Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places In The United States: 1790 to 1990
Population Division Working Paper No. 27
Acknowledgments
This paper was prepared in Population Division with the  statistical and clerical collaboration of Emily Lennon and Kay  Jung.  Several reviewers provided useful comments:  Richard L.  Forstall, Donald C. Dahmann, John F. Long, Louisa F. Miller,  Michael R. Ratcliffe, Linda M. Showalter, and Linda S. Morris.
Disclaimer
This paper reports the results of research and analysis undertaken  by Census Bureau staff.  It has undergone a more limited review  than official Census Bureau publications.  This report is released  to inform interested parties of research and to encourage  discussion.
Abstract
This paper presents decennial census population totals for the 100  largest cities and other urban places in the United States based  on the 21 decennial censuses taken from 1790 to 1990.  The paper  represents the first time that the populations of the largest  urban places at each census have been published in a single report  and was prepared in response to numerous requests for this type of  information.
CONTENTS
Introduction
This report presents decennial census population totals for the  largest urban places in the United States based on the 21  decennial censuses taken from 1790 to 1990.  Through 1940, these   urban places were all legally incorporated places such as cities,  towns, and boroughs.  Since 1950, when the urban definition was  broadened, a few unincorporated places have also been included.  The title of this report uses the term "largest cities and other  urban places" to reflect the fact that for most of the 1790-1990  period (since 1870), nearly all the largest urban places have been  legally defined as cities.  The term "largest urban places" is  used frequently in this report for simplicity.
Data on the largest urban places for the 1940-1990 period are  based on census reports for each of these censuses.  For the  1790-1930 period, the data are based on an historical series   developed by the Census Bureau during the 1930s, as discussed  later.  Based on this research , 1840 was the first census year in  which there were as many as 100 urban places.  The numbers of  urban places included in this report for previous census years are  24 in 1790, 33 in 1800, 46 in 1810, 61 in 1820, and 90 in  1830.
Since 1890, census volumes have regularly included tables showing  the largest cities in the United States ranked by total  population:  25,000 or more in 1890 and 1900; and 100,000 or more   since 1910.  In some census reports, tables showing the 50 largest  cities at selected preceding censuses have also been included.  For example, the 1910 census included these data from 1840 to   1900, and the 1990 census included such data for 1850, 1900, and  1980.  The present report represents the first time that the  populations of the largest urban places in the United States at  each census since 1790 have appeared in a single report.
The next three sections of the text -- Urban and Urban Place, City  Populations and Annexations, and Cities and Their Suburbs --  provide general background on definitions and comparability of  population totals for urban places.  These sections are followed  by Explanations of Detailed Tables,   Sources and Limitations of  the Data, Notes for Individual Places, References, and the 26  detailed tables.
Urban and Urban Place
This section provides an overview of the definitions of urban and  urban place in censuses of the United States, with a focus on  criteria and changes most pertinent to the lists of the largest  urban places presented in this report.  For more details, see  Truesdell, 1949 (in References) and census publications since  1950.
It was not until 1874, in the Statistical Atlas of the United  States (Walker, 1874) that a systematic attempt to define the  urban population of the United States since 1790 appeared in a   census publication. The urban definition adopted in that report  was the population in places (generally, cities and towns) of  8,000 or more population.  The urban threshold was dropped to  4,000 in the 1880 census and to 2,500 in the 1910 census.
The historical series developed by the Census Bureau during the  1930s on the populations of all urban places (2,500 or more  population) since 1790 used the 1930 definition of urban. This  work, which identified some corrections to urban places and their  populations at earlier censuses, underlies tables on the urban  population by size of place since 1790 that first appeared in 1940  census reports.  These tables have been updated in each subsequent  census.
