Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-10-08
Population
OfCountrv
l05,683,l08
United States Shows Increase
Of lf.9 Per Cent During Past
Decade; Outlying Posses
sions Not Included.
Trend Towards Cities


Washington. Oct. The total
population OF continental United
States is l05,6S3,l08, an increase of
15,7l0,S42A or l4,9 per cent. This
figure does not include approximate
ly l2,250,000 people living in the
country's outlying possessions. The
population of Alaska and the total
classed under the military and naval
service abroad are yet to be an
nounced.
Director Rogers OF the census bu-
reau, in making the announcement
Of the country's population, said
that, while the figures were pre-
iininary and subject to correction,
the final official population, as trans
rnitted to congress in December,
for apportionment purposes, was not
likely to be greatly different. al
though it might easily be slightly
larger through the addition of popu-
lation for small sections of territory
claimed not to have been properly
canvassed by the census enumera-
tors in January and which are now
being Investigated,
The population OF the United
States, as announced today" said
Mr.. Rogers, "is l05,693, l0S, as COM
pared with total in 1910 of 9l,972,-
l66 and in 1900 OF 75,994,575. This
is an increase since 1910 of 1870
842, or l4.9 per cent, as compared
with an increase from 1900 to 1910
OF 1897 .69l, or. 2l per cent.
"The large falling off in the rate
of growth for the country as a
whole, as shown by these figures,
is due mainly TO an almost complete
cessation of immigration for more
thar five years preceding the taking
of the census in January last, and in
some degree. also to ~ epidemic
OF influenza and to the casutlay list
resulting from the world war.
Births Exceeded Deaths.
THE results of the census of
population in 1920 at first glance
may seem somewhat disappointing
and open to question possibly, but
the substantial accuracy of the enum-
Grafton in January is fully born out
by comparison with estimates based
upon the probable excess OF births
over deaths throughout the decade
and the excess of immigration over
emigrations. From all available data
it may be roughly estimated that the
annual excess of births over deaths
throughout the United States is ap-
proximately per cent"
This rate compounded would in
dicate an increase OF approximately
l0.5 per cent during the decade.
Thus the nearly 100000 persons
present in the United States in
1910 might be expected to increase
to about l0l 100000 in 1920.
In addition, the excess OF imIni-
grafton over emigration during the
decade was approximately 3,755,000.
Since the bulk of these foreign-born
persons came to The country during
the first four years of the decade. II
may be estimated that the increase
due to excess births over deaths was
about 10 per cent. Thus the popu-
lation of the country may assumed
to have augmented by about 100000
during the decade, through excess
of immigration over emigration. The
two estimates taken together would
indicate therefore a probable popu-
lation of l05,S00,000 or only a small
fraction of 10 per cent more than
the total of the 18th census. /
Trend Toward Cities.
"The figures cf the present CEN
sus also show that the trend of pop
ulation from the country to the city
has become greatly accentuated
SINCE 1910 and that for the first time
in the country's history more than
half the entire population is living
in urban territory as defined by the
census bureau. That is to say, of
the l05,oS3,l0S persons enumerated
N the l4th census, preliminary tab
nlations shpw hat s+,Slo, ,209 or 5lo
per cent are ..cing in incorporated
! pl$ces of $500 inhabitants or more,
and 5l,S66,S99 or +8.l per cent in
rural territory. In the census of
1910, the corresponding percentages
were 46.3 and 53.7, respectively,
showing a loss OF 500 per cent in
the proportion of the population liv-
ing in rural territory.
The percentages OF increases
Continued On Pare Three, Column One,)