2407466Collier's New Encyclopedia — Census

CENSUS, a periodical enumeration of the people of any State or country, with information regarding sex, age, family, occupation, possessions, religious beliefs, and other details. The original idea of counting the people was for the sake of obtaining the greatest number of men capable of bearing arms, and, secondly, of facilitating the raising of taxes. Such enumerations go back to a remote antiquity. Amasis in Egypt made a census 500 years before Christ. The first chapter of “Numbers” chronicles an enumeration of the Children of Israel for military purposes. King David numbered the people, and it is said that it was contrary to the will of the Lord, and consequently was punished by a plague which carried off 50,000 people (see Book of Kings). Solon at Athens established a census for the purpose of facilitating taxation and classifying the citizens. It is stated that after the time of Servius Tullius, or about 443 B. C., the census was taken every five years for military and tax purposes in Rome. The especial officers who served in this work were called censors. The property of the Roman citizens was registered by means of a census taken under Augustus. It is said that during the Middle Ages religious prejudices prevented the census from being taken, but various cities made attempts at different times to register the number of inhabitants. Thus Nuremberg held an enumeration in 1449 and Strasburg in 1475. Many of the details of these mediæval censuses are valuable as showing the property qualifications and other facts regarding life at this time. The ancient church books also contain interesting details regarding marriages, births, and deaths of citizens.

In the 18th century censuses began to be made in the more important countries of Europe. Thus in Sweden, in 1748, the first important enumeration of the people took place in 1749, and a special board for that purpose was called into life. Regular censuses were first established in the United States in 1790, in England and France in 1801, in Prussia in 1816, in Holland in 1819, in Sardinia in 1838, in Switzerland in 1841, and in Belgium in 1846. Censuses are now taken in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, the United States of America, India, and most of the British colonies, every ten years; in France and Germany, every five years; in Spain, at irregular intervals, the last having been in 1900. The International Statistical Congress, which consists of eminent statisticians from all countries, has done much to improve the taking of censuses, and now several countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Italy, Prussia, Russia, and Switzerland, have statistical bureaus for the purpose, among other things, of controlling the taking of the periodical census. In the United Kingdom the practice is for Parliament to pass special acts directing the taking of each census.

The United States Census of 1910 had as its head Edward Dana Durand, who enlisted more than 71,400 employes. The local enumerators, on June 1, began to gather the required information by going through the country from house to house, and all the information was tabulated at Washington by more than 3,000 clerks.

In the enumeration of 1910 the territory of Hawaii and that of Porto Rico were included. It was required that the four principal reports, those on population, mortality, manufactures, and agriculture, should be published by July, 1912. The salaries of the 3,000 clerks amounted to nearly $3,000,000 a year, and the pay of the enumerators was more than $5,855,500, so that the total expenses of the Census of 1910 amounted to nearly $15,000,000.

Census of 1920.—The Fourteenth Decennial Census was of the date of Jan. 1, 1920. It included in its scope (1st) population; (2d) agriculture, including drainage and irrigation; (3d) manufacturing; (4th) forestry and forest products; and (5th) mines, quarries, and oil and gas production. It is estimated that at least three years were required before all the subjects treated were completed. The cost of the census will be approximately $20,500,000. Over 90,000 enumerators, besides special agents, clerks, and supervisors, were employed. In 1925 a special census of manufactures will be taken and provision has been made for a biennial census of the products of manufacturing industries.

The population census of continental United States was completed on Oct. 7, 1920. The population of the United States, as a result of the census, was found to be 105,683,108, compared with 91,972,266 for 1910, and 75,994,575 for 1900. The percentage of increase in the decade was 14.0 per cent., compared with an increase in the previous decade of 21 per cent. The large falling off in the growth of the country as a whole as shown by these figures was due chiefly to an almost complete cessation of immigration for more than five years preceding the taking of the census in January, 1920. In some degree the result is also due to the epidemic of influenza in 1919 and to the casualties resulting from the World War.

