Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-12-19
Negro Increase
In D. {. 5 Times
That Of Whites
Census Figures Show
Trend to Be Opposite
In Suburban Areas


Increase Of the Negro popula-
lation in the District at a rate
of more than five times that of
the white was reported today in
census figures detailing a vast mi
grafton from the rural South to
the urban North.
The trend in the District over
a 10-year period is higher than
the movements in Baltimore or
Philadelphia. but lower than those
in New York, Boston, Cleveland,
Chicago and West Coast cities.
The decided trend here. how
ever, is sharply reversed across
the District line in metropolitan
areas of Virginia and Maryland,
where the increase of the white
population far surpassed that of
colored.
Nom Whites Move to Cities.
An analysis by color of 1853
standard metropolitan areas" in
the United States reveals an over
all population increase rate for
the white race of 20 per cent
and 44.3 per cent for colored
races.
THE figures reflect the very
substantial movements of the
non-white population out of rural
areas and out of the South dur
ing the decade" according to Roy
v. Peel, director of the Census
Bureau.
Metropolitan areas of the West
had the largest increase rate of
colored elementS-127.6 as COM
pared with 48.9 per cent for the
whites. The rate for Northern
cities was 58.2 for colored, to Ill
per cent for whites.
Those enumerated in the nom
white population included In
dams, Japanese. Chinese and
dark-skinned Puerto Ricans liv-
ing in Negro districts. Persons of
Mexican birth, except those def
nitely Indian. were classified as
white. Virtually all non-whites in
the East are Negroes, except for
those in Puerto Rican communi-
ties of New York City.
From 1910 to 1850, the white
population in the District in
creased from 476,326 to 518,147,
with the non-white growing from
188,765 to 284.031. 1t was a 90
per cent increase for the whites,
as against a sos per cent increase
for the Negroes.
Trend Reversed in Suburbs.
Meanwhile, in adjoining sub
urban areas, the increase of the
white population was 342 ,227, as
compared with 1890 for nom
whites.
This occurred while the num-
Der of whites in the District in
creased only 1881, and the nom
whites. 1926. In other words,
Washington acquired more than
two colored residents for every
new white resident since 1910.
Somewhat the same picture is
presented in Baltimore City,
where the Negroes have increased
at a rate of 35.9 per cent, as
compared with q As per cent rate
for the whites. In the suburbs,
the rate is reversed as in this
section.
Boston had one of the most
rapid increases in non-white pop
ulation in the East. There the
non-white population grew at al
rate of 68.6 per cent, as compared
with a percentage of 1.8 per cent
for the whites. New York's rate
was 62.4, compared with 20 per
cent for the whites, and Chicago'sI
SO.3 as compared with OIL per cent.
High Nom White Influx in Bronx.
Cleveland had an almost similar
rate. Perhaps the highest rate in
the East occurred in the Bronx. a
borough of New York City, where
the non-Wh1te population in
creased 1904 per cent while the
white population dropped off IA
per cent in 10 years.
Even higher proportionate rates
OF increase are reported from the
West Coast. especially cities in
California. These figures, how
ever, do not reflect the big mi
grations experienced in many
Eastern and midwest cities, be-
cause the percentages are based
on low non-white population to-
tails in 1910.
IT the present rate continues un-
interrupted in the District, math-
ematicians figure that Negroes
will outnumber the white residents
in some Is or 20 years. This, how
ever. is not an official eStirnota