Age–About one-third of a group of people would be younger than fifteen (e.g., a city of ~35,000 might number about 23-24,000 adults). Anywhere from 5 to 15 percent would be older than sixty, with higher percentages in prosperous, peaceful regions; overall, about 8 to 10 percent is the most likely range (e.g., a village of 250 people might support about 20 elders who were too old and 80 children who were too young for the military levy and so on). Average family size probably was somewhere between three and five, because most families lived as a nuclear family unit, with elderly members often living in their own cottage or rented rooms.
Composition–About 85-90 percent of the population lived in villages, mostly in farming families (the ratio for farming to non-farming villagers seems to have been about 10:1; so in a village of 70 families, perhaps 7 would be non-farming families. About 1 percent of the total population are aristocrats, knights, and members of their families, while the clergy and religious orders number about 2 to 4 percent (weighted toward males and toward those living in abbeys, priories, or monasteries). Merchants and manufacturers, about 2 percent of the population; about 5 to 10 percent if you include their families. Laborers, widows, and beggars or disabled people would round out the percentages in towns and cities. In cities and large towns, hundreds or thousands of trade masters and their families would provide a large portion of the populations, as would wage laborers. In most societies, 20 to 40 wealthy families, clans, or houses exerted a lot of control or influence over the course of events. Often, multiple members of families would buy houses on the same streets.
Density–Villages typically would be about 5 miles from other other or a city (the distance a cart pulled by two oxen could complete a roundtrip). Towns typically would be at least 10 miles from each other. One large city per sizable region, with several smaller cities, more towns, and many villages was a normal pattern.
Size (in acres or square miles)–According to Cesare Marchetti’s research, people will tolerate about 60 minutes of walking transit time per day (or a commute of about 30 minutes back and forth). So even the largest city (i.e., a capital city) will have a diameter of about three or fewer miles. Due in part to the expense of building and maintaining walls, most cities and towns will have a significantly smaller diameter).
Markets–each town and city would have a market or several markets. For walled settlements, the typical location was an open plaza right inside one or more of the gates.
Villages–A settlement typically ranging from ~40 to ~400 people (max less than <500 people); usually no inn or tavern; smith, carpenter, miller, and maybe one or two more trades or crafts. When villages grew too large for the surrounding lands, a group of settlers would leave to found a new settlement, one often but not always close by and often with the support of a lord or clerical officer.
Manor–A religious or secular ruler’s holding; a manor could include anywhere from one to hundreds of villages. About four to six hectares of farmed arable are necessary to support one family.
Town (Small, Market)–(~500-2,500 residents=fairly typical; prosperous ones or one with advantageous terrain would be slightly larger)
City (Medium-sized)– (>5,000-25,000+ residents). Cities only rarely grew larger than this size.
City (Large)–(~40,000-100,000+; each medieval region typically had one city significantly larger than all other cities (often the best port, a royal capital, a city adjacent to one or more rivers).
Growth–To attract labor and new settlers, lords or landholders would offer ten-year tax exemptions, service exemptions, land grants, and other inducements.
New Settlements–when a village grew large enough, in some regions, the population would split to form a new settlement group; often these groups would sign a contract with a lord to clear land and establish a new village.
