Other Free Encyclopedias :: Social Issues Reference :: Social Trends in America - Vol 2

Where Do We Live: Data Presentation

Urban, Rural, and Suburban Population -1790 to 2000, by Decade

Year Urban Population Rural Population Urban as % of Total Suburban Population Suburban as % of Urban
1790 201,655 3,727,559 5.1 - -
1800 322,371 4,986,112 6.1 - -
1810 525,459 6,714,422 7.3 - -
1820 693,255 8,945,198 7.2 - -
1830 1,127,247 11,733,455 8.8 - -
1840 1,845,055 15,218,298 10.8 - -
1850 3,574,496 19,617,380 15.4 - -
1860 6,216,518 25,226,803 19.8 - -
1870 9,902,361 28,656,010 25.7 - -
1880 14,129,735 36,059,474 28.2 - -
1890 22,106,265 40,873,501 35.1 - -
1900 30,214,832 45,997,336 39.6 - -
1910 42,064,001 50,164,495 45.6 - -
1920 54,253,282 51,768,255 51.2 - -
1930 69,160,599 54,042,025 56.1 - -
1940 74,705,338 57,459,231 56.5 - -
1950 96,846,817 54,478,981 64.0 - -
1960 125,268,750 54,045,425 69.9 - -
1970 149,646,617 53,565,309 73.6 88,173,947 55.09
1980 167,050,992 59,494,813 73.7 104,888,482 59.09
1990 187,053,487 61,656,386 75.2 120,651,559 60.81
2000 225,981,679 55,440,227 80.3 140,637,509 62.24
Source: Historical and 2000 population data from U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990 Census Tabulations, Population and Housing Unit Counts, August 23, 1993 and Population Change and Distribution, Census 2000 Brief, April 2001. Data on suburbs from the SOCDS database, distributed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, accessible at socds.huduser.org/index.html and from Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001, Census Bureau, Appendix II, p. 892.

Metro and Nonmetro Population and Population Density

Year Population (000) People per Square Mile
Metro Areas Suburbs Nonmetro Areas Metro Areas Nonmetro Areas United States
1960 136,737 - 42,586 193.8 15.0 50.6
1970 160,045 88,174 43,257 226.8 15.3 57.4
1980 177,505 104,888 49,037 251.5 17.3 64.0
1990 198,407 120,652 50,311 281.2 17.8 70.3
2000 225,968 140,638 55,453 320.2 19.6 79.6
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Appendix II, p. 892. Data on suburbs from the SOCDS database, distributed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, accessible at socds.huduser.org/index.html.

The 1997 Housing Stock - Smallest and Largest

Period % of Housing Built in Period
Less Than 1,000 sq. ft. 3,000 sq. ft. or More
1949 or before 32.9 2.9
1950-1959 27.2 1.6
1960-1969 31.0 2.1
1970-1979 34.4 3.6
1980-1989 23.0 4.6
1990-1997 16.5 13.4
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, A Look at Residential Energy Consumption in 1997, November 1999, Washington, DC 20585. New construction data from Statistical Abstracts of the United States, 2001, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Table 938, p. 597.

Square Foot Distribution of 1997 Housing Stock

Square Feet % of Total Units
Fewer than 600 7.8
600 to 999 21.2
1,000 to 1,599 30.0
1,600 to 1,999 15.1
2,000 to 2,399 7.8
2,400 to 2,999 5.2
3,000 or More 4.0
No Estimate Provided 9.0
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, A Look at Resi-dential Energy Consumption in 1997, November 1999, Washington, DC 20585.

Owners and Renters of Housing in 1999

Group Owners % Renters % Total Units (000)
All 66.9 33.1 102,803
Black 46.5 53.5 12,936
Hispanic 45.2 54.8 9,042
Elderly 80.3 19.7 21,423
Below Poverty 44.0 56.0 14,264
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001, Table 961, p. 609. Data drawn from U.S. Census Bureau, Current Housing Reports.

