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Show Local Families Larger Than Ave., Report Shows Are Grand County families Hotting larger or smaller in slue? How big Is the average local family compared with those In other parts of the country? The questions come to the fore at this time because of recent government reports showing that a population milestone has been reached In the United States. For the first time in history, his-tory, a zero population growth has been recorded. Specifically, according to the Census Bureau, for a IMTlod of six months the na-tlofwias na-tlofwias merely sustained itself it-self in regard to population. In other words, the number of births was approximately equal to the number of deaths. To maintain that replacement replace-ment rate continuously would mean that the number of children chil-dren born would average no more than 2.13 per couple. That is considerably below the normal rate. It has been running at about 3.1 per couple cou-ple for years. In Grand County, on the basis of the latest Census Bureau reports, families are relatively large, reflecting the size of the local birth rate. The average is 357 persons per-sons oer lOO households. In other parts of the United States, by way of comparison, the average is 311 per 100 households. Throughout the State of Utah it is 34G per 100. The figures show that families fami-lies in the local area are somewhat bigger than they were a decade or so ago. In 19G0 there were 351 persons per 100 households in the area, as against the 357 now. Although there has been no net population growth in the United States for six months, it doesn't mean that it will stay that way, it is pointed out. A constant population condition con-dition cannot be assured until the 2.1 rate has been in effect for about 70 years. That is because the number of chil- " dren born depends upon the number of women of child-tearing child-tearing age, which is due to grow for some time because of the large number of girls approaching maturity. Until the base becomes constant, the population will rise. As for the concern about population growth, ecologists and others contend that air pollution, water pollution, the piling up of waste products and improper environment generally are the by-products of overcrowding. |