Most Connecticut cities lost more residents than they gained from 2015 to 2016, though some in southwestern Connecticut had small gains, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today.
Danbury, Stamford, Milford and Norwalk were the only large cities in Connecticut showing increases. All but Milford are in Fairfield County, and they added about 1,700 residents combined.
Town population estimates for 2016 showed population declines in 15 of the state’s 19 large cities. The Census defines large cities as having populations higher than 50,000.
| City | Number of residents added (2015 to 2016) | Total number of residents (2016) | Percent gained (2015 to 2016) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danbury | 756 | 84,992 | 0.90% |
| Stamford | 701 | 129,113 | 0.55% |
| Milford | 477 | 54,054 | 0.89% |
| Norwalk | 222 | 88,438 | 0.25% |
The bureau estimated Connecticut lost 8,300 residents from 2015 to 2016. That’s about equal to the population of Haddam. The bureau’s estimates show a decrease in Connecticut’s population each year since 2014.
Of the state’s 169 towns and cities, 143 saw their number of residents go down from 2015 to 2016. Bridgeport, Hartford and Waterbury lost the most residents. Those cities are among the five largest in the state, along with Stamford and New Haven. Bridgeport lost about 1,100 residents. New Haven remained virtually stable, losing about 80 residents.
| City | Number of residents lost (2015 to 2016) | Total number of residents (2016) | Percent lost (2015 to 2016) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | 1,154 | 145,936 | 0.78% |
| Hartford | 626 | 123,243 | 0.51% |
| Waterbury | 508 | 108,272 | 0.47% |
| New Britain | 370 | 72,558 | 0.51% |
| Meriden | 358 | 59,622 | 0.60% |
| Stratford | 296 | 52,148 | 0.56% |
| East Hartford | 268 | 50,237 | 0.53% |
| West Haven | 266 | 54,516 | 0.49% |
| Hamden | 252 | 61,125 | 0.41% |
| Bristol | 249 | 60,147 | 0.41% |
| Fairfield | 158 | 61,160 | 0.26% |
| Greenwich | 125 | 62,359 | 0.20% |
| West Hartford | 106 | 62,903 | 0.17% |
| New Haven | 80 | 129,934 | 0.06% |
| Manchester | 56 | 57,873 | 0.10% |
As for towns under 50,000, Fairfield County’s Bethel and Shelton had the second- and third-largest increases in the state. Stonington grew the most among smaller towns, with about 350 new residents in 2016.
Nationally, Connecticut is third for population losses, and ranks 29th in the country for total population. The only states with larger losses were Illinois and West Virginia, ranked fifth and 38th for total population, respectively.
The bureau found large southern cities, many in Texas, were the fastest-growing in the nation. Phoenix, Ariz., had the largest increase, with 32,000 new residents, or about 88 per day, from 2015 to 2016.