Regional Shares of the Population - 1900 to 2000, by Decades

Year Percent of Population
Northeast Midwest South West
1900 27.6 34.6 32.2 5.7
1910 28.0 32.4 31.9 7.7
1920 28.0 32.1 31.2 8.7
1930 27.9 31.3 30.7 10.0
1940 27.2 30.4 31.5 10.9
1950 26.1 29.4 31.2 13.3
1960 24.9 28.8 30.7 15.6
1970 24.1 27.8 30.9 17.1
1980 21.7 26.0 33.3 19.1
1990 20.4 24.0 34.4 21.2
2000 19.0 22.9 35.6 22.5
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population and Housing Unit Counts, August 27, 1993, and Census 2000.

People Moving as a Percent of Total Population

Percent of Total Population Moving
Total Within County County to County State to State From Abroad
1947-48 20.2 13.6 6.4 3.1 0.3
1948-49 19.2 13.0 5.8 3.0 0.3
1949-50 19.1 13.1 5.6 2.6 0.3
1950-51 21.2 13.9 7.1 3.5 0.2
1951-52 20.3 13.2 6.6 3.4 0.4
1952-53 20.6 13.5 6.6 3.6 0.5
1953-54 19.3 12.2 6.4 3.2 0.6
1954-55 20.4 13.3 6.6 3.1 0.6
1955-56 21.1 13.7 6.8 3.1 0.6
[Continued]

People Moving as a Percent of Total Population [Continued]

Percent of Total Population Moving
Total Within County County to County State to State From Abroad
1956-57 19.9 13.1 6.2 3.1 0.5
1957-58 20.3 13.1 6.7 3.3 0.5
1958-59 19.7 13.1 6.1 3.0 0.5
1959-60 19.9 12.9 6.4 3.2 0.5
1960-61 20.6 13.7 6.3 3.2 0.6
1961-62 19.6 13.0 6.1 3.1 0.5
1962-63 20.0 12.6 6.8 3.6 0.6
1963-64 20.1 13.0 6.6 3.3 0.5
1964-65 20.7 13.4 6.8 3.3 0.5
1965-66 19.8 12.7 6.6 3.3 0.5
1966-67 19.0 11.6 6.7 3.4 0.7
1967-68 19.5 11.8 7.0 3.6 0.7
1968-69 19.0 11.7 6.6 3.4 0.7
1969-70 19.1 11.7 6.7 3.6 0.8
1970-71 18.7 11.4 6.5 3.4 0.8
1975-76 17.7 10.8 6.4 3.0 0.6
1980-81 17.2 10.4 6.2 2.8 0.6
1981-82 17.0 10.3 6.2 3.0 0.5
1982-83 16.6 10.1 6.0 2.7 0.4
1983-84 17.3 10.4 6.4 2.8 0.5
1984-85 20.2 13.1 6.5 3.0 0.6
1985-86 18.6 11.3 6.7 3.0 0.5
1986-87 18.6 11.6 6.5 2.8 0.5
1987-88 17.8 11.0 6.2 3.0 0.5
1988-89 17.8 10.9 6.3 3.0 0.6
1989-90 17.9 10.6 6.6 3.3 0.6
1990-91 17.0 10.3 6.1 2.9 0.6
1991-92 17.3 10.7 6.0 2.9 0.5
1992-93 17.0 10.7 5.8 2.7 0.6
1993-94 16.7 10.4 5.8 2.6 0.5
1994-95 16.4 10.8 5.3 2.2 0.3
1995-96 16.3 10.3 5.6 2.5 0.5
1996-97 16.5 10.5 5.5 2.4 0.5
1997-98 16.0 10.2 5.4 2.4 0.5
1998-99 15.9 9.4 5.9 2.8 0.5
1999-00 16.1 9.0 6.4 3.1 0.6
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Annual Geographical Mibility Rates, By Type of Movment: 1947-2000, July 12, 2000 (Internet release), see http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/migrate.html.

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