In 1930 and again in 1940, the definition of urban included the  following three categories:  (1) cities and other incorporated  places of 2,500 or more population; (2) towns in Massachusetts,   New Hampshire, and Rhode Island in which 2,500 or more inhabitants  lived in a village or other thickly settled area and more than  one-half of the town's population lived in such areas; and (3)   townships and other political subdivisions, not incorporated in  whole or in part as municipalities, with a total population of  10,000 or more and an average density of 1,000 or more persons per  square mile.  The second category reflected the fact that in these  three states, towns with less than 10,000 population were not  typically incorporated in whole or in part as municipalities.  (In  the New England states, New York, and Wisconsin, the primary minor  civil divisions are termed towns, but correspond generally to  townships in many other states.)
In 1950, the urban definition was changed to include the following  three categories:  (1) incorporated cities, towns (except in the   New England states, New York, and Wisconsin, for the reason noted  above), boroughs, and villages with 2,500 or more inhabitants; (2)  unincorporated territory in the "urban fringe" of cities of 50,000  or more population; and (3) unincorporated places of 2,500 or more  inhabitants defined by the Census Bureau.  The changes from the  1940 definition were designed to improve the classification of  densely settled unincorporated territory and were made in  conjunction with the first delineation of urbanized areas.  Urbanized areas were defined generally as cities with 50,000 or  more inhabitants and their surrounding densely settled urban   fringe, whether or not incorporated.  (Urbanized areas differ in  concept from metropolitan areas, which were also first defined in  1950.  In general, metropolitan areas were defined as cities with   50,000 or more inhabitants, their counties, and surrounding  counties which had a high degree of social and economic  integration with the core.  Metropolitan areas thus included urban  population not contiguous to the core as well as rural population.)
Changes in the urban definition since 1950 have been relatively  minor.  Starting in 1960, the Census Bureau defined unincorporated  places not only outside urbanized areas, but also in   unincorporated territory in the urban fringe of urbanized  areas.
Starting in 1970, "extended cities" were identified in cases where  city boundaries included large areas that were  sparsely  populated.  In an extended city, a portion of the land area and  its population (if any) are defined as rural, even though within  official city boundaries.  Among the 100 largest cities and other  urban places, the number of extended cities was 12 in 1970, 13 in  1980, and 22 in 1990.  In this report, these cities are ranked by  their total populations, and their urban populations are given in  Notes for Individual Places.
Starting in 1980, the term "census designated place" (CDP)  replaced "unincorporated place" (U).  For simplicity and since the  concept has not changed, the current term, CDP, is used throughout  this report to designate unincorporated places.  The CDPs  appearing in this report are Arlington, VA; Honolulu, HI; and  Metairie, LA (see Notes for Individual Places).
City Populations and Annexations
The populations and rankings shown in this report are based on the  boundaries of cities (and other urban places) at the time of each  census (or at a cutoff date shortly before the census to   facilitate planning).  Historically, growth in city populations  has been due partly to annexations of surrounding territory that  have added immediately to total population and/or have facilitated  future population growth. For a variety of reasons, notably  differences in state laws and practices, the frequency and size of  annexations have differed greatly among cities.  For example,  Philadelphia and New York had large annexations in 1854 and 1898,  respectively, and no significant annexations since, while many  cities have had frequent annexations.
Some cities, especially in the South and West in recent decades,  have had large annexations well before urban-type settlement in  the annexed areas.  A few of these annexations are related to   consolidations of city and county governments.  The details of  these consolidations vary considerably; however, the five  consolidated cities included in this report include at least 90  percent and sometimes 100 percent of the populations of their  parent counties.  These consolidated cities are:  Jacksonville, FL  (1970-1990); Columbus, GA (1980-1990); Indianapolis, IN  (1970-1990); Lexington, KY (1980-1990); and Nashville, TN  (1970-1990).
One result of the differences in annexation practices is an  increasing range in density (average population per square mile)  among cities, including cities similar in population size.  The   wide range in land area and density is illustrated in Table A with  data for the 20 largest cities in the United States in 1990  (rounded data from Table 22).
