1900 United States census

12th US national census

Twelfth census of the United States

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| ← 1890 | June 1, 1900 | 1910 →

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Seal of the Department of the Interior

Population schedule from the 1900 census

General information
Country| United States
Authority| Census Office
Results
Total population| 76,212,168 ( 21.01%)
Most populous state| New York
7,268,894
Least populous state| Nevada
42,335

The 1900 United States census, conducted by the Census Office on June 1, 1900,[1] determined the resident population of the United States to be 76,212,168, an increase of 21.01% from the 62,979,766 persons enumerated during the 1890 census. It was the last census to be conducted before the founding of the permanent United States Census Bureau.

The census saw the nation's largest city, New York City, more than double in size due to the consolidation with Brooklyn, becoming in the process the first U.S. city to record a population growth of over three million — Brooklyn was previously the 4th largest city in the United States on its own.

Oversight of the statistics was by Frederick Howard Wines and Walter F. Willcox.[2]

## Census questions

[edit]

The 1900 census collected the following information:[3]

* address
* name
* relationship to head of family
* sex
* race (listed as "Color or race" on the census)
* age, month and year born
* marital status and, if married, number of years married
* for women, number of children born and number now living
* place of birth of person, and their parents
* if foreign born, year of immigration and whether naturalized
* occupation
* months not employed
* school
* ability to speak English
* whether on a farm
* home owned or rented, and, if owned, whether mortgaged

Full documentation for the 1900 census, including census forms and enumerator instructions, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

Statistician Frederick Ludwig Hoffman criticized the conduct of the census.[4][5]

## Data availability

[edit]

The original census enumeration sheets were microfilmed by the Census Bureau in the 1940s, after which the original sheets were destroyed.[6] The microfilmed census is available in rolls from the National Archives and Records Administration. Several organizations also host images of the microfilmed census online, and digital indices.

Microdata from the 1900 census are freely available through IPUMS. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

## State rankings

[edit]

Rank  | State  | Population as of
1900 census[7] | Population as of
1890 census  | Change  | Percent
change

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|
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1  |  New York | 7,268,894  | 6,003,174  | 1,265,720  | 21.1%
2  |  Pennsylvania | 6,302,115  | 5,258,113  | 1,044,002  | 19.9%
3  |  Illinois | 4,821,550  | 3,826,352  | 995,198  | 26.0%
4  |  Ohio | 4,157,545  | 3,672,329  | 485,216  | 13.2%
5  |  Missouri | 3,106,665  | 2,679,185  | 427,480  | 16.0%
6  |  Texas | 3,048,710  | 2,235,527  | 813,183  | 36.4%
7  |  Massachusetts | 2,805,346  | 2,238,947  | 566,399  | 25.3%
8  |  Indiana | 2,516,462  | 2,192,404  | 324,058  | 14.8%
9  |  Michigan | 2,420,982  | 2,093,890  | 327,092  | 15.6%
10  |  Iowa | 2,231,853  | 1,912,297  | 319,556  | 16.7%
11  |  Georgia | 2,216,331  | 1,837,353  | 378,978  | 20.6%
12  |  Kentucky | 2,147,174  | 1,858,635  | 288,539  | 15.5%
13  |  Wisconsin | 2,069,042  | 1,693,330  | 375,712  | 22.2%
14  |  Tennessee | 2,020,616  | 1,767,518  | 253,098  | 14.3%
15  |  North Carolina | 1,893,810  | 1,617,949  | 275,861  | 17.0%
16  |  New Jersey | 1,883,669  | 1,444,933  | 438,736  | 30.4%
17  |  Virginia | 1,854,184  | 1,655,980  | 198,204  | 12.0%
18  |  Alabama | 1,828,697  | 1,513,401  | 315,296  | 20.8%
19  |  Minnesota | 1,751,394  | 1,310,283  | 441,111  | 33.7%
20  |  Mississippi | 1,551,270  | 1,289,600  | 261,670  | 20.3%
21  |  California | 1,485,053  | 1,213,398  | 271,655  | 22.4%
22  |  Kansas | 1,470,495  | 1,428,108  | 42,387  | 3.0%
23  |  Louisiana | 1,381,625  | 1,118,588  | 263,037  | 23.5%
24  |  South Carolina | 1,340,316  | 1,151,149  | 189,167  | 16.4%
25  |  Arkansas | 1,311,564  | 1,128,211  | 183,353  | 16.3%
26  |  Maryland | 1,188,044  | 1,042,390  | 145,654  | 14.0%
27  |  Nebraska | 1,066,300  | 1,062,656  | 3,644  | 0.3%
28  |  West Virginia | 958,800  | 762,794  | 196,006  | 25.7%
29  |  Connecticut | 908,420  | 746,258  | 162,162  | 21.7%
–  |  Oklahoma[8] | 790,391  | 258,657  | 531,734  | 205.6%
30  |  Maine | 694,466  | 661,086  | 33,380  | 5.0%
31  |  Colorado | 539,700  | 413,249  | 126,451  | 30.6%
32  |  Florida | 528,542  | 391,422  | 137,120  | 35.0%
33  |  Washington | 518,103  | 357,232  | 160,871  | 45.0%
34  |  Rhode Island | 428,556  | 345,506  | 83,050  | 24.0%
35  |  Oregon | 413,536  | 317,704  | 95,832  | 30.2%
36  |  New Hampshire | 411,588  | 376,530  | 35,058  | 9.3%
37  |  South Dakota | 401,570  | 348,600  | 52,970  | 15.2%
38  |  Vermont | 343,641  | 332,422  | 11,219  | 3.4%
39  |  North Dakota | 319,146  | 190,983  | 128,163  | 67.1%
–  |  District of Columbia | 278,718  | 230,392  | 48,326  | 21.0%
40  |  Utah | 276,749  | 210,779  | 65,970  | 31.3%
41  |  Montana | 243,329  | 142,924  | 100,405  | 70.3%
–  |  New Mexico | 195,310  | 160,282  | 35,028  | 21.9%
42  |  Delaware | 184,735  | 168,493  | 16,242  | 9.6%
43  |  Idaho | 161,772  | 88,548  | 73,224  | 82.7%
–  |  Hawaii | 154,001  | 89,990  | 64,011  | 71.1%
–  |  Arizona | 122,931  | 88,243  | 34,688  | 39.3%
44  |  Wyoming | 92,531  | 62,555  | 29,976  | 47.9%
–  |  Alaska | 63,592  | 32,052  | 31,540  | 98.4%
45  |  Nevada | 42,335  | 47,355  | -5,020  | -10.6%
|  United States | 76,212,168  | 62,979,766  | 13,232,402  | 21.0%

