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7
Vital Statistics—Population and Acreage.
In the case of a. rapidly-growing district it is no easy
matter to arrive at an accurate estimate of population in the
years remote from a census. The population of Finchley at
the census of 1891 was 16,647, and at the census of 1901,
22,126. Had the same rate of increase persisted to the middle of
last year, the population would then have amounted to 24,970.
But the rate of increase has undoubtedly been far more rapid
of late than during the first eight years that elapsed between
the last two census enumerations, and I believe, under the
circumstances, an estimate based on the number of houses in
occupation at the middle of 1905 gives a nearer approximation
to the true figure.
In calculating the population by this latter method, I
have allowed the same average number of persons to each occupied
house as that found at the time of the last census. It is
usual to allow in addition one person for each unoccupied
house, so as to account for caretakers and their families, but
owing to the very considerable number of small flats and
houses that have been erected during the past few years, it
is probable that the average number of persons per house is
now somewhat below that which held in 1901, and I have
therefore intentionally omitted any allowance for unoccupied
dwelling's.