| Year | Number of Daily Newspapers | Number of Weekly Newspapers | Number of Semi- and Tri-Weekly Newspapers | Total Number of Newspapers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1828 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 4 |
| 1840 | 3 | 38 | 2 | 43 |
| 1850 | 8 | 84 | 4 | 96 |
| 1860 | 23 | 238 | 8 | 269 |
| 1870 | 39 | 364 | 14 | 417 |
| 1880 | 74 (30 morning, 44 evening) | 758 | 23 | 855 |
| 1890 | 121 (44 morning, 77 evening) | 858 | 22 | 1,001 |
| 1900 | 197 (44 morning, 153 evening) | 1,000 | 76 | 1,273 |
| 1910 | 194 (51 morning, 143 evening) | 1,018 | 48 | 1,260 |
| 1920 | 168 (50 morning, 118 evening) | 866 | 36 | 1,070 |
| 1930 | 120 (22 morning, 98 evening) | 574 | 33 | 727 |
| 1940 | 112 (22 morning, 90 evening) | 398 | 29 | 539 |
| 1954 | 76 (12 morning, 64 evening) | 380 | n/a | 456 |
| 1963 | 85 (15 morning, 70 evening) | 294 | n/a | 379 |
| 1970 | 101 (28 morning, 72 evening, 1 all day) | 662 | 67 | 838 (includes 4 bi-weeklies, 1 semi-monthly, and 4 monthlies) |
| 1980 | 93 (24 morning, 65 evening, 4 all day) | 548 | 66 | 715 (includes 2 bi-weeklies, 2 semi-monthlies, and 4 monthlies) |
| 1990 | 78 (23 morning, 52 evening, 3 all day) | 560 | 61 | 730 (includes 2 bi-weeklies, 4 semi-monthlies, and 9 monthlies, 2 bi-monthlies, and 5 irregular) |
| 2000 | 129 | 625 | n/a | 754 |
| 2010 | 105 | 565 | n/a | 670 |
Sources
1828-1840: Statistical View of the United States […] Being a Compendium of the Seventh Census. (Page 155, Table CLXI).
1850-1880: A Compendium of the Ninth Census, June 1, 1870. (Pages 511-512, Table XXXIX).
1880-1900: Census Reports Volume IX: Twelfth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1900: Manufactures, Part III: Special Reports on Selected Industries. (Page 1068, Table 42).
1910: Thirteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1910: Volume X: Manufactures, 1909: Reports for Principal Industries.
1920: Fourteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1920: Volume X: Manufactures, 1919: Reports for Selected Industries.
1930: Fifteenth Census of the United States: Manufactures, 1929: Volume II, Reports by Industries. (Weekly number based on Table 18 + 22, per note.)
1940: Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940: Manufactures, 1939: Volume II, Part 1: Reports by Industries, Groups 1 to 10. (Pages 690-693, Tables 8, 12, and 13).
1954: United States Census of Manufactures 1954: Volume II, Industry Statistics: Part 1, General Summary and Major Groups 20 to 28. (Page 27A-17, Table 6E).
1963: 1963 Census of Manufactures: Volume II, Industry Statistics: Part 1, Major Groups 20 to 28. (Page 27A-35, Table 6G).
1970: Ayer Directory for 1971.
1980: ’81 Ayer Directory of Publications.
1990: Gale Directory of Publications (1989): Volume 2: Indexes and Maps.
2000: Bacon’s Newspaper Directory 2001.
2010: Bacon’s Newspaper Directory for 2011.