9,900
11,900
Among the 20 largest cities in 1990, 5 had a density of 10,000 or  more, 5 had a density of 5,000 to 9,999, and 10 had a density  under 5,000.  Among the 20 largest cities in 1910 and in 1950, 13  had a density of 10,000 or more, 4 had a density of 5,000 to  9,999, and 3 had a density under 5,000 (Tables 14 and 18).
Cities and Their Suburbs
As noted in the previous section, the populations and rankings in  this report are based on the boundaries of the cities at the time  of each census.  Population ranks for large cities alone do not   necessarily reflect population ranks of these cities combined with  their suburbs.  However, data on metropolitan districts (defined  1910-1940) and urbanized areas (defined 1950-1990) suggest that   through 1950, there was a high correlation between population  ranks for large cities alone and for these cities combined with  their suburbs.
In 1950, the 20 largest cities were also the largest cities in the  20 largest urbanized areas.  In only one case did the ranks differ  by five or more.  (Baltimore ranked 6th in population among cities   and 12th in population among urbanized areas.)  By 1990, the  situation had changed dramatically, due partly to differences in  annexation practices described previously, as illustrated in Table  B.  Urbanized areas, which frequently have more than one city name  in their titles and/or extend into more than one state, are  identified in this table by the names of their single largest  cities.
In 1990, the 20 largest cities were the largest cities in only 13  of the 20 largest urbanized areas.  In the 27 cases where a city  and/or its urbanized area ranked in the 20 largest, there were 20   cases in which the ranks differed by 5 or more and 9 cases in  which the ranks differed by 20 or more.  (For example,  San  Antonio ranked 10th in population among cities and 31st in  population among urbanized areas whereas Atlanta ranked 36th in  population among cities and 12th in population among urbanized  areas.)
Explanations of Detailed Tables
This section provides brief explanations of the data in the  detailed tables.  These data are consistent with each census as  published and thus include some urban places that subsequently  were annexed by other urban places.  Information on these  annexations, changes in names (e.g., West Troy, NY to Watervliet,  NY) and state locations (e.g., Wheeling, VA to Wheeling, WV) of  urban places, extended cities, and various other items is presented in Notes for Individual Places.
Table 1.
Rank by Population of the 100 Largest Urban Places, Listed   Alphabetically by State:  1790-1990
This table lists alphabetically by state and ranks by population  all urban places which have ever been among the 100 largest urban  places at the time of  any census in the 1790-1990 period.  An   asterisk after a place name indicates that there is additional  information about the place in Notes for Individual Places.  Altogether, there are 257 different places listed.  Two places,  Alexandria (DC and VA) and Wheeling (VA and WV) are listed twice.  The number of places listed for each state is shown in the stub of  the table.  The states with the largest numbers of places listed  are Massachusetts (30), Pennsylvania (22), and New York (21).  There are six states which have never had an urban place among the  100 largest in the United States:  Vermont, North Dakota, South  Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
For those censuses in which a place was among the 100 largest  urban places, the rank is shown, with ties, which are rare,  designated by a "T" after the rank.  Six places, all in Atlantic   seaboard states, have been among the 100 largest urban places at  each census in the 1790-1990 period.  In 1790 rank order, they are  New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; Baltimore, MD;   Richmond, VA; and Norfolk, VA.
Tables 2-22.
Population of the 100 Largest Urban Places: (census   year)
These 21 tables list in rank order the largest urban places and  their populations at each census starting with 1790 (Table 2) and  ending with 1990 (Table 22).  As noted earlier, 1840 was the first   census year in which there were as many as 100 urban places.
Tables 2-22 indicate the legal designation of each urban place.  For incorporated places, these designations include city, town,  borough, village, township, and district.  Unincorporated places  are designated as CDPs (census designated places).  The legal  designation of district appears only for five places which were  annexed to Philadelphia city in 1854 when it annexed the balance  of Philadelphia County:  Kensington, Moyamensing, Northern  Liberties, Southwark, and Spring Garden.