The census indicated that the trend of the population from the country to the city had become greatly accentuated since 1910, and that for the first time in the history of the country more than one-half of the population in 1920 lived in urban territory as defined by the census bureau. 51.9 per cent, lived in incorporated places of 2,500 inhabitants and more, and 48.1 per cent, in rural territory. The urban population increased in the decade 28.6 per cent., and the rural population 3.1 per cent.

The following table gives the population of cities of 25,000 and over, according to the census of 1920:


Cities Population  Per Cent. of Increase 
1920 1910  1910-1920   1900-1910 
Akron, O. 208,435  69,067 201.8  61.6
Alameda, Cal. 28,806 23,383 23.2 42.0
Albany, N. Y. 113,344  100,253  13.1  6.5
Allentown, Pa. 73,502 51,913 41.6 46.6
Altoona, Pa. 60,331 52,127 15.7 33.8
Amsterdam, N. Y. 33,524 31,267  7.2 49.4
Anderson, Ind. 29,767 22,476 32.4 11.4
Asheville, N. C. 28,504 18,762 51.9 27.7
Atlanta, Ga. 200,616  154,839  29.6 72.3
Atlantic City, N. J. 50,707 46,150  9.8 65.8
Auburn, N. Y. 36,192 34,668  4.4 14.2
Augusta, Ga. 52,548 41,040 28.0  4.1
Aurora, Ill. 36,397 29,807 22.1 23.4
Austin, Tex. 34,876 29,860 16.8 34.2
Baltimore, Md.  733,826    558,485   31.4  9.7
Bangor, Me. 25,978 24,803  4.7 13.5
Battle Creek, Mich.  36,164 25,267 43.1 36.1
Bay City, Mich. 47,554 45,166  5.3 63.3
Bayonne, N. J. 76,754 55,545 38.2 69.7
Beaumont, Tex. 40,422 20,640 95.8 118.9 
Bellingham, Wash. 25,585 24,298  5.2 119.7 
Berkeley, Cal. 56,036 40,434 38.2 206.0 
Bethlehem, Pa. 50,358 12,837 292.3  19.3
Binghamton, N. Y. 66,800 48,443 37.9 22.2
Birmingham, Ala. 178,806 132,685 34.4 245.4 
Bloomington, Ill. 28,725 25,768 11.5 10.7
Boston, Mass. 748,060  670,585  11.6 19.6
Bridgeport, Conn. 143,555  102,054  40.6 43.7
Brockton, Mass. 66,254 56,878 16.3 42.0
Brookline, Mass. 37,748 27,792 35.8 39.4
Buffalo, N. Y. 506,775  423,715  19.6 20.2
Butte, Mont. 41,611 39,165  6.2 28.5
Cambridge, Mass. 109,694  104,839   4.6 14.1
Camden, N. J. 116,309  94,538 23.0 24.5
Canton, O. 87,091 50,217 73.4 63.7
Cedar Rapids, Ia. 45,566 32,811 38.9 27.9
Charleston, S. C. 67,957 58,833 15.5  5.4
Charleston, W. Va. 39,608 22,996 72.2 107.2 
Charlotte, N. C. 46,338 34,014 36.2 88.0
Chattanooga, Tenn. 57,895 44,604 29.8 47.9
