Evening star., 1947-07-23
Sample Census Shows
Housing Shift by @%
.ND.C. Area Residents

The number of single women Is
still going up, the number of chill
dren per family is going down, and
go per cent of the people in Metro
politan Washington seem unable to
settle down. .s.....
Those are some of the conctt.
sions from the report released To
day by Census Director j. c. Capt,
analyzing a preliminary report Of the
sample census taken here in April.
The report substantiates q num-
ber OF theories already held on popu-
lation trends for the Metropolitan
Aree. but reveals interesting changes
in other respects. . -......
Men are still outnumbered. the
report shows. There are 444,000
men over the age of IA here and
$4,000 women in the same class.
The stil1-single total for men is
only 117,000, compared with 128,000
eligible won1en-atogether 26 per
cent of the total population. -
Only s per cent of the total num-
ber of men have lost their wives
through death or divorce, while IA
per cent.of the women are widows or
divorces. 49,:
Points Up Housing Shortage.
The figures focused sharply on
the housing shortage. About 10000
married couples, or IA per cent OF
all married couples In private house
holds, had not established their own
homes, but were sharing the living
accommodat tions of others. In this
respect, the figures showed an in
crease over those in 1910, even
though the average size of houses
has not gone up during the seven
years. - -
This housing overlooking is more
prepalent among veterans and their
families. Sixteen per cent of all
houses occupied by veterans have
extra families, as. compared with 8
per cent for the non-veteran popu-
lation. ',.-..
The Census Bureau considers the
size of families in the Washington
area has decreased substantially
in seven years, dropping from 3:8
to 3.5 persons per family. The
figure was 3.3 for white families and
~ for all other races.
Washington residents showed a
marked affinity for moving around
during the last seven years. Including
Prince Georges. Montgomery, Arl-
ington and Fairfax Counties and
Alexandria as part Of the Metro
politan Area, only SO per cent OF
the population this year are in the
same houses they occupied in 1910.
In addition to the many new famil-
les who moved into the area. from
other parts of the country, q large
number of people moved around In
side the four counties and the
District. ~
Veteran Education Increases.
The report also shows the great
increase in the number of veterans
taking advantage of the CT Bill OF
Rights to further their college edu-
cation. Thirteen per cent of the
male veteran population between
the ages of Is and 20 are enrolled
in school as compared with less than
7 per cent of the nonveteran total
The figure is slightly less marked
in the group between IS and "a
years old.
Two out of every five persons in
the Washington area who work for
wages or salaries are Government
employees, the report said. Between
1910 and 1S47, the number Of per-
sons employed by the Federal Gov
ernment or one Of the local govern
mental units increased by 81 per
cent, or from 145 600 to about 220, 900.
During the same seven years, the
number of wage or salary workers
In private industry increased by So
per cent, from 22l 900 to about
SOC, 900. 4.
The report also went into detail
on the breakdown of total figures
for. the Metropolitan Area released
earlier. The 80 per cent jump in
the population from 1s40 brought
the 1947 total to almost 1,205, 900,
representing an increase of 297 900
in the seven years. 4 -