Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-05-12

From the latest census bulletin we
learn that the so 1922, $50 inhabitants of
the United States are domiciled in H.
4S3,3iS dwellings, giving an average Of
5.45 persons to dwelling. A dwelling,
for census purposes, means any build
ing or place of abode in which any per-
son was living at the time the census
was taken, whether a room above
warehouse or factory, loft above
stable, wigwam, hotel, boarding or
lodging house, tenement house, or
dwelling house as ordinarily considered.
A family, for census purposes, includes
not only the normal family, as generally
understood, but also all persons living
alone, and all larger aggregations of
people having only the tie Of common
roof and table, as the inmates Of hotels,
hospitals, prisons, asylums, &c. The
total number Of families, as thus de-
fined, in the United States, in June,
1890, was 1860, 1852, being an average
OF 4.94 persons to each family.
The returns for Wilmington, which
figures among the cities for which
statistics are given in this bulletin, show
1l,S7s dwellings and 12,473 families,
being an average of BIT to dwelling
and ABB to family. In 1880 the re.
turns showed 5.56 persons to dwelling
and BIB to family. The average num-
Der of persons to family, for tho
United States as whole, has steadily
decreased since 1850. At that census
there were 5.55 persons 10 family; in
1860, 5.2S; IN 1870, 500; in 1880, 3. o. and
in 1880, 4.94. This tendency to decrease
Is shown more especially in the cities.
On this point the compiler Of this
bulletin says: "When the population
becomes more or less urban in character
the maximum is reached, and a con.
stantly receding average is likely TO be
shown at each census thereafter An
other table gives the number Of
persons TO dwelling, in detail, from
which we find that there were in VIII
lnington, in 1890, ISL dwellings con.
tanning one person each; 1887 contain
ing two persons; 900 containing three;
2,05S containing four; 2,054 containing
five; l,436 containing six; 1,l03 con
tanning seven; TAG containing eight; AGO
containing nine; 1926 containing ten; $50
containing IL to Is; 43 containing 16 to
20, and II containing n persons and
over OF families, in the census mean
ing of the word, there were in Whining
ton 211 comprising one person each;
1896 Of two persons each; 2,l68 Of three
persons; 2.199 Of four persons; 1905 Of
five persons; 1,439 Of six persons; 1,061
of seven persons; 701 Of eight persons;
437 of nine persons; 300 Of ten persons;
220 Of II TO is persons; 80 Of 16 to 20
persons, and 10 of 81 persons and over.
In the State Of Delaware there were
1882 dwellings in 1890; against Is, 6s7
in 1880; 23,30S in 1870; 12, 1888 in 1860,
and 7,917 in 1850. The State average is
5.94 persons to a dwelling and 4.S7 to Il
family; there being 34,57S families in
1890; as compared with 80 1928 in 1880;
22,9oo in 1870i 1896 in 1860, and ID, 439
in 1850.
It is of interest to note that Philadel-
phia still maintains its pre.eminence as
by far the largest city in the United
States, measured by the number Of in
habited buildings. The enumerators
found 1909 dwellings in Philadelphia;
1851 in Chicago; 50 1852 in Brooklyn;
,S2S in New York; 721f2 in Balti.
more; 609a7 in ST. Louis; So, 500 in Bos.
ton; 47,ts3 in San Francisco; 40 ,sS5 in
Cleveland, $4,000 in New Orleans
Ss,79S in Washington; 37,725 in Pitts
burg; 37,290 in Buffalo; 5000 in Detroit
and 33,4s7in Cincinnati