1950-1959: DAYS OF CONFLICT, YEARS OF PROSPERITY

Comparing the decades

Population of Allen County 1950 (183,722) 1960 (232,196) Today (312,091)1 Life expectancy at birth (U.S.) 1950 (68.2) 1960 (66.7) Today (76.1)5 Annual murder rate per 100,000 (U.S.) 1950 (5.8) 1960 (4.7) Today (7.4)5 Percent of high school graduates (U.S. adults) 1950 (57.4%)2 1960 (63.4%)2 Today (82.8%)3 National population 1950 (152,271,417) 1960 (180,671,158) Today (267,636,061)4

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1 -- 1997 estimate by the U.S. Bureau of the Census;
2 -- percent of persons 17 years old who have completed high school;
3 -- percent of people 25 years old and over who have completed four years of high school or more;
4 -- as of July 1, 1997;
5 -- 1996

Today figures are the most recent numbers available

Sources: ‘1998 Statistical Abstract', ‘Historical Statistics of the U.S', and ‘U.S. Bureau of the Census'; Research by James Grant of The News-Sentinel