Urbanization in the United States

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Seattle, Washington in 2006.
Dallas, Texas in 1942.
Little Italy in Manhattan, New York City around 1900.
Washington, D.C. in 1833.

The urbanization of the United States has progressed throughout its entire history. Over the last two centuries, the United States of America has been transformed from a predominantly rural, agricultural nation into an urbanized, industrial one.[1] This was largely due to the Industrial Revolution in the United States (and parts of Western Europe) in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and the rapid industrialization which the United States experienced as a result. In 1790, only about one out of every twenty Americans (on average) lived in urban areas (cities), but this ratio had dramatically changed to one out of four by 1870, one out of two by 1920, two out of three in the 1960s, and four out of five in the 2000s.[1]

Urbanization

The urbanization of the United States occurred over a period of many years, with the nation only attaining urban-majority status between 1910 and 1920.[1] Currently, over four-fifths of the U.S. population resides in urban areas, a percentage which is still increasing today.[1] The United States Census Bureau changed its classification and definition of urban areas in 1950 and again in 1990, and caution is thus advised when comparing urban data from different time periods.[1][2]

Urbanization was fastest in the Northeastern United States, which acquired an urban majority by 1880.[1] Some Northeastern U.S. states had already acquired an urban majority before then, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island (majority-urban by 1850),[3][4] and New York (majority-urban since about 1870). The Midwestern and Western United States became urban majority in the 1910s, while the Southern United States only became urban-majority after World War II, in the 1950s.[1]

The Western U.S. is the most urbanized part of the country today, followed closely by the Northeastern United States. The Southern U.S. experienced rapid industrialization after World War II, and is now over three-quarters urban, having almost the same urban percentage in 2010 as the Midwestern United States.[1] Just four U.S. states (out of fifty) have a rural majority today, and even some of these states (such as Mississippi) are continuing to urbanize. Some U.S. states currently have an urban percentage around or above 90%, an urbanization rate almost unheard of a century ago.

The state of Maine (and Vermont, to a lesser degree) has bucked the trend towards greater urbanization which is exhibited throughout the rest of the United States. Maine's highest urban percentage ever was less than 52% (in 1950), and today less than 39% of the state's population resides in urban areas. Maine is currently the least urban U.S. state; its urban percentage (39%) is less than half of the United States average (81%).[1] Maine was less urban than the United States average in every U.S. census since the first one in 1790.[1]

