Chelsea Population History & Census Data 02150

CHELSEA’S POPULATION THROUGH
THE YEARS

The population of Chelsea, (Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh and Pullen
Point), between 1635 and 1680 is uncertain. In 1688 the number of
rateable estates was 25 and estimating five persons per estate, the
population may have been 125. The earliest recorded census in Chelsea
was in 1776, at which time the population was 439. The population in
Chelsea showed a steady increase from the first census until the fire
of 1908 where it declined only to start a steady climb again after
the reconstruction period. Chelsea reached its peak population in
1919, when according to the police departments annual census, the
city had a population of 52,662.

DATE

POPULATION

DATE

POPULATION

DATE

POPULATION

1688

125 est.

1860

13,395

1925

47,505

1739

200 est.

1865

14,404

1926

47,274

1765

419

1870

18,547

1927

47,247

1776

439

1875

20,737

1928

47,247

1790

472

1880

21,785

1930

44,827

1800

449

1885

25,709

1940

41,259

1810

594

1890

27,909

1950

38,912

1820

642

1895

31,295

1960

33,749

1830

770

1900

34,072

1970

30,625

1840

2,182

1905

37,248

1980

25,431

1845

4,100

1910

32,452

1990

28,710

1846

4,300

1912

36,743

2000

35,080

1847

4,700

1913

37,758

2004

33,227

1848

5,300

1914

38,619

2005

32,518

1849

5,700

1915

43,426

1850

6,151

1916

46,078

1851

7,000

1917

48,273

1852

7,300

1918

50,488

1853

8,800

1919

52,662

1854

9,800

1920

43,184

1855

10,153

1857

12,400

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, DEATHS

*YEAR*	*BIRTHS MALE*	*BIRTHS FEMALE*	*MARRIAGES*	*DEATHS MALE*	*DEATHS FEMALE*
1865	230	207	192	190	167
1866	190	254	195	148	167

	*BIRTHS*		*MARRIAGES*	*DEATHS*
1912	1586		573	739
1913	1680		553	841
1914	1626		639	832
1915	1680		587	783
1916	1654		611	846
1917	1746		638	855
1918	1566		573	1213
1919	1628		595	830
1920	1489		658	737
1921	1440		589	740
1922	1616		601	771
1923	1575		600	725
1924	1511		620	669
1925	1400		556	742
1026	1415		565	781
1927	1339		565	718
1928	1334		608	745
1929	1238		627	751
1930	1210		513	721
1931	1123		482	722

REGISTERED VOTERS

*YEAR*	*WARD 1*	*WARD 2*	*WARD 3*	*WARD 4*	*TOTAL*
1858	492	458	371	452	1773
1859	489	444	356	496	1785
1860	607	503	388	605	2103
1861	535	482	380	622	2019
1862	473	451	369	598	1891
1863	517	433	357	616	1923
1864	554	694	510	578	2336
1865	541	711	491	561	2304
1866	585	717	550	601	2453

Additional Census Statistics

1765	Houses	Families	Males under 16	Females under 16	Males over 16	Females over 16	Totals
Chelsea	54	70	110	85	99	125	419
Malden	144	174	206	210	230	289	935

1754-55	Negro Slaves over 16 yrs.
Chelsea	35
Malden	21

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