San Francisco Earthquake - 100 Years Later
March 28, 2006
April 18 will mark the 100-year anniversary of “The Great San Francisco Earthquake” and subsequent fires that left between 225,000 - 300,000 people homeless. In commemoration of the anniversary of this disaster, the U.S. Census Bureau has published a special edition of its “Facts for Features,” comparing circa-1900 San Francisco with today’s city.
The report is filled with interesting demographic figures that illustrate the many changes in San Francisco’s population, housing and economy over the past century ...
A few examples:
- a population boom, from 342,782 residents in 1900 to 744,230 in 2004;
- a growth in housing units, from 53,323 dwellings in 1900 to 353,930 housing units in 2004; and
- change in ethnic makeup, with 95% of the population classified as “white” in 1900, compared to 58% “white” in 2004.
In the aftermath of the devastating impact of New Orleans by Hurricaine Katrina, a look back at what happened to San Francisco in 1906 inspires an optimistic source of hope for the Crescent City’s potential rebirth.
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