Historical Statistics

The data in this table/section is all from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Urban Population as a Percentage of the Total Population by U.S. Region and State (1790-2010)
State/Territory 2010 2000 1990 1980 1970 1960 1950 1940 1930 1920 1910 1900 1890 1880 1870 1860 1850 1840 1830 1820 1810 1800 1790
United States United States[1] 80.7% 79.0% 78.0% 73.7% 73.6% 69.9% 64.0% 56.5% 56.1% 51.2% 45.6% 39.6% 35.1% 28.2% 25.7% 19.8% 15.4% 10.8% 8.8% 7.2% 7.3% 6.1% 5.1%
Northeast[1] 85.0% 84.4% 84.0% 79.2% 80.5% 80.2% 79.5% 76.6% 77.6% 75.5% 71.8% 66.1% 59.0% 50.8% 44.3% 35.7% 26.9% 18.5% 14.2% 11.0% 10.9% 9.3% 8.1%
Midwest[1] 75.9% 74.7% 73.9% 70.5% 71.6% 68.7% 64.1% 58.4% 57.9% 52.3% 45.1% 38.6% 33.1% 24.2% 20.8% 13.9% 9.2% 3.9% 2.6% 1.1% 0.9% 0.0%
South[1] 75.8% 72.8% 71.5% 66.9% 64.8% 58.5% 48.6% 36.7% 34.1% 28.1% 25.5% 18.3% 16.3% 12.2% 12.2% 9.6% 8.3% 6.7% 5.3% 4.6% 4.1% 3.0% 2.1%
West[1] 89.8% 88.6% 87.6% 83.9% 83.0% 77.7% 69.5% 58.5% 58.4% 51.8% 47.9% 39.9% 37.0% 30.2% 25.8% 16.0% 6.4%
Alabama Alabama[5] 59.0% 55.4% 56.8% 60.0% 58.6% 54.8% 43.8% 30.2% 28.1% 21.7% 17.3% 11.9% 10.1% 5.4% 6.3% 5.1% 4.6% 2.1% 1.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Alaska Alaska[6] 66.0% 65.6% 61.0% 64.3% 56.9% 37.9% 26.6% 24.0% 13.2% 5.6% 9.5% 24.5% 0.0% 0.0%
Arizona Arizona[7] 89.8% 88.2% 86.5% 83.8% 79.6% 74.5% 55.5% 34.8% 34.4% 36.1% 31.0% 15.9% 9.4% 17.3% 33.4% 0.0%
Arkansas Arkansas[8] 56.2% 52.5% 52.0% 51.6% 50.0% 42.8% 33.0% 22.2% 20.6% 16.6% 12.9% 8.5% 6.5% 4.6% 2.6% 0.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
California California[9] 95.2% 94.4% 93.7% 91.3% 90.9% 86.4% 80.7% 71.0% 73.3% 67.9% 61.8% 52.3% 48.6% 42.9% 37.2% 20.7% 7.4%
Colorado Colorado[10] 86.2% 84.5% 83.8% 80.6% 78.5% 73.7% 62.7% 52.6% 50.2% 48.2% 50.3% 48.3% 45.0% 31.4% 11.9% 13.9%
Connecticut Connecticut[11] 88.0% 87.7% 87.0% 78.8% 78.4% 78.3% 77.6% 67.8% 70.4% 67.8% 65.6% 59.9% 50.9% 41.9% 33.0% 26.5% 16.0% 12.6% 9.4% 7.6% 6.1% 5.1% 3.0%
Delaware Delaware[12] 83.3% 80.1% 79.2% 70.6% 72.2% 65.6% 62.6% 52.3% 51.7% 54.2% 48.0% 46.4% 42.2% 33.4% 24.7% 18.9% 15.3% 10.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.3%
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.[13] 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 90.0% 91.6% 93.0% 93.6% 90.9% 90.1% 88.3% 85.0% 76.2%
Florida Florida[14] 91.2% 89.3% 88.0% 84.3% 81.7% 73.9% 65.5% 55.1% 51.7% 36.5% 29.1% 20.3% 19.8% 10.0% 8.1% 4.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia[15] 75.1% 71.6% 68.8% 62.4% 60.3% 55.3% 45.3% 34.4% 30.8% 25.1% 20.6% 15.6% 14.0% 9.4% 8.4% 7.1% 4.3% 3.6% 2.7% 2.2% 2.1% 3.2% 0.0%
Hawaii Hawaii[16] 91.9% 91.5% 90.5% 86.5% 83.1% 76.5% 69.0% 62.5% 53.7% 36.1% 30.7% 25.5%
