advance of 35O.G4.
The population of San Francisco in 1880
was 233, ,959, in 1890 it was 29S, ,9g7, a gain of
65,088 or 27.S0 percentage of gain. Oak
land advanced in the decade from 81, ,555
to As, S,6S2, and Fresno from ,1l2 to 10.SlS,
or gain of S72.84 per cent. San Diego in
1880 had 2,637 population, in 1890, I6, ,l59,
the percentage of gain being 5l2.7S.
Spokane Falls, with $50 population in 1850,
rounded up 1890 with Is, 1922, hepercentage
of gain being 5,59200. This of course is
the largest percentage showing, but there
is an element of deception in the appar-
ent percentage exhibit. 1t shows largest
for the new towns, since the basis for
comparison of the latter figures is so very
small. The gain therefore Of Kansas City
Kansas, showing a percentage of 1,O97. IS
is, on basis of $500 in 1850, is greater
than that Of Spokane on a basis of $50
So, too, New York with 1,2O6, ,299 popula-
ton in 1880 as basis, gained 10000 and
her percentage is 25.62; but Chicago with
6O3,lS5 as base gained 596,665, less than
twice as much as New York But her
percentage of gain is nearly five times
greater. The percentage is not therefore
of great value comparatively, but is an
interesting figure considered abstractly-
In each case.
An especially suggestive fact CLEANED
from the report is that showing the
steady increase of town population. In
1870 the inhabitants Of cities in each 100
OF the total population were 3.35; now the
figure is 1912. This represents an in
crease of urban population from one
thirtieth TO nearly one-third of the total
population. 1t is noticeable that the most
strident gain in this respect has been
between 1850 and 1890, bound oi
nearly per cent. in the decade.
The accelerated tendency of population
toward town life is not in any other way
so emphatically presented, and it fur
nishes food for great deal of thought and
speculation.
IN the North Atlantic division, says
Superintendent Porter, 51.5s per cent, OF
more than half the population, is con.
tanned in cities of 5000 inhabitants and
UPWARDS. In the last decade the urban
element in that division increased
1853 per cent, while the total population
increased but 1895 per cent. Vermont is
the only State of the division in which
the urban element was but slightly aug
mented. The sum of it is, that in Maine
Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York
the rural population has decreased, the
urban element having made greater gain
than the increase in the total population
In the North Central division a little over
one-fourth of the population is urban
that element having nearly doubled
while the population increased but 2S,7 Z,
per cent. But in that section the urbar
increase was confined mainly to a few
large cities. In the South Atlantic anc