Legal terms for different types of municipalities are governed by  state (not Federal) laws and frequently are not comparable among  states.  In some states, places with less than 1,000 population   can be incorporated as cities.  In those New England states where  portions of towns are not separately incorporated, towns typically  are not reincorporated as cities unless they have at least 10,000  population and frequently not until their populations are  substantially larger.
The tables include land area and population density as well as  total population starting in 1910, the first census year in which  data on land area are available on a systematic basis in Census   Bureau publications.  There are several reasons why the land area  of an urban place can change from one census to the next.  In  addition to annexations, there may be detachments of territory,  boundary adjustments, reclamation projects that create new land  area, changes in how swampy areas are classified, and changes in  measurement techniques.  As a result, small changes in land area  (in either absolute or proportionate terms) may have little  significance.
Table 23.
1990 Population and Maximum Decennial Census Population of   Urban Places Ever Among the 100 Largest Urban Places,   Listed Alphabetically by State:  1790-1990
This table lists alphabetically by state all urban places which  have ever been among the 100 largest urban places at any census in  the 1790-1990 period and shows their populations in 1990 and their  maximum decennial census populations.  Most urban places listed in  this table in the Northeast and Midwest peaked in population  before 1990, while a much larger proportion of urban places in the  South and West had their maximum census population to date in  1990.  In part, this difference reflects differences in annexation  practices discussed earlier.
Table 24.
Population at Selected Ranks from 1st to 100th of the   Largest Urban Places:  1790-1990
This table shows the population at selected ranks from 1st to  100th of the largest urban places from 1790 to 1990. The data in  the table thus indicate the change in population needed to  maintain a specific rank over time.  From 1790 to 1930, the  population at each selected rank increased in each decade. Since  1930, there have been some decreases.  In 1990, the population was  below the peak census population at several ranks shown in the  table:  1st through 5th, 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th.
Table 25.
Distribution of the 10, 25, 50, and 100 Largest Urban   Places, by Section and Subsection of the United States:   1790-1990
This table shows the distribution of the 10 largest, 25 largest,  50 largest, and 100 largest urban places for specified areas of  the United States at each census from 1790 to 1990.  These   specified areas differ somewhat from the four regions and nine  divisions currently used by the Census Bureau and include, to use  different terminology, three sections and four subsections.
The four regions -- Northeast, North Central (subsequently renamed  Midwest), South, and West -- were introduced in the 1940s and  replaced the three sections introduced in the 1910 census:  North,  South, and West.  (For the history of census regions and divisions  and their predecessor areas from 1790 to 1990, see Dahmann, 1992.)  For the presentation of historical data on the number of urban  places, the three sections are preferable because they permit  direct comparisons of North and South.  The North and South are  each divided in this table into two subsections which recognize  the westward expansion of settlement from the Atlantic seaboard  and facilitate comparisons of the eastern and central portions of  the United States.
The states in each section and subsection can be determined by  using the following diagram together with the listing of states in  Table 26.
Sections and subsections             Corresponding Census Bureau shown in Table 25 regions and divisions North section . . . . . . . . . . .  (no counterpart)         Northeast subsection. . . . . . .  Northeast region                                              New England division                                              Middle Atlantic division         North Central subsection. . . . .  Midwest region                                              East North Central division                                              West North Central division       South section . . . . . . . . . . .  South region                      Southeast subsection. . . . . . . .  South Atlantic division         South Central subsection. . . . . .  East South Central division                                              West South Central division       West section. . . . . . . . . . . .  West region                                              Mountain division                                              Pacific division
The data in Table 25 show that well over half of the largest urban   places were located in the North through the nineteenth century.  During the twentieth century, there has been a decline in the   number of the largest urban places located in the North and  increases in the numbers located in the South and West.  As a  result, the numbers of the largest urban places in the three  sections of the United States have converged.