## City rankings

[edit]

Rank | City | State | Population[9] | Region (2016)[10]

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01 | New York | New York | 3,437,202 | Northeast
02 | Chicago | Illinois | 1,698,575 | Midwest
03 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,293,697 | Northeast
04 | St. Louis | Missouri | 575,238 | Midwest
05 | Boston | Massachusetts | 560,892 | Northeast
06 | Baltimore | Maryland | 508,957 | South
07 | Cleveland | Ohio | 391,768 | Midwest
08 | Buffalo | New York | 352,387 | Northeast
09 | San Francisco | California | 342,782 | West
10 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 325,902 | Midwest
11 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 321,616 | Northeast
12 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 287,104 | South
13 | Detroit | Michigan | 285,704 | Midwest
14 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 285,315 | Midwest
15 | Washington | District of Columbia | 278,718 | South
16 | Newark | New Jersey | 246,070 | Northeast
17 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 206,433 | Northeast
18 | Louisville | Kentucky | 204,731 | South
19 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 202,718 | Midwest
20 | Providence | Rhode Island | 175,597 | Northeast
21 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 169,164 | Midwest
22 | Kansas City | Missouri | 163,752 | Midwest
23 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 163,065 | Midwest
24 | Rochester | New York | 162,608 | Northeast
25 | Denver | Colorado | 133,859 | West
26 | Toledo | Ohio | 131,822 | Midwest
27 | Allegheny | Pennsylvania | 129,896 | Northeast
28 | Columbus | Ohio | 125,560 | Midwest
29 | Worcester | Massachusetts | 118,421 | Northeast
30 | Syracuse | New York | 108,374 | Northeast
31 | New Haven | Connecticut | 108,027 | Northeast
32 | Paterson | New Jersey | 105,171 | Northeast
33 | Fall River | Massachusetts | 104,863 | Northeast
34 | St. Joseph | Missouri | 102,979 | Midwest
35 | Omaha | Nebraska | 102,555 | Midwest
36 | Los Angeles | California | 102,479 | West
37 | Memphis | Tennessee | 102,320 | South
38 | Scranton | Pennsylvania | 102,026 | Northeast
39 | Lowell | Massachusetts | 94,969 | Northeast
40 | Albany | New York | 94,151 | Northeast
41 | Cambridge | Massachusetts | 91,886 | Northeast
42 | Portland | Oregon | 90,426 | West
43 | Atlanta | Georgia | 89,872 | South
44 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 87,565 | Midwest
45 | Dayton | Ohio | 85,333 | Midwest
46 | Richmond | Virginia | 85,050 | South
47 | Nashville | Tennessee | 80,865 | South
48 | Seattle | Washington | 80,671 | West
49 | Hartford | Connecticut | 79,850 | Northeast
50 | Reading | Pennsylvania | 78,961 | Northeast
51 | Wilmington | Delaware | 76,508 | South
52 | Camden | New Jersey | 75,935 | Northeast
53 | Trenton | New Jersey | 73,307 | Northeast
54 | Bridgeport | Connecticut | 70,996 | Northeast
55 | Lynn | Massachusetts | 68,513 | Northeast
56 | Oakland | California | 66,960 | West
57 | Lawrence | Massachusetts | 62,559 | Northeast
58 | New Bedford | Massachusetts | 62,442 | Northeast
59 | Des Moines | Iowa | 62,139 | Midwest
60 | Springfield | Massachusetts | 62,059 | Northeast
61 | Somerville | Massachusetts | 61,643 | Northeast
62 | Troy | New York | 60,651 | Northeast
63 | Hoboken | New Jersey | 59,364 | Northeast
64 | Evansville | Indiana | 59,007 | Midwest
65 | Manchester | New Hampshire | 56,987 | Northeast
66 | Utica | New York | 56,383 | Northeast
67 | Peoria | Illinois | 56,100 | Midwest
68 | Charleston | South Carolina | 55,807 | South
69 | Savannah | Georgia | 54,244 | South
70 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 53,531 | West
71 | San Antonio | Texas | 53,321 | South
72 | Duluth | Minnesota | 52,969 | Midwest
73 | Erie | Pennsylvania | 52,733 | Northeast
74 | Elizabeth | New Jersey | 52,130 | Northeast
75 | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | 51,721 | Northeast
76 | Kansas City | Kansas | 51,418 | Midwest
77 | Harrisburg | Pennsylvania | 50,167 | Northeast
78 | Portland | Maine | 50,145 | Northeast
79 | Yonkers | New York | 47,931 | Northeast
80 | Norfolk | Virginia | 46,624 | South
81 | Waterbury | Connecticut | 45,859 | Northeast
82 | Holyoke | Massachusetts | 45,712 | Northeast
83 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 45,115 | Midwest
84 | Youngstown | Ohio | 44,885 | Midwest
85 | Houston | Texas | 44,633 | South
86 | Covington | Kentucky | 42,938 | South
87 | Akron | Ohio | 42,728 | Midwest
88 | Dallas | Texas | 42,638 | South
89 | Saginaw | Michigan | 42,345 | Midwest
90 | Lancaster | Pennsylvania | 41,459 | Northeast
91 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 40,169 | Midwest
92 | Brockton | Massachusetts | 40,063 | Northeast
93 | Binghamton | New York | 39,647 | Northeast
94 | Augusta | Georgia | 39,441 | South
95 | Pawtucket | Rhode Island | 39,231 | Northeast
96 | Altoona | Pennsylvania | 38,973 | Northeast
97 | Wheeling | West Virginia | 38,878 | South
98 | Mobile | Alabama | 38,469 | South
99 | Birmingham | Alabama | 38,415 | South
100 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 38,307 | South

