This chapter discusses the excess mortality among children in Norrbotten, Sweden's northernmost country, in the late nineteenth century. The author suggests that the high mortality rates among children might be attributed to lifestyle factors. Life in the north demanded skills in the wilds, that led to excessive accidental deaths. On the other hand, over-crowding was an important factor both in the small rural dwellings and in the rapidly growing town that suffered from a significant housing shortage. Infectious childhood diseases caused excessive deaths in the isolated villages and homes, while meningitis spread in the town. This study shows that mere population density can lead one astray if the question of how people actually lived is not considered.