DataHaven
New Haven is less white, less black, and more Hispanic than it was 10 years ago. It’s also seen the greatest numerical increase in overall population of any city or town in the state in the last decade.
That’s according to numbers recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, which completed its decennial census last year.
Official census figures indicate that New Haven’s population increased by 6,153 people over the last ten years, for a total population of 129,779 in 2010. That’s a greater net influx of people than any town in the state. (See the numbers here.)
It’s not, however, the greatest percentage increase in population. New Haven’s population increase since 2000 represents 5 percent more people. Middletown saw a smaller net influx of 4,481 people in the decade, but a larger, 10.4 percent population increase. Danbury welcomed just a few people fewer than New Haven, with 6,045 new residents, but saw a greater, 8.1 percent increase. Mansfield and Oxford had population increases of nearly 30 percent.
Those towns, along with New Haven, Hamden, Manchester, and West Haven, bested the 4.9 population increase rate for the entire state over the last ten years.
New Haven remains the second-largest city in Connecticut, ahead of Hartford by 5,000 people and smaller than Bridgeport, which has 144,229 people. Among the top five largest cities in the State, New Haven’s growth was the greatest in terms of numbers and percentage.
On Thursday afternoon, the city issued a press release touting the new numbers as an indication of successful economic development.
“The population growth clearly reflects the fact that cities have become more attractive to wider array of people,” said Mayor John DeStefano in the release. “People are moving back to cities; New Haven isn’t just attractive to students and young professionals. Folks are choosing to remain in the city. They are raising families and attending public schools and we are seeing empty nester return to an urban lifestyle.
“I think the city’s growth rate is also reflective of the success of our overall economic development effort. Our focus on higher education and advanced manufacturing as well as biotech, new media and information technologies has made us New Haven attractive to investment and very competitive in the twenty-first century economy. People are choosing to live here.”
Demographic Shift
New Haven non-profit Data Haven has been crunching the numbers and coming up with some interesting stats about demographic changes in the Elm City. See their analysis here. See their interactive maps here and here.
Their figures indicate that New Haven’s Hispanic population increased by 9,148 between 2000 and 2010, for a new population total of 35,591. That’s a 34.6 percent increase in the Hispanic population.
That increase is less than a third of the 119.9 percent increase seen by the “Inner Ring Suburbs”: East Haven, Hamden, and West Haven. It’s also smaller than the 56.6 percent increase in the “Outer Ring Suburbs” (Branford, Cheshire, Clinton, Milford, Orange, and six others) and the 109 percent increase in the Naugatuck Valley region.
Hispanics now represent 27.4 percent of New Haven’s total population, up from 21.4 in 2000.
Meanwhile, the black and white populations have decreased in New Haven, according to Data Haven’s analysis.
New Haven had 2,749 fewer white people in 2010 than it did in 2000, a drop of 6.3 percent. Whites now make up 31.8 percent of the city’s population, down from 35.6 percent in 2000.
Surrounding towns have all also seen a decrease in the white population, the highest being a 9.7 percent drop in Inner Ring Suburbs.
New Haven had 1,266 fewer black people in 2010 than it did in 2000, a drop of 2.8 percent. African-Americans now comprise 33.4 percent of the population, down from 36.1 percent in 2000.
In this case, New Haven is the only municipality in the region to see a drop in African-Americans. Inner Ring Suburbs are up 32.2 percent, Outer Ring Suburbs are up 23 percent, and the Valley region is up 67.6 percent.
All municipalities have seen an increase in Asian population, up 22.8 percent in New Haven, 55.9 percent in Inner Ring Suburbs, 81.4 percent in Outer Ring Suburbs, and 77.5 percent in the Valley.
Asian-Americans now make up 4.5 percent of New Haven’s population, up from 3.9 percent in 2000.
of course it's seen the biggest increase in population,...it's not new haven anymore,..it's "SAFE HAVEN",..thanks to johnny boy,...and yet we still need to ask johhny boy where all our money is going...!!!!! not to hard to figure that one out...