42 
FIFTEENTH REPORT. 
eluded in this list, as the true rural districts lost considerably in popula- 
tion. Including Allegan county just one-half of the eighty-two counties 
in the state have decreased in rural population, this decrease dating in 
the case of the southern four tiers of counties usually as far back as 1880. 
Should the urban population include all people living in towns of over 
-500, as the census often does, this loss is still more evident, and would 
include Alger, Allegan, Charlevoix, Houghton, Isabella, and Presque 
Isle counties in addition, or all but thirty-seven counties in the state. 
Ottawa and Wayne counties only would show a gain. It will be noted 
that many of these counties show a considerable increase in total popu- 
lation. and the urban must be subtracted before it becomes evident 
that the rural districts have lost. 
The cause of this loss in population of the rural districts, besides the 
younger generation leaving for the cities, seems to be due to a decrease 
in the average size and number of farmer families. Tn several counties, 
the number of acres per farm is increasing, while the number of farm- 
ers is decreasing. Since the rural population of Michigan increased 
only 2 1 /o < fo in the last ten years, while the urban increase was vastly 
greater, I think it highly probable that by 1920 Michigan’s rural popu- 
lation will show a decrease as Ohio and Indiana already have done. 
The northern peninsula and the Northeastern part of the southern, and 
immediately around Detroit and Grand Rapids will probably show an 
increase; the rest, with some possible exceptions on the lake shore, will 
probably lose. The largest cities will grow still larger, but several of 
the smaller ones will undoubtedly lose in population. 
I find then that the distribution of Michigan’s population has been 
determined by routes to market, climate, topography, and relationship to 
other neighboring provinces. Cities have been built and their location 
determined by the presence of natural resources, as Marquette and Sag- 
inaw; aided by water power, as at Grand Rapids. Others like Escanaba 
and the “Soo” are places of transfer of goods from rail to water routes. 
The size of Detroit is due to its location on great trade routes, es- 
pecially by water, while Jackson and the other inland cities depend 
entirely on railroads for their location as manufacturing centers. 
While the cities have increased greatly in population, many of the 
rural districts have decreased. The decrease has progressed from the 
oldest settled regions to the newer, and it appears probable for some 
years at least that this readjustment of population will continue. 
Ann Arbor, Mich. 
