Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Large cities’ population comeback could influence redistricting

  • by Caitlin Emma
  • August 11, 2011
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Connecticut’s largest cities–Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport–have lost residents for decades, but 2010 Census data shows a slight turnaround in these urban populations and it could influence the ongoing redistricting process.

Since the 2000 Census, Bridgeport grew by 3.4 percent, Hartford by 2.6 percent and New Haven by 5 percent. The state’s population overall increased by 4.9 percent.

Connecticut’s urban areas have long lost population to suburban and rural communities. Hartford lost 13 percent of its residents from 1990 to 2000 and hadn’t reported any significant positive growth since 1960. Bridgeport saw its first increase this year since 1950. New Haven lost 5 percent of its population from 1990 to 2000.

Jim Finley, executive director and CEO for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said the urban population growth stems from a number of factors and a new appreciation for Connecticut’s urban centers.

“Each of these cities has a unique dynamic,” he said. “New Haven has attracted more empty-nesters and home buyers. There’s been a considerable effort in increasing housing there and it’s really paid off. Hartford is a similar story. People have been attracted to the new condo developments, the arts, the culture and the hospitals close by.”

He said Bridgeport makes for a slightly different case.

“Bridgeport is interesting because they have some of the most stable urban neighborhoods in the state, especially in the Black Rock neighborhood of the city. More and more young people have been attracted to the area.”

The new Census figures will be the basis of redrawing state House and Senate and Congressional district lines by a Reapportionment Committee currently working toward a Sept. 15 deadline. The committee’s plan must be approved by two thirds of the House and Senate; otherwise the job goes to a panel of judges.

In the past, population decline cost the cities some representation in the General Assembly, as suburban areas were added to urban districts to make up for lost residents. In 1980, Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport each had two residents in the state Senate; now Hartford and Bridgeport each have just one. Similarly, Hartford and Bridgeport had eight residents in the House of Representatives, while New Haven had seven; now each city has six.

State Sen. Martin Looney, D-New Haven, serves as a member of the Reapportionment Committee. He said the urban growth will most likely preserve representation in Connecticut’s cities, but redistricting often proves an unpredictable process.

“The relative gains in urban population are a positive sign,” he said. “But there’s a domino effect so you really can’t say what’s going to happen. The population in one place can change and have a domino effect of change in another area.”

Connecticut grew by about 1.4 million people over the past 10 years and as a result, the ideal population of each state House and Senate district increased. The Reapportionment Committee will need to redraw the General Assembly lines so that each district’s population falls within 5 percent of 99,280 people in each state Senate district and 23,669 people in each state House district.

Looney said the current population shifts, compared with the shifts ten years ago, prove less dramatic, making any necessary changes less significant. The 2nd Congressional District stands out as the district with the largest population of 729,771, but each district will need redrawing to meet an ideal average population of 714,819. On the General Assembly side, many of the state Senate districts fall close to the ideal population range.

“Looking at maps of state Senate districts, there aren’t any that stand out as need dramatic change,” he said.

Democratic state Sen. Toni Harp also represents part of New Haven, a city that grew at the same rate as the state over the past 10 years.

“This has been extraordinary growth for New Haven,” she said. “I found this to be really surprising. I used to not pay much attention to the Census data and at first I didn’t know what to make of it.”

She agrees that the state Senate districts may not change greatly, but the state House districts present greater disparities.

“The Senate probably won’t be affected, but the House may be a different matter,” she said.

Although Hartford and New Haven experienced population hikes, the growth in each city wasn’t evenly distributed. Four state House districts in Hartford and two state House districts in New Haven are still among the ten state House districts with the lowest populations.

For example, New Haven saw a net growth of 5 percent, but the eastern half of New Haven grew at a little over 7 percent and the western half grew at a little under 3 percent.

“The growth is most likely due to new housing growth and immigration into the eastern half of the city, in addition to economic expansion with Yale and people attending the university,” Looney said. “It will affect how the lines are drawn.”

Both Looney and Harp agree that, in addition to new housing developments, increases in urban population can partially be attributed to better, more accurate counting methods.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caitlin Emma

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Police task force seeks wider applicant pool for watchdog role
by Kelan Lyons

The task force sent four recommendations — and two that didn't get unanimous approval— to lawmakers for the 2021 session.

Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Vaccinations in nursing homes top 64,000; COVID cases are dropping rapidly among residents
by Dave Altimari

There were 238 COVID infections reported in nursing homes last week, down from 483 a few weeks ago.

Advocates call on state to improve response to vulnerable students
by Adria Watson

State child advocate Sarah Eagan and attorney Martha Stone want the state to do more for these students during COVID.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO