CITY’S POPULATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 119, 21 April 1936, Page 6

CITY’S POPULATION

SIXTH IN DOMINION. PALMERSTON NORTH’S GROWTH. t LATEST CENSUS RETURNS. Sixth city in New Zealand, Palmerston North now has a population of 22,191, according to the latest census retuxns issued by the Government Statistician, the population having increased by 4,048, or 22.3 per cent., during the ten years which have elapsed since the 1926 census was taken. Outside of the four main centres, Palmerston North appears to have made the greatest strides forward in population, other, large centres remaining relatively static in this respect or. as is the case recorded at Wanganui, showing an actual decline. This centre now has a population approaching double that of twenty years ago, and has shown excellent growth due to its geographical situation, key position in transport services, and efficient and progressive business enterprise. Since it attained city status, Palmerston North has continued to develop on even more expansive lines than formerly, while an important feature is that its population is comparatively centralised, not including, as in the case of major boroughs, suburban districts. The population at 'this centre has shown a steady-, but rapid increase entirely consonant with its growing business activities and industrial importance. Census figures recorded at ten-yearly intervals for the past thirty years are as follow: 1906 10,239 1916 .: . 12,829 1926 18,143 • - 1936 ;• 22.191 ‘ WOMEN IN MAJORITY. One feature of the census returns for Palmerston North is the revelation that women are in the majority. The female division of the population totals 11,672, and the male division 10,451, the latter being outnumbered • v 1221. There arc 68 Maoris resident in the city. There are 5434 houses in Palmerston North, besides 19 in the course of erection, according to the census. Inhabited houses number 5313. Tenants were temporarily absent in 79 teases when the census was taken, so that actually- only 42. houses were empty. Some of these were hardly tenantable, so that the city’s housing accommodation was fully occupied.-