Chelsea, Mass. 43,184 32,452 33.1 -4.8
Chester, Pa. 58,030 38,537 50.6 13.4
Chicago, Ill.  2,701,705      2,185,283     23.6 28.7
Chicopee, Mass. 36,214 25,401 42.6 32.5
Cicero (town) Ill. 44,995 14,557 209.1  -10.7 
Cincinnati, O. 401,247  363,591  10.4 11.6
Clarksburg, W. Va. 27,869  9,201 202.9  127.2 
Cleveland, O. 796,841  560,663  42.1 46.9
Clifton, N. J. 26,470 11,869 123.0  121.8 
Colorado Springs, Col.  30,105 29,078  3.5 37.9
Columbia, S. C. 37,524 26,319 42.6 24.7
Columbus, Ga. 31,125 20,554 51.4 16.7
Columbus, O. 237,031  181,511  30.6 44.6
Council Bluffs, Ia. 36,162 29,292 23.5 13.5
Covington, Ky. 57,121 53,270  7.2 24.1
Cranston, R. I. 29,407 21,107 39.3 58.2
Cumberland, Md. 29,837 21,839 36.6 27.5
Dallas, Tex. 158,976  92,104 72.6 116.0 
Danville, Ill. 33,776 27,871 21.1 70.4
Davenport, Ia. 56,727 43,028 31.8 22.1
Dayton, O. 152,559  116,577  30.9 36.6
Decatur, Ill. 43,818 31,140 40.7 50.0
Denver, Colo. 256,491  213,381  20.1 59.4
Des Moines, Ia. 126,468  86,368 46.4 39.0
Detroit, Mich. 993,678  465,766  113.4  63.0
Dubuque, Ia. 39,141 38,494  1.7  6.1
Duluth, Minn. 98,917 78,466 26.1 48.1
East Chicago, Ind. 35,967 19,098 88.3 459.9 
East Cleveland, O. 27,292  9,179 197.3  232.9 
Easton, Pa. 33,813 28,523 18.5 13.0
East Orange, N. J. 50,710 34,371 47.5 59.8
East St. Louis, Ill. 66,767 58,547 14.0 97.4
Elgin, Ill. 27,454 25,976  5.7 15.8
Elizabeth, N. J. 95,783 73,409 30.3 40.8
Elmira, N. Y. 45,393 37,176 21.9  4.2
El Paso, Tex. 77,560 39,279 97.4 146.9 
Erie, Pa. 93,372 66,525 40.4 26.2
Evanston, Ill. 37,234 24,978 49.0 29.7
Evansville, Ind. 85,264 69,647 22.4 18.0
Everett, Mass. 40,120 33,484 19.8 37.6
Everett, Wash. 27,644 24,814 11.4 216.6 
Fall River, Mass. 120,485  119,295   1.0 13.8
Fitchburg, Mass. 41,029 37,826  8.4 20.0
Flint, Mich. 91,599 38,550 137.6  194.2 
Fort Smith, Ark. 28,870 23,975 20.2 106.9 
Fort Wayne, Ind. 86,549 63,933 35.4 41.7
Fort Worth, Tex. 106,482  73,312 45.2 174.7
Fresno, Cal. 45,086 24,892 79.2 99.6
Galveston, Tex. 44,255 36,981 19.7 -2.1
Gary, Ind. 55,378 16,802 229.6  ....
Grand Rapids, Mich. 137,634  112,571  22.3 28.6
Green Bay, Wis. 31,017 25,236 22.9 35.1
Hagerstown, Md. 28,064 16,507 70.0 21.5
Hamilton, O. 39,675 35,279 12.5 47.5
Hammond, Ind. 36,004 20,925 72.1 69.1
Hamtramck (village), Mich.  48,615  3,559  1,266.0     ....