Table 26.
Distribution of the 100 Largest Urban Places, by Region,   Division, and State:  1790-1990
The changing distribution of the 100 largest urban places in the  United States by section (North, South, and West) is mirrored in  trends for individual states.  From their peak numbers in the   nineteenth century, the numbers declined from 24 to 1 in  Massachusetts, from 14 to 4 in New York, and from 15 to 2 in  Pennsylvania, by 1990.  From 1900 to 1990, the number of the 100  largest urban places increased from zero to 5 in Florida, from 3  to 10 in Texas, and from 3 to 16 in California.
Sources and Limitations of the Data
In general, the population data in this report are those published  in the decennial censuses of population from 1790 to 1990.  As  described in the section on Urban and Urban Place, the compilation  in the 1930s of an historical series of population totals for all  urban places (places of 2,500 or more population) since 1790  identified some corrections to urban places and their populations  at earlier censuses.  That work included population estimates for  some incorporated places, which were not always reported  separately from their minor civil divisions in census reports from  1790 to 1860.  These estimates are identified in Notes for  Individual Places.
Reports from the 1960 census include historical tables showing the  total population of each incorporated place with 10,000 or more  population in 1960 from the earliest census through 1960.  These tables, which include corrections and estimates from the work  described above, represent the last time that so much historical  detail on populations of individual urban places was published in   decennial census reports.
Apart from the corrections made as part of the historical series  developed in the 1930s on the population of urban places,  corrections made after census counts were published are not  reflected in this report.  Corrections for the 1940-1990 period  generally are very small both numerically and proportionately for  places as large as the 100 largest urban places.
General information on the census of population, including area  classifications, definitions of topics, accuracy of the data, and  collection and processing procedures, is provided in decennial   census publications. In general, the United States census has been  taken on a de jure (usual place of residence) basis rather than on  a de facto (location at the time of the census) basis.  For  information on historical census geographic coverage and on  underenumeration in the South in the 1870 census, see Forstall,  1996.  For evaluations of census coverage since 1940, see Fay et  al., 1988, and Robinson et al., 1993.  For a general history of  the census of population, see Anderson, 1988.
For a bibliography of all United States census publications  through 1945, see Dubester, 1950.  This was reprinted in the Bureau of the Census Catalog of Publications:  1790-1972,  which included publications of the 1950, 1960, and 1970 censuses.  Publications of the 1980 and 1990 censuses are included in the  1984 issue of the Bureau of the Census Catalog and the 1994  issue of the Census Catalog and Guide, respectively.
Data in this report on land area for the 1910-1990 period were  published in Census Bureau publications in decennial census  reports and in the annual Financial Statistics of Cities prior to 1940 (see Dubester, 1950, citations 1656-1660).  For  information on the land area of selected cities prior to 1910, see  McKenzie, 1933.
Information on the legal designations of places (city, town, etc.)  were first published in the census on a systematic basis in 1880.  Other sources include Report on the Social Statistics of  Cities from the 1880 census (see Dubester, 1950, citations  140-142), Financial Statistics of Cities (noted above), and  general reference works, including encyclopedias and gazetteers.  In some cases, city libraries were contacted to obtain the  information.  The various sources do not always agree about legal  designations for places and when changes occurred.
NOTES FOR INDIVIDUAL PLACES
Alabama
   Birmingham.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.   1990 urban figures are 264,551; 105.4; and 2,510 (see Table   22).
   Montgomery.  Classified as partly rural in 1980.  1980 figures are 176,387; 99.3; and 1,776 (see Table 21).
Alaska
   Anchorage.  Classified as partly rural,  1980-1990.  1980 urban figures are 170,247; 139.4; and 1,221 (see  Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 221,883; 161.3 and 1,376 (see  Table 22).
Arizona
   Phoenix.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990 urban figures are 980,995; 283.1; and 3,465 (see Table  22).
