Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-22
u,ban and Rural Population.

We have received from the census
department bulletin containing many
interesting tables and statements rel
alive to the proportion OF our popula-
ton which live in cities and large
centers. The department takes the
arbitrary limit of 1000 inhabitants in
discussing urban and rural population.
Under this definition of urban popula-
ton, it appears that there are 2S,411.-
69S persons living in 115S Incorporated
places and towns OF 1000 inhabitants or
more. and that this number of persons
constitutes 1913 per cent. of the total
population in 1900. exclusive of that of
Alaska and of persons enumerated at
stations abroad. At the census of 1890
there were 2O,76S,SS1 persons living in
S99 similar places and towns,
representing 1923 per cent. of the
entire population considered in 1890.
In 1880 there were Il, 1886, 40 persons liv-
ing in places of 1000 or more population.
25.S per cent. of the total population Of
that census. The jump from % to 81
per cent. in 20 years shows most con-
clusively the drift of our population
cityward. and the growth of the city
at the expense of the country.
Here in our own State in 1900, 25l .6S5
of our population of G94, 466 souls lived
in towns or cities of over 1000 people.
making the percentage of our urban
population &c. The total increase in
Names population from 1890 to 1900
was 1880 and the increase in urban
population was 25,4l7 of this total.
While our total population increased 5
per cent. our city popula ton increased
1l.2 per cent, showing the steady ten
dency of our Maine population toward
concentration. Maine is commonly
thought of as a State of rural COM
munities rather than as one of cities
and large centers and yet it ranks
18th among the As states in it's proper
ton of urban population. Rhode
Island has 91.6 per cent. of its popula-
ton in cities. leading the list by a good
margin over Massachusetts which
comes next with 500 per cent. New
York has I1.2 per cent. New Jersey
67.5 per cent. and SO on down the list
with Connecticut. Pennsylvania. Illinois,
California, Maryland. New Hampshire.
Ohio. Delaware. Colorado. Michigan,
and Washington to Maine with 36.2
per cent. Vermont is the only New
England state below Maine that hav-
ing an urban population of Il per cent.
Mississippi is the lowest state with an
urban population of SO per cent Ala
bama, North Carolina, both Dakotas,
Arkansas. and Idaho all have a per-
centage of less than TO- Four-fifths of
the urban population of the country is
in the North Atlantic and North Cen
trail divisions.
The bulletin gives a list of 161 cities
with population of over $4,000. OF
which three have over 1.OOO, 900, New
York. Chicago and Philadelphia and 81
have over 100000. OF these 16l cities
25 are in New England, Massachusetts
which has 20 such cities, leading al
states in this respect. Pennsylvania
has Is cities of over $4,000 population
and New York II. Eight states hav,
no city of this size. These states ar.
Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada. Nortl
Carolina, North Dakota. South Dakota
Vermont and Wyoming. Maine
boasts only one but expects to have
three or four for the census of 1910
In 1890 there were l24 cities with 8
population of $4,000.