| Sources: |
U.S.
Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the
United States: 1993, 113th ed., 1993; 1990
Census of Population, General Population Characteristics,
United States, CP-1-1. |
| Notes: |
Resident
population as of April 1. |
| |
According
to the 1990 census definition, the urban population
comprises all persons living in (a) places of 2,500 or
more inhabitants incorporated as cities, villages,
boroughs (except in Alaska and New York), and towns
(except in the New England states, New York, and
Wisconsin), but excluding those persons living in the
rural portions of extended cities (places with low
population density in one or more large parts of their
area); (b) census designated places (previously termed
unincorporated) of 2,500 or more inhabitants; and (c)
other territory, incorporated or unincorporated, included
in urbanized areas. An urbanized area comprises one or
more places and the adjacent densely settled surrounding
territory that together have a minimum population of
50,000 persons. |
| |
In
censuses prior to 1950, the urban population comprised
all persons living in incorporated places of 2,500 or
more inhabitants and areas (usually minor civil
divisions) classified as urban under special rules
relating to population size and density. To improve its
measure of the urban population, the Bureau of the Census
in 1950 adopted the concept of the urbanized area and
delineated boundaries for unincorporated places. The 1950
definition has continued substantially unchanged, except
for minor modifications in 1960, the introduction of the
extended city concept in 1970, and changes since the 1970
census in the criteria for defining urbanized areas so as
to permit such areas to be defined around smaller
centers. In all definitions, the population not
classified as urban constitutes the rural population. |
|