本文係以嘉義市為例，探討一個農業地區中心都市的人口成長與分布現象，希望有助於此型都市人口成長及分布特徵之瞭解，並作為與其它類型都市人口現象比較時的參考。 經分析民國39年至79年的人口資料，有以下之發現：1.鄉村地區中心都市的人口成長極緩，四十年來僅增加2.3倍，每年平均約增加4000人，年平均增加率為8.16/1000。2.人口自然增加的趨勢與臺灣整體增加趨勢一致。3.民國59年以前，淨遷入是人口成長的主因，此後人口淨遷出益加明顯，導致人口成長緩慢。4.民國39-49年是人口成長最快的時期；民國四十九年以後，都心區人口開始減少，出現人口空洞化現象；最近十年，95% 的市區人口呈負成長，市郊聯外幹道附近區人口成長快速，成為人口再分布的集中區。5.人口的空間分布日趨分散，40年前全市2/3的人口集中在市區，今則僅佔1/3。

　　　　　This paper is to examine the growth and distribution of population in Chiayi city, a city which is located in the agricultural area of southern Taiwan. The researcher hopes the study will be helpful to the understanding of the growth and distribution of population in the same type of cities, and can be used as references in comparison with other type of cities. The data and information of population from 1950 to 1990 from the household registation in Chiayi city are employed for this analysis. The findings are as follows: (1) The growth of population in the central ciyt situated in the agricultural area grows so slowly that it only increase 2.3 times during forty years. The number of average increase in population each year is about 4000; the average increase rate in population each year is 28.16/1000. (2) The pattern of the natural increase in population in this central city is similar to that of other types of cities in Taiwan. (3) The net in-migration before 1970 was the main cause of the growth of population. After that time, the net out-migration became more obvious and resulted in the slow growth in population. (4) The period of the fast growth of population was between 1950 and 1960; the population in the center decreased gradually after 1960. In the past ten years, 95% of the city center experienced population decline, while the population near the main transportation routes in the suburbs grew very fast and became the main areas of population redistribution. (5) The spatial distribution of population scatters gradually: two-thirds of population concentrated in the city center 40 years ago, but now only one-third of population does.