Harrisburg, Pa. 75,917 64,186 18.3 27.9
Hartford, Conn. 138,036  98,915 39.6 23.9
Haverhill, Mass. 53,884 44,115 22.1 18.7
Hazleton, Pa. 32,277 25,452 26.8 78.9
Highland Park, Mich. 46,499  4,120 1,028.6    864.9 
Hoboken, N. J. 68,166 70,324 -3.1 18.5
Holyoke, Mass. 60,203 57,730  4.3 26.3
Honolulu, H. I. 83,327 52,183 59.7 32.8
Houston, Tex. 138,076  78,800 75.2 76.6
Huntington, W. Va. 50,177 31,161 61.0 161.4 
Indianapolis, Ind. 314,194  233,650  34.5 38.1
Irvington, N. J. 25,480 11,877 114.5  126.0 
Jackson, Mich. 48,374 31,433 53.9 24.8
Jacksonville, Fla. 91,558 57,699 58.7 103.0 
Jamestown, N. Y. 38,917 31,297 24.3 36.7
Jersey City, N. J.  298,103    267,779   11.2 29.7
Johnstown, Pa. 67,327 55,482 21.3 54.4
Joliet, Ill. 38,442 34,670 10.8 18.1
Joplin, Mo. 29,902 32,073 -6.9 23.2
Kalamazoo, Mich. 48,487 39,437 23.9 61.6
Kansas City, Kan. 101,177  82,331 22.9 60.1
Kansas City, Mo. 324,410  248,381  30.6 51.7
Kearny, N. J. 26,724 18,659 43.2 71.2
Kenosha, Wis. 40,472 21,371 89.4 84.1
Kingston, N. Y. 26,688 25,908  3.0  5.6
Knoxville, Tenn. 77,818 36,346 114.1  11.4
Kokomo, Ind. 30,067 17,010 76.8 60.3
La Crosse, Wis. 30,421 30,417 -0.2  5.3
Lakewood, O. 41,732 15,181 174.9  352.5 
Lancaster, Pa. 53,150 47,227 12.5 13.9
Lansing, Mich. 57,327 31,229 83.6 89.4
Lawrence, Mass. 94,270 85,892  9.8 37.3
Lewiston, Me. 31,791 26,247 21.1 10.5
Lexington, Ky. 41,534 35,099 18.3 33.1
Lima, O. 41,326 30,508 35.4 40.4
Lincoln, Neb. 54,948 43,973 24.9  9.5
Little Rock, Ark. 65,142 45,941 41.5 19.9
Long Beach, Cal. 55,593 17,809 212.2  690.8 
Lorain, O. 37,295 28,883 29.1 80.2
Los Angeles, Cal. 576,673  319,198  80.7 211.5 
Louisville, Ky. 234,891  223,928   4.9  9.4
Lowell, Mass. 112,759  106,294   6.1 11.9
Lynchburg, Va. 30,070 29,494  1.6 56.1
Lynn, Mass. 99,148 89,336 11.0 30.4
McKeesport, Pa. 46,781 42,694  7.7 24.7
Macon, Ga. 52,995 40,665 30.3 74.7
Madison, Wis. 38,378 25,531 50.3 33.2
Malden, Mass 49,103 44,404 10.6 31.9
Manchester, N. H. 78,384 70,063 11.9 22.9
Mansfield, O. 27,824 20,768 34.0 17.7
Marion, O. 27,891 18,232 53.0 53.7
Medford, Mass. 39,038 23,150 68.6 26.9
Memphis, Tenn. 162,351  131,105  23.8 28.1
Meriden, Conn. 34,764 27,265  9.5 12.2
Miami, Fla. 29,571  5,471 440.1  225.5 
Milwaukee, Wis. 457,147  373,857  22.3 31.0
Minneapolis, Minn. 380,582  301,408  26.3 48.7
Mobile, Ala. 60,777 51,521 16.8 33.9
Moline, Ill. 30,734 24,199 26.9 40.3
Montclair, N. J. 28,810 21,550 33.7 54.3
Montgomery, Ala. 43,464 38,136 14.0 25.7
Mt. Vernon, N. Y. 42,726 30,919 38.2 45.7
Muncie, Ind. 36,524 24,005 52.2 14.6
Muskegon, Mich. 36,570 24,062 52.0 15.6
Muskogee, Okla. 30,277 25,278 19.8 494.2 
Nashua, N. H. 28,379 26,005  9.1  8.8
Nashville, Tenn. 118,342  110,364   7.2 36.5
Newark, N. J. 414,524  347,469  19.2 41.2
Newark, O. 26,718 25,404  5.2 39.9
New Bedford, Mass. 121,217  96,652 25.4 54.8
New Britain, Conn. 59,316 43,916 35.1 68.9
New Brunswick, N. J. 32,779 23,388 40.2 16.9
Newburgh, N. Y. 30,366 27,805  9.2 11.5
Newcastle, Pa. 44,938 36,280 23.9 28.0
New Haven, Conn. 162,537  133,605  21.6 23.7
New London, Conn. 25,688 19,659 30.7 12.0
New Orleans, La. 387,219  339,075  14.2 18.1
Newport, Ky. 29,317 30,309 -3.3  7.1
Newport, R. I. 30,255 27,149 11.4 21.0
Newport News, Va. 35,596 20,205 76.2  2.9
New Rochelle, N. Y. 36,213 28,826 25.4 96.1
Newton, Mass. 46,054 39,806 15.7 18.5
New York, N. Y.  5,620,048      4,766,883     17.9 38.7
Niagara Falls, N. Y. 50,760 30,445 66.7 56.5
Norfolk, Va. 115,777  67,452 71.6 44.7
Norristown, Pa. 32,319 27,875 15.9 25.2
Norwalk, Conn. 27,700 15,922 74.0 25.2
Norwich, Conn. 29,685 28,219  5.2 14.5
Oakland, Cal. 216,261  150,174  44.1 124.3 
Oak Park (village), Ill.  39,858 19,444 104.8  ....
