Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-01-25
Figures From the Census,
Showing the Comparative Growth OF
city and Country.

city and Country.
A notable fact shown by the censuses,
especially the census Of 1890, is the dispro
portionate increase of the cities and large
villages. Country districts partially de-
serted, in which are large villages or cities
making rapid growth, are not mcom-
mon. The first United States census,
taken in 1890, showed only six cities hav-
ing population of 5000 or more, and the
aggregate population of all the cities of
more than 5000 inhabitants was then only
131 600. About one person in thirty then
lived in a city-in other words there were
thirty times as many people living in the
country as in the cities. In $500 one
twenty fifth of the population lived in cities.
The proportion of city residents gradually
increased until 1870, at which time a little
more than one-fifth or u per cent of our
people were living il cities.
In 1850 the proportion of city population
had increased about two per cent above
that of 1870. The total population of the
cities of the United States in 1880 was
about eleven and one-third millions
Since 1880 the percentage of gain in the
| cities, as compared with that in the coun-
try, has been rapidly increasing. Consid-
ering as city only ''closely aggregated
body of population numbering 5000 or
more''-and which is the definition of
city adopted by the census compilers-
there were Is, S,2S4 $50 residents of the cities
of the United States on the first day of
! June, 1890, an increase of little less than
seven millions in ten years, or considerably
more than half the total gain of all the
states. At this time the city residents
were 1920 per cent of the entire popula-
! tion. At the present time it is probable
that the city population has become about
one-thrd of the total population. In New
York state it is more than one-half; in
| Massachusetts nearly three-fourths.
The average per cent of increase of the
/ cities is now, probably, nearly four times
as great as the average per cent of increase
/ of the country exclusive of the cities. The
/ gain in the country portion has been mostly
in the newer states and territories, and in
! the South. There has been an actual loss
/ OF population in the country outside of the
cities in some of the states. Even if we
! include with the country all places of less
than 5000 inhabitants, the last census
shows loss of country population in
Maine, Vermont and New York.
Vermont has ten cities and towns having
a population of more than 1000 each. The
increase in these ten cities and towns from
1880 to 1890 was II, 429. The increase in
the whole state was 1876. showing loss
of 1928 outside of these ten. While the
country portion Of the state lost twelve
thousand inhabitants, these ten cities and
towns gained in the aggregate about 21
per cent. The city of Burlington gained
2S,3 per cent or 1925. The loss in the
rest of the state was, therefore, more than
5000
1t has been stated by eminent statist-
clans that the increase of,pOpulation in the
cities of Massachusetts during the last
census decade was greater than the total
increase in the state, and that, therefore,
there has been loss in the country por-
ton. Upon the basis of the 5000 city
limit, upon which the statement has been
made, it is an error. The mistake is made
by computing the increase from the aggre-
gate population of cities of 5000 inhabitants
in 1850 and 1890, which does not show the
true increase because many places, having
reached the 5000 limit, appear as cities in
the census tables of 1890 that are not in
I 10 sc
then less than 5000 inhabitants. Includ.
ing these the Massachusetts, cities of 1880
had population of l, 161 800 in $780, The
same places had population of 1864, 93l
in 1890, showing an increase of 402, ,94l
against an increase in the state of 455, ,S5S
leaving gain of 52,o17 to be credited tC
the country.
But for the purpose of comparison be
tween city and country the people of larg,
villages and cities having less than SOOO
; inhabitants, down to the limit of 1000 a
most, should be counted with the cities
. Massachusetts has 50 places having les
than 5000 inhabitants and more than 1000
with total population of 294, 800. Addini
the population of these places to the cit
side we have 1,759, G43 inhabitants repre-
senting the urban population of the state
and 40, ,643 inhabitants of the country
This shows loss of population outside O
places of 1000 inhabitants or more.
With the limit of 1000 instead of 800
for the population of places to be casse
with the cities the gain in the cities is sui
stantially equal to the total increase of tn
population of the state, showing no ma
: terial gain in the country, or the gain il
, the state is entirely overbalanced by tn
gain in the cities, showing loss of countr
= population in Maine, New Hampshire
= Verm ont, Massachusetts, Rhode IslanC
: Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Obi
Z and Illinois.
. M. O. HOWE.
Il The Woman's Christian Temperate
e union loses one of its oldest advocates