| Bethel, Connecticut | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Town — | |||
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| Location in Fairfield County, Connecticut | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Connecticut | ||
| Region | Housatonic Valley | ||
| Incorporated | 1855 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Selectman-town meeting | ||
| • First selectman | Matthew S. Knickerbocker | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 16.9 sq mi (43.8 km2) | ||
| • Land | 16.8 sq mi (43.5 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 482 ft (147 m) | ||
| Population (2010)[1] | |||
| • Total | 18,584 | ||
| • Density | 1,099.6/sq mi (424.6/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 06801 | ||
| Area code(s) | 203 | ||
| FIPS code | 09-04720 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0213390 | ||
| Website | bethelct.org | ||
Bethel is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, about sixty miles from New York City. Its population was 18,584 at the 2010 census.[1] The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). The core area of the town center has also been designated as a historic district.
The town is near Interstate 84 and has a train station on the Danbury Branch of Metro-North's New Haven Line.
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Bethel was first settled around 1700. The first houses built in Bethel were in the 1730s or 1740s; they are located at 27 Grassy Plain Street and 63 Grassy Plain Street.[2] For 96 years, until its secession in 1855, Bethel was a parish of Danbury. The name "Bethel" means "House of El (God)".
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.9 square miles (44 km2), of which 16.8 square miles (44 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.53%, is water. The CDP corresponding to the town center has a total area of 4.1 square miles (11 km2), none of which is water.
The following films were at least partially shot in Bethel.[4]
| Historical population of Bethel[2] |
|
| 1860 | 1,711 |
| 1870 | 2,311 |
| 1880 | 2,727 |
| 1890 | 3,401 |
| 1900 | 3,327 |
| 1910 | 3,792 |
| 1920 | 3,201 |
| 1930 | 3,886 |
| 1940 | 4,105 |
| 1950 | 5,104 |
| 1960 | 8,200 |
| 1970 | 10,945 |
| 1980 | 16,004 |
| 1990 | 17,541 |
| 2000 | 18,067 |
| 2010 | 18,584 |
As of the 2010 census Bethel had a population of 18,584. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 88.8% white, 1.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 2.8% from some other race and 1.9% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino from any race.[5]
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 18,067 people, 6,505 households, and 4,846 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,075.7 people per square mile (415.5/km²). There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of 396.1 per square mile (153.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town in 2005 was 85.86% White, 1.91% African American, 0.26% Native American, 4.58% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races or of multiple races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.33% of the population. 20.2% were of Italian, 17.5% Irish, 9.1% German, 7.0% English, 6.7% American and 6.0% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000 [3]. 88.7% spoke English, 4.4% Spanish, 3.3% Portuguese, 1.5% German and 1.0% French as their first language [4].
There were 6,505 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,891, and the median income for a family was $78,358. Males had a median income of $51,816 versus $36,544 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,927. About 1.2% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[7] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 2,732 | 95 | 2,827 | 24.84% | |
| Democratic | 2,569 | 125 | 2,694 | 23.68% | |
| Unaffiliated | 5,468 | 288 | 5,756 | 50.58% | |
| Minor Parties | 93 | 9 | 102 | 0.90% | |
| Total | 10,862 | 517 | 11,379 | 100% | |
As of the census of 2000, there are 9,137 people, 3,639 households, and 2,358 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 2,237.8 inhabitants per square mile (864.7/km²). There are 3,744 housing units at an average density of 354.3 persons/km² (916.9 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 89.96% White, 1.61% African American, 0.13% Native American, 4.40% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. 4.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,639 households out of which 33.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% are married couples living together, 11.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 35.2% are non-families. 28.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.51 and the average family size is 3.14.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $57,276, and the median income for a family is $66,672. Males have a median income of $45,815 versus $35,989 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $25,888. 3.0% of the population and 1.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 0.7% are under the age of 18 and 6.6% are 65 or older.