[William Cloud Hicklin]

Well, Elendil's flotilla amounted to 9 ships- even if they were gigantic by sail standards, that still amounts to at most a few thousand including women and children (and they had to make room for gigantic round black stones and things!). The intervening century would have permitted a population increase, but (a) Numenoreans multiplied rather slowly, in keeping with their long lives, and (b) there were, one must assume, very significant losses when Minas Ithil was taken.

To these must be added the Faithful colonists at Pelargir, although one doesn't get the impression that this was a very large population. In addition there was a house of the Faithful ruling Belfalas, but that may have meant only the Lord's family and household, with a native population. Likewise the Men of the White Mountain vales and Lebennin wouldn't count as Numenoreans, and probably were still at a much lower state of technology.