Ogden, Utah 32,804 25,580 28.2 56.8
Oklahoma City, Okla. 91,295 64,205 42.1 539.7 
Omaha, Neb. 191,601  124,096  54.4 21.0
Orange, N. J. 33,268 29,630 12.3 22.7
Oshkosh, Wis. 33,162 33,062  0.3 16.9
Pasadena, Cal. 45,354 30,291 49.7 232.2 
Passaic, N. J. 63,841 54,773 16.5 97.2
Paterson, N. J. 135,875  125,600   8.2 19.4
Pawtucket, R. I. 64,248 51,622 24.5 31.6
Pensacola, Fla. 31,035 22,982 35.0 29.5
Perth Amboy, N. J. 41,707 32,121 29.8 81.5
Petersburg, Va. 31,012 24,127 28.5 10.6
Philadelphia, Pa. 1,823,779    1,549,008    17.7 19.7
Phoenix, Ariz. 29,053 11,134 160.9  100.8 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 588,343  533,905  10.2 18.2
Pittsfield, Mass. 41,763 32,121 30.0 47.6
Plainfield, N. J. 27,700 20,550 34.8 33.7
Pontiac, Mich. 34,273 14,532 135.8  48.8
Port Huron, Mich. 25,944 18,863 37.5 -1.5
Portland, Me. 69,272 58,571 18.3 16.8
Portland, Ore. 258,288  207,214  24.6 129.2 
Portsmouth, O. 33,011 23,481 40.6 31.4
Portsmouth, Va. 54,387 33,190 63.9 90.5
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 35,000 27,936 25.3 16.3
Providence, R. I. 237,031  224,326   5.9 27.8
Pueblo, Colo. 43,050 44,395 -3.3 57.7
Quincy, Ill. 35,978 36,587 91.7  0.9
Quincy, Mass. 47,876 32,642 46.7 36.6
Racine, Wis. 58,593 38,002 54.2 30.6
Reading, Pa. 107,784  96,071 12.2 21.7
Revere, Mass. 28,823 18,219 58.2 75.3
Richmond, Ind. 26,765 22,324 19.9 22.5
Richmond, Va. 171,667  127,628  34.5 50.1
Roanoke, Va. 50,842 34,874 45.8 62.2
Rochester, N. Y. 295,750  218,149  35.6 34.2
Rockford, Ill. 65,651 45,401 44.6 46.2
Rock Island, Ill. 35,177 24,335 44.6 24.8
Rome, N. Y. 26,341 20,497 28.5 33.6
Sacramento, Cal. 65,908 44,696 47.3 52.6
Saginaw, Mich. 61,903 50,510 22.6 19.3
St. Joseph, Mo. 77,939 77,403  0.7 -24.8 
St. Louis, Mo. 772,897  687,029  12.5 19.4
St. Paul, Minn. 234,698  214,744   9.2 31.7
Salem, Mass. 42,529 43,697 -2.7 21.5
Salt Lake City, Utah 118,110  92,777 27.3 73.3
San Antonio, Tex. 161,379  96,614 67.0 81.2
San Diego, Cal. 74,683 39,578 88.7 123.6 
San Francisco, Cal. 506,676  416,912  21.9 21.6
San Jose, Cal. 39,642 28,946 36.8 34.6
Savannah, Ga. 83,252 65,064 28.0 19.9
Schenectady, N. Y. 88,723 72,826 21.8 129.9 