## Locations of 50 most populous cities

[edit]

New York

Chicago

Philadelphia

St. Louis

Boston

Baltimore

Cleveland

Buffalo

San Francisco

Cincinnati

Pittsburgh

New Orleans

Detroit

Milwaukee

Washington

Newark

Jersey City

Louisville

Minneapolis

Providence

Indianapolis

Kansas City

Saint Paul

Rochester

Denver

Toledo

Allegheny

Columbus

Syracuse

New Haven

Fall River

St. Joseph

Omaha

Los Angeles

Memphis

Scranton

Lowell

Portland

Atlanta

Grand Rapids

Dayton

Richmond

Nashville

Seattle

Reading

class=notpageimage|

Location of 50 largest cities by population in the United States in 1900, on a map of the modern United States.
Numbered Cities
1\. Worcester, Massachusetts
2\. Paterson, New Jersey
3\. Albany, New York
4\. Cambridge, Massachusetts
5\. Hartford, Connecticut

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1900 Overview", History, US Census Bureau
2. ^ Mitchell, Wesley C. (1900). "Preparations for the Twelfth Census". Journal of Political Economy. 8 (3): 378–384\. doi:10.1086/250680. ISSN 0022-3808.
3. ^ "Library Bibliography Bulletin 88, New York State Census Records, 1790–1925". New York State Library. October 1981. p. 45 (p. 51 of PDF). Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
4. ^ Hoffman, Frederick L. (1902). "The Vital Statistics of the Census of 1900 [Part 1]". Publications of the American Statistical Association. 8 (60): 127–168\. doi:10.2307/2276440. ISSN 1522-5437.
5. ^ Hoffman, Frederick L. (1902). "The Vital Statistics of the Census of 1900 [Part 2]". Publications of the American Statistical Association. 8 (60): 168–202\. doi:10.2307/2276441. ISSN 1522-5437.
6. ^ Algonquin Area Public Library District. "Census Secrets" (PDF). Retrieved May 17, 2012.[permanent dead link]
7. ^ States and territories census.gov
8. ^ Including Indian Territory, which was yet to be combined with Oklahoma Territory to form the state of Oklahoma.
9. ^ Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
10. ^ "Regions and Divisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1900 United States Census.

* 1901 U.S. Census Report (contains 1900 census results)
* Historic US Census data
* https://web.archive.org/web/20200717185528/https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/PopulationofStatesandCountiesoftheUnitedStates1790-1990.pdf

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