Idaho Idaho[17] 70.6% 66.4% 62.2% 54.0% 54.1% 47.5% 42.9% 33.7% 29.1% 27.6% 21.5% 6.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Illinois Illinois[18] 88.5% 87.8% 86.4% 83.3% 83.2% 80.7% 77.6% 73.6% 73.9% 67.9% 61.7% 54.3% 44.9% 30.6% 23.5% 14.3% 7.6% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Indiana Indiana[19] 72.4% 70.8% 69.1% 64.2% 64.9% 62.4% 59.9% 55.1% 55.5% 50.6% 42.4% 34.3% 26.9% 19.5% 14.7% 8.6% 4.5% 1.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Iowa Iowa[20] 64.0% 61.1% 59.4% 58.6% 57.2% 53.0% 47.7% 42.7% 39.6% 36.4% 30.6% 25.6% 21.2% 15.2% 13.1% 8.9% 5.1% 0.0%
Kansas Kansas[21] 74.2% 71.4% 69.5% 66.7% 66.1% 61.0% 52.1% 41.9% 38.8% 34.8% 29.1% 22.4% 18.9% 10.5% 14.2% 9.4%
Kentucky Kentucky[22] 58.4% 55.8% 55.8% 50.9% 52.3% 44.5% 36.8% 29.8% 30.6% 26.2% 24.3% 21.8% 19.2% 15.2% 14.8% 10.4% 7.5% 4.0% 2.4% 1.6% 1.1% 0.0% 0.0%
Louisiana Louisiana[23] 73.2% 72.6% 72.9% 68.6% 66.5% 63.3% 54.8% 41.5% 39.7% 34.9% 30.0% 26.5% 25.4% 25.5% 27.9% 26.1% 26.0% 29.9% 21.4% 17.7% 22.5%
Maine Maine[24] 38.7% 40.2% 42.6% 47.5% 50.8% 51.3% 51.7% 40.5% 40.3% 39.0% 35.3% 33.5% 28.1% 22.6% 21.0% 16.6% 13.5% 7.8% 3.2% 2.9% 3.1% 2.4% 0.0%
Maryland Maryland[25] 87.2% 86.1% 85.0% 80.3% 76.6% 72.7% 69.0% 59.3% 59.8% 60.0% 50.8% 49.8% 47.6% 40.2% 37.8% 34.0% 32.3% 24.2% 20.4% 16.3% 12.2% 7.8% 4.2%
Massachusetts Massachusetts[3] 92.0% 91.4% 90.5% 83.8% 84.6% 83.6% 84.4% 89.4% 90.2% 90.0% 89.0% 86.0% 82.0% 74.7% 66.7% 59.6% 50.7%[3] 37.9% 31.1% 22.8% 21.3% 15.4% 13.5%
Michigan Michigan[26] 74.6% 74.7% 75.2% 70.7% 74.0% 73.4% 70.7% 65.7% 68.2% 61.1% 47.2% 39.3% 34.9% 24.8% 20.1% 13.3% 7.3% 4.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Minnesota Minnesota[27] 73.3% 70.9% 69.0% 66.9% 66.5% 62.2% 54.5% 49.8% 49.0% 44.1% 41.0% 34.1% 33.8% 19.1% 16.1% 9.4% 0.0%
Mississippi Mississippi[28] 49.3% 48.8% 49.0% 47.3% 44.5% 37.7% 27.9% 19.8% 16.9% 13.4% 11.5% 7.7% 5.4% 3.1% 4.0% 2.6% 1.8% 1.0% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Missouri Missouri[29] 70.4% 69.4% 69.6% 68.1% 70.1% 66.6% 61.5% 51.8% 51.2% 46.6% 42.3% 36.3% 32.0% 25.2% 25.0% 17.2% 11.8% 4.3% 3.5% 0.0% 0.0%
Montana Montana[30] 55.9% 54.1% 56.4% 52.9% 53.4% 50.2% 43.7% 37.8% 33.7% 31.3% 35.5% 34.7% 27.1% 17.8% 15.1%
Nebraska Nebraska[31] 73.1% 69.8% 67.2% 62.9% 61.5% 54.3% 46.9% 39.1% 35.3% 31.3% 26.1% 23.7% 27.4% 13.6% 18.0% 0.0%
Nevada Nevada[32] 94.2% 91.5% 87.4% 85.3% 80.9% 70.4% 57.2% 39.3% 37.8% 19.7% 16.3% 17.0% 33.8% 31.1% 16.4% 0.0%
New Hampshire New Hampshire[33] 60.3% 59.3% 57.2% 52.2% 56.4% 58.3% 57.5% 57.6% 58.7% 56.5% 51.8% 46.7% 39.3% 30.0% 26.2% 22.1% 17.1% 10.0% 5.0% 3.0% 3.2% 2.9% 3.3%
New Jersey New Jersey[34] 94.7% 94.4% 93.5% 89.0% 88.9% 88.6% 86.6% 81.6% 82.6% 79.9% 76.4% 70.6% 62.6% 54.4% 43.7% 32.7% 17.6% 10.6% 5.7% 2.7% 2.4% 0.0% 0.0%
New Mexico New Mexico[35] 77.4% 75.0% 75.0% 72.1% 69.8% 65.9% 50.2% 33.2% 25.2% 18.0% 14.2% 14.0% 6.2% 5.5% 5.2% 5.3% 7.4%
New York New York[36] 87.9% 87.5% 87.4% 84.6% 85.7% 85.4% 85.5% 82.8% 83.6% 82.7% 78.9% 72.9% 65.1% 56.4% 50.0% 39.3% 29.2% 19.4% 14.9% 11.7% 12.7% 12.7% 11.5%
