The sun., 1901-07-12
OUR URBAN POPULATION.
NEARLY OvE.THIRD or OUR PEOPLE
LIVE ~ THE CITIES.
According to the Census Returns $40 Per Cent.
Of the Inhabitants Of tho Country. or 7S..
O3l, sos Persons. Make Their Homes
In cities Of 8, 900 or More Population.

| WASHINGTON. July II The Census Bureau
| to-day issued q bulletin relating to urban
population. which shows for the several
| States and Territories. separately and as a
| whole. the proportion Of the population liv-
| ing In cities or other Subdivisions possess
| ing all the essential characteristics OF urban
| life At the census OF 1900, the dlscussio
| Of urban population was limited TO places
| Of 5000 inhabitants or more, in order that
the results Of that census could be brought
1 into comparison with the published results
OF former censusss While that limit Of
popula tion il used IN the bulletin issued to-
day. the discussion Ia made to comprehend as
well places Of 1000 inhabitants The import
OF to-days bulletin can be summed up. as
Director Merriam said to-day. by the state
ment that the boys are leo wing the farm.
This Ia shown by the steady growth OF urban
population In all parts of the country and
bly, in tho North Atlantic and North
Central divisions.
There were $40 places In 1900 which con-
form ~ the conditions OF tho higher limit
OF population. containing an aggregate OF
2s 03l. sos persons. constituting 50 Q per cent.
OF the population OF the entire area Of enumer-
ton. exclusive OF Alaska and Of persons
enumerated at stations abroad At tho
c,nsus OF 1890 there were as such places,
having an a aggresats ts population Of s,2VS. .Ai0.
and constituting "a per cent. Of tho total
population considered at that , census; ~.
| total population OF the north Atlantic division
| and 80 q per cent, Of that OF the north central
division In 1900 lived in places Of 5000 inhao.
| itants, or moro. rs comparsd with 81 por
| cent. for the former and 25 p per cent. Tor the
| latter division at the census OF 1890. In
Rhode Island ~ per Don't. o Sf the population on
| more. while this element also constitutes
- per cent. Of the population Of Massachusetts.
sss per cent n Ssw York, dl2 per cent in
| These are the only States in which the pro-
| portion OF urban popu lation measured on
| this basis. Is greater than one-half or the
| total population In 1900, but In Pennsylvan ia
| Delaware. Maryland. Illinois and California
| there IA between 10 and 80 per cent. OF tho
total population living in places OF this size.
| In order to obtain somewhat closer ap-
| proximation to true conditions the limit OF
| population was lowered 10 include all towns
| with population OF 1000 or more. On this
| basis the percentage Of total urban pOpula-
| tion in 1900 IA raised to ~ per cent. as COM
| pared with 80 y per cent tor $500. instead OF
80 . per cent. for 1909 and 20 per cent. for 1880
| under the higher limit.
| The proportion Of urban population In 1910
| In the western and north central divisions,
| respectively, IL not much more than one-half
| Of what II is In the north Atlantic division.
| the exact percentages being $50 for the
| western and IS S for the north central The
| urban element In 1900 constitutes about ono
| eighth rs s per cent Of the total population
| OF the south central division and not quite
| one-hfth 10 per cent? Of that Of the south
| Atlantic division Al the two preceding
| censusss the proportion Of urban population
| in these two divisions was slightly le+S than
| In lN1
| New York CITY under the act Of consolda-
| tion, which became effective Jan. /, ls3>.
| has grown II be city 81 very nearly 3,51,nD
| inhabitants in 1900 ~ compared with popu-
| lation n what was formerly New York city
| Of little moro than l,5OU.0O IN 1890 and of
| ,2OO,OOO In 1850 The populltinn Of thr ter
! ritory now comprised within the present
| limits Of New York was approN Nlmately 2,5OO.-
| 900 in 1890 and ,9OO,Doo in lNsp. I l. the pre-
| mirr city II the country In point Of popula,
| tion, position which II ha" uniformly held
| at each decennial census since and including
| 1890 The area comprised within tho pres
ent limit. Of the city Of New York had az
estimated population Of io.i0l In 1890. which
| had grown t. ss6. ll5 In 1850. an Increase 81
| s4e7l4. or 1909 per cent. The population OF
| the present city has grown t.. 2,SOi,tlt IN
| 1890. or an increase since 1850 OF ISL ,2ao. oi
| 2602 per cent since 1870 there has been an
increase OF 92s. .7ss. or 81 per cent. the popu
lation In 1900 being 3,t6. .2o2.