  Tucson.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990  urban figures are 405,291; 123.0; and 3,295 (see Table 22).
California
   Bakersfield.  Classified as partly rural in  1990.  1990 urban figures are 174,101; 62.0; and 2,808 (see Table  22).
   Fremont.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990 urban figures are 173,284; 45.9; and 3,775 (see Table  22).
   San Diego.  Classified as partly rural  1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are 693,931; 212.8; and 3,261 (see  Table 20).  1980 urban figures are 847,494; 267.6; and 3,167 (see  Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 1,109,962; 282.2; and 3,933  (see Table 22).
   San Francisco.  1850 census returns were  destroyed by fire.  Population according to the 1852 state census  was 34,776.
   San Jose.  Classified as partly rural in 1970.  1970 urban figures are 443,950; 116.3; and 3,817 (see Table 20).
Colorado
   Aurora.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990 urban figures are 221,654; 49.4; and 4,487 (see Table  22).
   Colorado Springs.  Classified as partly rural in  1990.  1990 urban figures are 280,995; 127.9; and 2,197 (see Table  22).
   Denver.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990 urban figures are 467,572; 111.0; and 4,212 (see Table 22).
Connecticut
   Bridgeport.  1860 population is estimated.
   Hartford.  1790 and 1800 populations are  estimated.
   Middletown.  1830 population is estimated.
   New Haven.  1790 population is estimated.
District of Columbia
   Alexandria.  Included in territory ceded by  Virginia in 1791 to form part of the District of Columbia and  retroceded to Virginia in 1846.
   Georgetown.  See following note for Washington,  DC.
   Washington.  Treated in the historical urban  place series as coextensive with the District of Columbia starting  in 1890, although legislation was enacted in 1871 abolishing the  municipal governments of Washington and Georgetown, and full  consolidation did not occur until 1895.  For data on the  population of the District of Columbia divided into Washington,  Georgetown, and the remainder, see Forstall, 1996.
Florida
   Jacksonville.  Consolidated city, 1970-1990.  Classified as partly rural, 1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are  518,131; 344.3; and 1,505 (see Table 20).  1980 urban figures are  531,402; 394.6; and 1,347 (see Table 21).  1990 urban figures are  627,128; 445.9; and 1,406 (see Table 22).
Georgia
   Augusta.  1850 population is estimated.
   Columbus.  Consolidated city, 1980-1990.  Classified as partly rural, 1980-1990.  1980 urban figures are  166,831; 87.6; and 1,904 (see Table 21).  1990 urban figures are  173,196; 95.7; and 1,810 (see Table 22).
Hawaii
   Honolulu.  Excluded prior to 1960 because census  data for Alaska and Hawaii, prior to their statehood in 1959, were   shown separately from census data for the United States.  The  population of Honolulu for those years in which it would have been  among the 100 largest urban places is shown in a footnote in  Tables 13 and 15-18 (for 1900 and 1920-1950).  Although not  legally a city, the urban place of Honolulu was usually referred  to as a city in censuses through 1970.  It is referred to here as  a CDP for all years.  See discussion of Census Designated Place in  text.  Legally, the city of Honolulu, which is not recognized for  census purposes, is coextensive with the Honolulu County.
Indiana
   Indianapolis.  Consolidated city, 1970-1990.  Classified as partly rural in 1970.  1970 urban figures are  743,155; 351.7; and 2,113 (see Table 20).
Kentucky
   Lexington.  1850 population is estimated.  Consolidated city, 1980-1990.  Classified as partly rural,  1980-1990.  1980 urban figures are 194,093; 76.5; and 2,537 (see  Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 218,925; 95.2; and 2,300.
Louisiana
   Lafayette (old).  Annexed by New Orleans in  1852.  The present-day city of Lafayette, LA is in Lafayette  Parish.
   Metairie.  Metairie CDP is in Jefferson Parish.  See discussion of Census Designated Place in text.
