I do not think that there would have been a great deal of Rangers living still in Eriador; but there were seemingly enough to keep it guarded. I might have a look at your quote, Finwe:
Quote:
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They probably lived in little settlements in the wild, or in towns, like Bree, without seeming obviously "Ranger-ish."
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Firstly, I might clarify that Bree was not a Numenorean settlement. The Breelanders were descendents of the same ancestry as the Rohirrim and the Beornings; the Northmen, who in turn were descended from the ancestors of the Three Houses. However, they were not Numenorean, although they were a part of Arnor while it was alive. Bree was not a 'Ranger settlement'. I don't think that was what you meant, but I feel better with the structure of my post having said it.
Bree was the largest human settlement in familiar Eriador. If there was another like it, it would be known and on the map. As Rumil has said, their main stronghold was South of Rivendell, but they were mostly scattered throughout the wilds; as Halberad said, 'These (thirty horsemen) are all that could be gathered in haste of our scattered people'. The settlements that they had were in the relatively sheltered lands -- Elrond had a very close relationship with them, and gave them a lot of protection I guess -- and they must have had some sort of establishments for their children, women, and other people who would not 'range' out across Eriador in the fashion that the ones we see did, to live in, and as a home base for these to come back to. But still, they would have certainly lived 'Rangerish' lives, as you say. They were the proud, tough remnants of the Numenoreans of the North-Kingdom, ravished and few, and working hard for the protection and continuation of the lands and against Sauron. They were more sheltered than the venturers, but they were still living a wild sort of life. And there were probably not all that many of them. Certainly not enough to repopulate the whole, vast area of Eriador again. Their numbers were also, I would suppose, kept down by the hard life they led.
Good to see you again, old man. Concerning Beorn though -- I do not think that the Beornings would all have 'emerged' from one man, i.e. Beorn. This sounds impossible and certainly very unhealthy. Rather I imagined that Beorn, after the Battle of Five Armies, became a ruler of a Woodmen-like people that inhabited the land near him. A numerous population, probably, and seperate from the more southern Woodmen that lived under the eaves of the forest. As he was a famous and great person, it is easy to imagine that these peopl took their name from him.
Finally on the repopulation of Arnor. I would think, as I have said, that while a smallish number of people from Dunland would have helped settle the land, most of the settlers would have to come from Rohan and Gondor. Primarily Gondor. It is a Numenorean kingdom after all, so Gondor would have to supply most of the inhabitants. The Rangers can be included in this i guess.