North Carolina North Carolina[37] 66.1% 60.2% 57.8% 48.0% 45.5% 39.5% 33.7% 27.3% 25.5% 19.2% 14.4% 9.9% 7.2% 3.9% 3.4% 2.5% 2.4% 1.8% 1.4% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
North Dakota North Dakota[38] 59.9% 55.9% 53.4% 48.8% 44.3% 35.2% 26.6% 20.6% 16.6% 13.6% 11.0% 7.3% 5.6% 7.3% 0.0%
Ohio Ohio[39] 77.9% 77.4% 77.5% 73.3% 75.3% 73.4% 70.2% 66.8% 67.8% 63.8% 55.9% 48.1% 41.1% 32.2% 25.6% 17.1% 12.2% 5.5% 3.9% 1.7% 1.1% 0.0%
Oklahoma Oklahoma[40] 66.2% 65.3% 65.2% 67.3% 68.0% 62.9% 51.0% 37.6% 34.3% 26.5% 19.2% 7.4% 3.7%
Oregon Oregon[41] 81.0% 78.7% 74.9% 67.9% 67.1% 62.2% 53.9% 48.8% 51.3% 49.8% 45.6% 32.2% 27.9% 14.8% 9.1% 5.5% 0.0%
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania[42] 78.7% 77.1% 76.8% 69.3% 71.5% 71.6% 70.5% 66.5% 67.8% 65.1% 60.4% 54.7% 48.6% 41.6% 37.3% 30.8% 23.6% 17.9% 15.3% 13.0% 12.8% 11.3% 10.2%
Rhode Island Rhode Island[4] 90.7% 90.9% 89.9% 87.0% 87.1% 86.4% 84.3% 91.6% 92.4% 91.9% 91.0% 88.3% 85.3% 82.0% 74.6% 63.3% 55.6%[4] 43.8% 31.2% 23.0% 23.4% 20.8% 19.0%
South Carolina South Carolina[43] 66.3% 60.5% 61.5% 54.1% 48.3% 41.2% 36.7% 24.5% 21.3% 17.5% 14.8% 12.8% 10.1% 7.5% 8.6% 6.9% 7.3% 5.7% 5.8% 4.9% 6.0% 5.4% 6.6%
South Dakota South Dakota[44] 56.7% 51.9% 50.3% 46.4% 44.6% 39.3% 33.2% 24.6% 18.9% 16.0% 13.1% 10.2% 8.2% 7.3% 0.0%
Tennessee Tennessee[45] 66.4% 63.6% 62.7% 60.4% 59.1% 52.3% 44.1% 35.2% 34.3% 26.1% 20.2% 16.2% 13.5% 7.5% 7.5% 4.2% 2.2% 0.8% 0.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Texas Texas[46] 84.7% 82.5% 81.2% 79.6% 79.7% 75.0% 62.7% 45.4% 41.0% 32.4% 24.1% 17.1% 15.6% 9.2% 6.7% 4.4% 3.6%
Utah Utah[47] 90.6% 88.2% 86.8% 84.4% 80.4% 74.9% 65.3% 55.5% 52.4% 48.0% 46.3% 38.1% 35.7% 23.4% 18.5% 20.5% 0.0%
Vermont Vermont[48] 38.9% 38.2% 40.2% 33.8% 32.2% 38.5% 36.4% 34.3% 33.0% 31.2% 27.8% 22.1% 15.2% 10.0% 6.9% 2.0% 1.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Virginia Virginia[49] 75.5% 73.0% 71.5% 66.0% 63.2% 55.6% 47.0% 35.3% 32.4% 29.2% 23.1% 18.3% 17.1% 12.5% 11.9% 9.5% 8.0% 6.9% 4.8% 3.8% 3.6% 2.6% 1.8%
Washington (state) Washington[50] 84.0% 82.0% 79.9% 73.5% 73.4% 68.1% 63.2% 53.1% 56.6% 54.8% 53.0% 40.8% 35.6% 9.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
West Virginia West Virginia[51] 48.7% 46.1% 46.9% 36.2% 39.1% 38.2% 34.6% 28.1% 28.4% 25.2% 18.7% 13.1% 10.7% 8.7% 8.1% 5.3% 3.8% 3.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Wisconsin Wisconsin[52] 70.2% 68.3% 67.3% 64.2% 65.9% 63.8% 57.9% 53.5% 52.9% 47.3% 43.0% 38.2% 33.2% 24.1% 19.6% 14.4% 9.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Wyoming Wyoming[53] 64.8% 65.1% 67.1% 62.7% 60.5% 56.8% 49.8% 37.3% 31.1% 29.4% 29.6% 28.8% 34.3% 29.6% 0.0%
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico[54] 93.8% 94.4% 92.9% 66.8% 58.1% 44.2% 40.5% 30.3% 27.7% 21.8% 20.1% 14.6%[a]

a^ This data is from 1899 instead of from 1900.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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