   New Orleans.  Annexed Lafayette (old) in 1852.  Classified as partly rural, 1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are  591,502; 86.4; and 6,846 (see Table 20).  1980 urban figures are  557,028; 88.8; and 6,273 (see Table 21).  1990 urban figures are  496,691; 87.4; and 5,683 (see Table 22).
Massachusetts
   Boston.  Annexed Roxbury in 1867, Dorchester in  1869, and Charlestown in 1874.
   Charlestown.  Annexed by Boston in 1874.
   Dorchester.  Annexed by Boston in 1869.
   Nantucket.  Name changed from Sherburne in  1795.
   Roxbury.  Annexed by Boston in 1867.
Missouri
   Kansas City.  Classified as partly rural,  1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are 501,859; 238.9; and 2,101 (see  Table 20).  1980 urban figures are 446,124; 220.9; and 2,020 (see  Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 433,728; 229.4; and 1,891 (see  Table 22).
Nevada
   Las Vegas.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990 urban figures are 258,054; 62.0; and 4,162 (see Table 22).
New York
   Brooklyn.  1820 and 1830 populations for  Brooklyn village not shown separately from Brooklyn town in census  reports.  Annexed Williamsburgh in 1855.  Annexed by New York in  1898.  For population of Brooklyn borough in New York city,  1900-1990, see note for New York, NY.
   Buffalo.  1830 population for Buffalo village  not shown separately from Buffalo town in census reports.
   Lockport.  1860 population is estimated.
   Newburgh.  1860 population is estimated.
   New York.  Annexed Brooklyn in 1898.  Because it  is of interest to provide population counts for the five boroughs  of New York city, information is provided also on their formation.  In 1874 and 1895, New York city (coextensive with New York County  from colonial times to 1874) annexed parts of Westchester county.  In 1898, "Greater New York" was formed consisting of five  boroughs: Manhattan borough (New York County excluding area  annexed in 1874 and 1895); Bronx borough (area annexed by New York  County in 1874 and 1895); Brooklyn borough (Kings County,  including Brooklyn city); Queens borough (Queens County excluding  portion taken to form Nassau County); and Richmond borough  (Richmond County).  Bronx County, coextensive with Bronx borough,  was formed in 1912, making New York County coextensive with  Manhattan borough.  Richmond borough was renamed Staten Island  borough in 1975.
Year
   Poughkeepsie.  1850 population is estimated.
   Rochester.  1830 population for Rochester  village not shown separately from Rochester town in census  reports.
   Utica.  1820 and 1830 populations for Utica  village not shown separately from Utica town in census  reports.
   West Troy.  1850 population for West Troy  village not shown separately from population of West Troy town in  census reports.  West Troy village incorporated as Watervliet city  in 1896.
   Williamsburgh.  1850 population of Williamsburgh  village not shown separately from population of Williamsburgh town  in census reports.  Annexed by Brooklyn in 1855.
Ohio
   Steubenville.  1840 population is estimated.
Oklahoma
   Oklahoma City.  Classified as partly rural,  1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are 356,661; 215.1; and 1,658 (see  Table 20).  1980 urban figures are 388,599; 242.6; and 1,602 (see  Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 438,922; 381.7; and 1,150 (see  Table 22).
   Tulsa.  Classified as partly rural in 1970.  1970 urban figures are 330,409; 139.5; and 2,369 (see Table 20).
Pennsylvania
   Allegheny.  Annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907.
   Kensington.  Annexed by Philadelphia in  1854.
   Moyamensing.  Annexed by Philadelphia in  1854.
   Northern Liberties. Annexed by Philadelphia in  1854.
   Philadelphia,  Annexed Kensington, Moyamensing,  Northern Liberties, Southwark, and Spring Garden in 1854 when  Philadelphia city was made coextensive with Philadelphia  County.
   Pittsburgh.  Annexed Allegheny in 1907.
