The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-25
CENSUS OF HOUSES.
New York the Most Crowded
City in America.
SEATTLE FAMILY STATISTICS.
philadelphia People Have Plenty OF
Room. and Chicago and Brooklyn
Are Better OF Than the Big City.

w
II .4s3.3 ls, an increase of 2S. % per cent in
the decade. Washington had 6s. 1873, while
in 1880 the number was only 1852 The
average number of persons to a dwelling
In June 1890. in this state was sos.
The average number of persons to
dwelling in 1890. for the United States,
was 5. IS as against 5 80 in 1880 and 5.94 for
the white and free colored population in
1880 For the North Atlantic division
there were, on the average. 5S7 persons to
adwelling in $780, 597 in 1880, and 621 in
1850; for the South Atlantic division, s. Is
in 1890. S 40 in 1880, and 57l in 1850; for
tine north central division, So In 1890.
SAL in 1850, and 5.s3 in 1850; for the south
central division. 5.47 in 1880, 5. 40 in 1850,
and 5.s1 in 1850 for the western division.
sO5 in 1890, 5.l1 in 1880, and Az in 1850.
For each of the three censuses named,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and New
York are reported as having, on the aver
aee. the largest number of persons to
dwelling, being in each case more than 6
nersons. In 1850 Maryland and the Dis
trict of Columbia are also credited with an
average OF more than persons.
The word family for the purposes of the
census includes not only the normal fam
ilv. as generally understood, but also all
persons living alone, and all larger aggre-
cations of people having only the tie of a
common roof and table, as the inmates o
hotels. hospitals, prisons, asylums. etc.
Considered as regards great bodies of popu-
lation, however. the presence of these large
"census" families does not probably have
snv very appreciable effect on the av-
erage size of the normal family.
very good illustration of this
point is afforded by the state GEN.
sus of Massachusetts, in 1885. where, after
eliminating all large aggregations of peo-
ME which could not properly be considered
rs constituting normal family. it was
found that the average size of family for
the state as a whole was reduced sr AS
to445 or a difference of but 0.13. For
small bodies of population, as counties,
cities and towns. in which these large ag-
pregations of people are located, the aver
age size of family will of course be affected
according to the number and size of such
institutions.
According to the returns of the eleventh
census the total number of families, as
inst defined, living in the United States in
June, 1890, was 900. 152. with an aggre-
gate population of 81 622, go. or 4.9i per-
sons, on the average, TO each family. In
1850 there were returned 9,9i5, 9l6 families.
the average size of family at that census
being 50i for the entire country, with a
population OF 50 155. 7S3
In June, 1890, Washington had 70,977
families. the average number OF persons
to family being AS.
There has been an increase in the
United States since 1880 of 2.74f. 236 fam
lies or 81 80 per cent. The numerical in
crease from 1870 to 1880 was only slightly
less than in the decade from 1860 to 1870,
while the per cent. of increase was about
third less, or 81. - per cent. from 1870 to
1850 as against 4545 per cent. from 1860 to
1870. The numerical increase from 1850 to
1850 was |. 6l2, 64 and the per cent. of in
crease 4i.S2. very nearly the same per
cent as for 1860 to 1870.
In 1899 there were in the United States
l2O6,SS4 or 10.5i per cent, more families
than dwellings while in 1850 there was an
excess of 800, l0i. or 11.06 per cent, and
in 1850 an excess of 235, 903. or 7.02 per cent.
In 1880 and in 1890 three-ffths and in 1880
iour-tfths of this excess were comprised
in the North Atlantic division. The per-
centages of excess for this division are also
any other division. being % 81 in 1890, "a. II
in 1880 and ID s. in 1880.
The average number of persons to FAM
lily for the United States as whole has
steadily decreased since 1850. At that
census there were, on the average, 5.5o
persons to a family in 1860 there wore
SIS persons; i'll 1870. ; 90 persons; in 1850,
50i persons. and in 1890, i.9i persons. The
-, H., 4 Z HON tic Il u N
has been particularly marked, the average
size of family III 1890 being AGO, as against
an average in 1850 of 5.45. The greatest
decrease in this division is found IN Maine,
the average in 1850 of 56i persons having
been reduced to 40 persons in 1880. In
the North Central division there has also
been considerable decrease, or from 5.69
in 1850 to t. ST in 1890. In Ohio there has
been decrease since 1850 of person, and
in Indiana of / % persons to n family. In
Nebraska, North Dakota and South Da-
kota there has been, on the other hand, an
increase in the average size OF family
since lSfiO. the first census in which they
appear.
Philadelphia has more than twice as
many dwellings as New York; Chicago has
$500 more than New York, and Brooklyn
90 more. Seattle in 1890 had 1887 dwell
ings and 1855 families; an average of $50
persons 10 dwelling and 5.3S to family.
Portland, which in 1890 was considerably
smaller than Seattle, had 6239 dwellings
and s. 79S families: while Tacoma made a
still poorer showing, with 56Sl houses and
6,4i7 families, who were greatly crowded,
$50 persons 10 a dwelling. The Tacoma
families averaged sol persons, or slightly
larger than Seattle.
With few exceptions. the cities show n
decrease in the average size of family since
1857, the exceptions being mainly in the
South and West. In New York city the
average size offamily has decreased from
Is in lSso 10 i.Si in lS!0. while the aver
age persons 10 dwelling has in
creased from 1857 III 1880 to 1852
IN 1870 For Brooklyn there has
been decrease in size of family from
400 10 ~ but an increase in persons TO a
dwelling from q IL To Q -. Similar results
ere also shown ny the table for Jersey
City, II boken, Newark and Paterson.
Trenton and Elizabeth show large de-
crease in he average size of family, but
Also show decreases IN the average num-
her OF persons 10 a dwelling. Long Island
city in lSo0 has. on the average. iST per
sons to Il family and 7.G5 persons 10 2
swelling. The average size II family for
chicago has decreased from a.l9 TO i9
ana the average number Of persons to a
dwelling has increased from S.3i TO 500
PhliadelphIa shows 4 slight decrease in
persons In a family and 10 dwelling both.