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Then and Now: 1860 and 2010
Posted By Brian Tomlin on January 30, 2012
To get a better understanding of how different the world and the United States was in 1860, we can compare some basic statistics from the beginning of the Civil War and the present day.
| 1860 | 2010 | |
| World’s Population | 1.27 billion | 6.989 billion |
| U.S. Population | 31,443,321 | 308,745,538 |
| Pennsylvania Population | 2,906,215 | 12,702,379 |
| Dauphin County PA population | 46,756 | 268,100 |
| Harrisburg, PA population | 13,405 | 49,529 |
| Gratz, PA population | 765 |
Largest U.S. Cities
|
1860 |
2010 |
813, 669 |
1. New York City, NY8,175,133 |
565,529 |
2. Los Angeles, CA3,792,621 |
266, 661 |
3. Chicago, IL2,695, 598 |
212,418 |
4. Houston, TX2,099,451 |
177, 840 |
5. Philadelphia, PA 1,526, 006 |
168, 675 |
6. Phoenix, AZ1,445,632 |
161, 044 |
7. San Antonio, TX1,327, 402 |
160, 773 |
8. San Diego, CA1,307, 402 |
112,172 |
9. Dallas, TX1,197, 816 |
81, 129 |
10. San Jose, CA945, 942 |
Top Occupations
| Farm Owners and Tenants (10%) | Retail Salesperson (6%) |
| Farm Laborers (3.2%) | Cashiers (2.64%) |
| General Laborers (3.0%) | Office Clerks (2.19%) |
| Shoe Maker | Food Service/ Preparation (2.12%) |
| Hired Servant | Nurses (2.09%) |
| Waiters/Waitresses (1.76%) |
Cost of Living
|
1860 |
2010 |
|
| wheat flour | $7.14/barrel (200 lbs) | $52.00/ 200 lbs. |
| rice | 7 cents/lb. | 85 cents/lb. |
| sugar | 8 cents/lb. | $1.25/lb. |
| roast beef | 11 cents/lb. | $4.50/lb. |
| cheese, cheddar | 13 cents/lb. | $5.24/lb. |
| eggs | 20 cents/dozen | $1.95/dozen |
| firewood | $6.49/cord | $155/cord |
| rent, 2 bedroom apt | $4.45/month | $575 month (median, Harrisburg metro) |
Great information here. Very helpful!
There was some helpful information, but a helpful bit of information would be to include the average salary for workers during the war, and how they adapted to post-war expenses.