Had the population shrunk so that only a handful lived here at its heart?

She said "a handful" of Americans lived in the compound.

A mere handful - roughly 70 - lived in Arab countries.

All but a handful lived in the mixed village.

Only a handful of people will live through this, and they'll be thrown back to a pre-industrial level.

Only a handful of the brigade's soldiers actually live here, however.

Only a handful of students, often majors in agricultural science, live here each year.

A handful of women live in two bedrooms and a living room.

Only a handful of staff lived on the premises.

A handful of faculty also live at the houses for limited terms.