Avon, Connecticut

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Avon is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of 2005, the town has an estimated total population of 17,209.^[2]

Avon was settled in 1645 and was originally a part of Farmington but sold to the Puritans in a land charter granted by the Duke of York in 1830. Avon was originally called Northington (the north parish) before it broke off from Farmington. According to the Avon Historical Society, Avon's independence was rooted in the need for a church that was more accessible to the growing town's population than the Congregational Church in Farmington. They eventually commissioned someone to come north from the Yale Divinity School to found the first church. It is generally considered a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the 3rd safest town in America by Money Magazine. It is home to the Pine Grove School House, built in 1865 and remains open today as a museum. Avon was listed as one of the "preppiest" places in the United States in the 1980s best-seller The Official Preppy Handbook. An episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 took place there.

[edit] Historical Populations

Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 60.9 km² (23.5 mi²). 59.9 km² (23.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (1.70%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 15,832 people, 6,192 households, and 4,483 families residing in the town. The population density was 264.4/km² (684.8/mi²). There were 6,480 housing units at an average density of 108.2/km² (280.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.93% White, 0.98% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.

There were 6,192 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $90,934, and the median income for a family was $109,161. Males had a median income of $76,882 versus $44,848 for females. The per capita income for the town was $51,706. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Trivia

• Avon was a filming location for the movie Three Card Stud, released in 1999.^[4]
• Andy Sachs, the fictional main character of The Devil Wears Prada, is from Avon.
• Will Friedle, "Eric" on the television show "Boy Meets World" is from Avon and attended the public middle and high schools.
• In Michelle Branch's first video, "Everywhere," she is seen wearing a shirt that says: "Avon Governor's Ranch." This is, in fact, in reference to the First Company Governer's Horse Guard ranch found along West Avon Road in Avon.
• A episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen was shot in Avon.
• On July 29, 2005 one of the worst traffic accidents in Connecticut history occured at the intersection of US 44 and Route 10 at the foot of Avon Mountain. A runaway dump truck plowed into many stopped vehicles, causing four deaths ^[5]. Governor M. Jodi Rell has since proposed safety improvements for this road ^[6]

[edit] References

1. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
2. ^ American FactFinder profile at United States Census Bureau
3. ^ Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
4. ^ [1] Internet Movie DataBase filming location page for Avon, Connecticut, accessed August 4, 2006
5. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/nyregion/30avon.html?ex=1280376000&en=0a5a121baf1afd4b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
6. ^ http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?Q=318192&A=2425

[edit] External links

• Avon Official Municipal Web Site
• Avon Connecticut's Community Web site
• Pine Grove Schoolhouse
• Central Regional Tourism District
• Avon Public Schools Website

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