   Southwork.  Annexed by Philadelphia in 1854.
   Spring Garden.  Annexed by Philadelphia in 1854.
Rhode Island
   North Providence.  Parts annexed to Providence  city and Pawtucket town in 1874.  1880 population of North  Providence town:  1,467.
   Providence.  Annexed part of North Providence  town in 1874.
Tennessee
   Memphis.  Classified as partly rural, 1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are 623,497; 177.5; and 3,513 (see Table 20).  1980 urban figures are 646,305; 213.7; and 3,024 (see Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 610,337; 217.6; and 2,805 (see Table  22).
   Nashville.  Consolidated city, 1970-1990.  Classified as partly rural, 1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are  436,170; 334.3; and 1,305 (see Table 20).  1980 urban figures are  446,027; 332.1; and 1,343 (see Table 21).  1990 urban figures are  483,427; 376.4; and 1,284 (see Table 20).
Texas
   El Paso.  Classified as partly rural, 1980-1990.  1980 urban figures are 424,981; 143.8; and 2,955 (see Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 515,187; 162.7; and 3,166 (see Table  22).
   Fort Worth.  Classified as partly rural in 1990.  1990 urban figures are 447,212; 243.3; and 1,838 (see Table  22).
   Houston.  Classified as partly rural in 1970.  1970 urban figures are 1,231,394; 397.0; and 3,102 (see Table 22).
Virginia
   Alexandria.  Included in territory ceded by  Virginia in 1791 to form part of the District of Columbia and  retroceded to Virginia in 1846.
   Arlington.  Arlington CDP is coextensive with  Arlington County. See discussion of Census Designated Place in  text.
   Virginia Beach.  Classified as partly rural,  1970-1990.  1970 urban figures are 166,729; 105.6; and 1,579 (see  Table 20).  1980 urban figures are 257,269; 145.9; and 1,763 (see  Table 21).  1990 urban figures are 389,536; 159.1; and 2,448 (see  Table 22).
   Wheeling.  In territory that was formerly part  of Virginia and that was taken to form West Virginia in 1863.
West Virginia
   Wheeling.  In territory that was formerly part  of Virginia and that was taken to form West Virginia in 1863.
REFERENCES
Anderson, Margo J.  1988.  The American Census:  a Social History.  New Haven, CT:  Yale University Press.
Dahmann, Donald C.  1992.  "Accounting for the Geography of  Population:  200 Years of Census Bureau Practice with Macro-Scale  Sub-National Regions."  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of  the Association of American Geographers, San Diego, CA, 18-22  April 1992.
Dubester, Henry J.  1950.  Catalog of United States Census  Publications:  1790-1945.  Washington, DC:  U.S. Government  Printing Office.  (Reprinted in U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1974.)
Fay, Robert E. et al.  1988.  "The Coverage of Population in the  1980 Census."  Bureau of the Census, Evaluation and Research  Reports, PHC80-E4.  Washington, DC:  U.S. Government Printing   Office.
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Robinson, J. Gregory et al.  1993.  "Estimation of Population  Coverage in the 1990 United States Census Based on Demographic  Analysis," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol.  88, No. 423 (September 1993), pp. 1061-1079.
Truesdell, Leon E.  1949.  "The Development of the Urban-Rural  Classification in the United States:  1874 to 1949."  Bureau of  the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-23, No. 1.    Washington, DC:  U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Bureau of the Census.  1974.  Catalog of Publications:  1790-1972.  Washington, D.C.:  U.S. Government Printing Office.
-----.  1984.  Bureau of the Census Catalog:  1984. Washington,  DC:  U.S. Government Printing Office.
-----.  1994.  Census Catalog and Guide:  1994.  Washington, DC:  U.S. Government Printing Office.
Walker, Francis A., compiler.  1874.  Statistical Atlas of the  United States.  New York, NY:  Julius Bien.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Author:  Campbell Gibson