The houses of the wealthy have all modern conveniences. Those of the poorer classes are nearly comfortless. They are mostly low and built of adobes, with a roof of tiles, and are arranged in regular streets crossing each other at right angles. The public buildings are spacious and ornamental.
Among the principal buildings in San José are the New National Theatre, in which about 1,000,000 pesos were invested; the National Palace; the Palace of Justice; the Executive Mansion; the Episcopal Palace; the National Distillery; the Market; the University; the High School for Young Ladies; the High School for Young Men; the Custom House; the Mint, etc.
The city possesses charitable institutions, such as hospitals, orphan asylums, insane asylums, etc., all under the management of corporations and associations constantly laboring for their improvement. The cemeteries are under the supervision of charitable associations. There are several parks, a Museum, a Public Library and scientific, legal, medical, literary and musical societies, an International Club and a German Club, etc.
The streets are mostly macadamized or paved with stones and lighted by electricity. Nearly every city is well-supplied with water conducted through pipes.
The food of the poor comprises meat, beans, corn, rice, tortillas and plantains.
Saturday is the especial market day of the cities, and from sunrise till noon the market-places are crowded with sellers and buyers. Here can be found all kind of vegetables and fruits, potatoes, corn, beans, coffee, tobacco, sugar, cheese, meat and other food, besides earthenware, hammocks, hats, rebozos, charcoal, etc.
The population of Costa Rica in 1897 was calculated to be 288,769, as follows:
| 90,940 | inhabitants | in the | Province of | San José. |
| 67,972 | ” | ” | ” | Alajuela. |
| 45,161 | ” | ” | ” | Cartago. |
| 37,603 | ” | ” | ” | Heredia. |
| 23,769 | ” | ” | ” | Guanacaste. |
| 8,925 | ” | ” | Comarca de | Limon. |
| 14,399 | ” | ” | ” | Puntarenas. |
The last census, that of 1892, gave 243,205 as the entire population of the Republic.
The following table shows the population of the different “cantones” in 1892 and 1897: