The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-15
Durand Classifies Urban
 and Rural Population
GAINS OF THE CITIES
Average Number of Persons to the ' Square Mile 41.7-Rural Terri
 tory of State Holds 82.7
 Per Cent Population

's ''H sNAshS bI lIlt dBSIeSdle population or all places in the state of Alabama, as enumerated at the thirteenth census, taken as of April l5.' 1910, Cen sus Director Durand issued today state ment giving additional advance details, of which the more important relate 10 the states urban and rural population. The information was drawn from the ad- vance population bulletin for Alabama now fin press, prepared under the sup ervlsion of William c. Hunt. chief sta- tistician for population In the census bu- reau.
 The census bureau, for purposes of dis cussion, has defined urban population as that residing in cities and other incor- porated places of 25OO inhabitants or more and rural population as that residing out. side of such incorporated places.
 The population of Alabama is 2.1aSO93. Compared with a population of 1,S2S, ,697 in 1900, this represents an increase during the last decade of S0s.396. or 169 per cent. During the same period the total popua- tion of continental United states increas- ed q per cent. The growth of the state
 
 than during the preceding decade, 1ssu- 1900, when the rate was POS per cent.
 Alabama was organized as a territory in 1877 and appears in the federal census reports for the first time in 1920 During the decade 1820-1SS0 tho growth of the state was very rapid, there being an in- crease of 1i2 per cent. Tn the following decade the rate of increase was 9o9 per cent. In 1S40 the population of the state was somewhat over four and one-hair times as great as in 1920 During the next 70 years the population increased at a much slower rate the percentages or increase ranging from 30.6 in 1850 to 16 } in 1910, except for the decade 1S6o-1s70 when the rate of growth was only 34 per cent. In 1910 the population of the state was somewhat over three and one-half times as great as it was in 1S40.
 comparison of the rates of increase for the state with those for continental United States, shows that from 1920 to 1Sio the increase during each decade was much greater for the state than for the country as a whole. From 1s40 to 1910 during every decade except one the rates of increase for the state were lower than those for continental United States, and in this one decade, 1s90-1soO, the rate of the state exceeded that of the country as a whole by only one-tenth of one per cent. ff 'e
 Principal Cities
 Alabama has 31 cities. Birmingham, the largest, has a population of 132,6S5. and Mobile, the second city, a popula- ton of 5l.521. Montgomery, with 3S, 136 inha bitants, Is the only other city in the state having over 25,000 inhabitants There are also four cities having from 10000 to 25,000, five having from 5000 to 10000, nine having from 2500 to 50O0 and 10 having less than 2500 inhabitants.
 Birmingham shows the highest rate of increase during the last decade, namely, 245.4 per cent, and Montgomery the low est, 25.7 per cent. Gadsden also shows a very high rate of increase, 146.5 per cent. Montgomery is the only city show ing lower rate of increase during the last decade than during the preceding decade.
 In 1910 Birmingham contributed 6.2 per cent of the total population of the state as compared with 2.1 per cent in 1900. During the last decade the increase in the population of this city was 94,27O. or almost two and one-half times its popu- lation in 1900. This increase is due in part to annexations to Its territory dur ing the last decade
 Counties
 Alabama has 67 counties The popula- tion of these counties ranges from 19s55 In Winston county to 226, 476 in Jefferson county.
 The following territorial changes have been made in the counties of Alabama since 1900. Part of Blount county was annexed in 1901 to Cullman county; part Of Cleburne county was annexed in 1907 to Calhoun county; and parts of Dale, Geneva and Henry counties were taken In 1903 to form Houston county. Owing to the organization since 1900 of one new county from parts of three other counties as shown above, the comparison of increase or decrease in population Is made for only 63 counties and the one combination of counties. The combined counties are Dale, Geneva, and Henry with Houston. In order to determine the actual rate of increase for these coun- ties, it is necessary to add the popula- ton of the new county to that of the old counties from which it was formed Fifty-one counties and the one conbina- ton of counties in the state increased in population during the last decade. The rates of increase for the 51 counties range from IA per cent in Cleburne county to 1893 per cent in Covngton county, and the absolute increases of the same group of counties range from 17s in Cleburne county to S6,056 in Jefferson county. The combined counties of Dale, Geneva. Henry and Houston increased in popu- lation 2i,763. or 32.4 per cent Twelve counties decreased in population during the last decade, the rates of decrease ranging from Is per cent in Perry coun- ty to 12.3 per cent in Sumter county, ard the absolute decreases from 561 in Perry county to 401l in Sumter county. | The aggregate increase of population | from 1900 to 1910 in the 51 counties and | the one combination of counties that | showed increases was S33, ,2i6; the aggre- l gate decrease of the population in the F counties that showed decreases was 23,- $50 The difference 3O9. S96. is, of course. the total increase of population in the state.
 Density of Population The total land area of the state is 1 51, ,279 square miles. The average number l of persons to the square mile in 1916 was Ar: in 1900 and 1890 it was 35.7 per cent and 29.5, respectively. The average number per square mile for continental United States as whole in 1910 was | 309
 Baldwin county, with 1895 square miles i has the largest area, and Etowah county with 542 square miles. has the smallest area. Jefferson county, containing the l city of Birmingham. has the highest den