Indian Territory, Idaho, and Montana came next
in rapidity of growth. Kansas, with 2.9 per cent. increase, and
Nebraska, with only 0.7 per cent., showed the slowest progress, the
figures resulting in considerable part from padded returns in 1890.
Vermont, Delaware, and Maine crawled on at a snail's pace. In numerical
advance New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois led. Texas marched close to
them, overhauling Massachusetts. In percentage of increase the southern,
central, and western divisions were in the van.

Almost a third of our people were now urban, ten times the proportion of
1790. The rate of urban increase (36.8 per cent.) was, however, smaller
than during any preceding decade, except 1810-1820, and was notably less
than the 61.4 per cent. urban increase from 1880 to 1890. Numerically
also city growth was less than at the preceding census.

There were 545 places of 8,000 or more inhabitants, with an average
population of 45,857. Of the larger cities fully half adjoined the
Atlantic. Greater New York, a monster composite of nearly three and a
half millions, ranked first among American cities, and second only to
London among those of the world. Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis,
Boston, and Baltimore followed in the same order as a decade before. The
enterprising lake rivals, Cleveland and Buffalo, had raced past San
Francisco and Cincinnati. Pittsburgh, instead of New Orleans, now came
next after the ten just named.

There were, as in 1890, three cities of more than a million inhabitants
each. There were six of more than 500,000, as against four in 1890. Of
cities having between 400,000 and 500,000 people none appeared in 1900;
three in 1890. Five cities now had over 300,000 and less than 400,000, a
class not represented at all in 1890. Thirty-eight cities used in
numbering their people six figures or more each, a privilege enjoyed in
1890 by only twenty-eight. The cities of the Pacific coast showed
noteworthy increase.

Ohio, Indiana, Delaware, Kansas, and Nebraska and all the North Atlantic
States except Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, lost in rural
population. Rhode Island, with 407 inhabitants to the square mile, was
the most densely peopled State. Massachusetts came next. Idaho, Montana,
New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, and Nevada could not show two souls to the
square mile. Alaska, doubled in population, had one in about ten square
miles. No western State had ten to the mile.

The Twelfth Census