Scranton Pa. 137,783  129,867   6.1 27.3
Seattle, Wash. 315,312  237,194  33.1 194.0 
Sheboygan Wis. 30,955 26,398 17.3 15.0
Shreveport, La. 43,874 28,015 56.6 75.0
Sioux City, Ia. 71,227 47,828 48.9 44.4
Sioux Falls, S. D. 25,202 14,094 78.6 37.3
Somerville, Mass. 93,091 77,236 20.5 25.3
South Bend, Ind. 70,983 53,684 32.2 49.1
Spokane, Wash. 104,437  104,402  .... 183.3 
Springfield, Ill. 59,183 51,678 14.5 51.3
Springfield, Mass. 129,614  88,926 45.7 43.3
Springfield, Mo. 39,631 35,201 12.6 51.3
Springfield, O. 60,840 46,921 29.7 22.7
Stamford, Conn. 40,067 28,836 39.6 57.1
Steubenville, O. 28,508 23,391 27.3 56.0
Stockton, Cal. 40,296 23,253 73.3 32.8
Superior, Wis. 39,671 40,384 -1.9 29.9
Syracuse, N. Y. 171,717  137,249  25.1 26.6
Tampa, Fla. 51,608 37,782 35.7 138.5 
Tacoma, Wash. 96,965 83,743 15.8 122.0 
Taunton, Mass. 37,137 34,259  8.4 10.4
Terre Haute, Ind. 66,083 58,157 13.6 58.6
Toledo, O. 243,164  168,497  44.3 27.8
Topeka, Kan. 50,022 43,684 14.5 30.0
Trenton, N. J. 119,289  96,815 23.2 32.1
Troy, N. Y. 72,013 76,813 -6.2 26.6
Tulsa, Okla. 72,075 18,182 296.4   1,208.1    
Utica, N. Y. 94,156 74,419 26.5 32.0
Waco, Tex. 38,500 26,425 45.7 27.7
Waltham, Mass. 30,915 27,834 11.1 18.5
Warren, O. 27,050 11,081 144.1  29.9
Washington, D. C. 437,571  331,069  32.2 18.8
Waterbury, Conn. 91,715 73,141 25.0 59.5
Waterloo, Ia. 36,230 23,693 35.7 112.2
Watertown, N. Y. 31,285 26,730 17.0 23.2
West Hoboken, N. J. 40,074 35,403 13.2 53.3
West New York (town), N. J.  29,926 13,560 120.7  157.5 
Wheeling, W. Va. 56,208 41,641 30.5  7.1
Wichita, Kan. 42,217 52,450 37.5 112.6 
Wichita Falls, Tex. 40,079  8,200 388.8  230.6 
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 73,833 67,105 10.0 29.7
Williamsport, Pa. 36,198 31,860 13.6 10.8
Wilmington, Del. 110,168  87,411 26.0 14.3
Wilmington, N. C. 33,372 25,748 29.6 22.7
Winston-Salem, N. C.  48,395 22,700 113.2  66.3
Woonsocket, R. I. 43,496 38,125 14.1 35.2
Worcester, Mass. 179,754  145,986  23.1 23.3
Yonkers, N. Y. 100,176  79,803 25.6 66.5
York, Pa. 47,512 44,750  6.2 32.8
Youngstown, O. 132,358  79,066 67.4 76.2
Zanesville, O. 29,569 28,026  5.5 19.1