Community Corner
2020 U.S. Census Results: The Changing Demographics Of Ridgefield
The 2020 census shows an America that is becoming more diverse, with the Hispanic population growing faster than any other.
RIDGEFIELD, CT — The last 10 years have marked a dramatic shift in the demographic makeup of the United States, with a marked shrinkage of the white population and the rapid growth of the Hispanic community.
These changes were reflected in Ridgefield, where the share of the non-Hispanic white population fell by 6 percent while the Hispanic population grew by 60 percent.
Most notably, Ridgefield showed a significant (224 percent) increase in the number of people who identified themselves as multiracial, although the reasons are complex. Experts say the spike reflects changes in the way people identify themselves as well the number of children born to parents of mixed races or ethnicities, along with changes in the wording of census forms themselves.
Ridgefield's child population fell by 8 percent, keeping pace with a statewide trend, according to an analysis by non-profit DataHaven.
"One of the interesting findings from 2020 is the growth of Connecticut's larger towns. Collectively, the population of the 10 largest towns in Connecticut rose by 37,109, while Connecticut's 159 other towns combined saw a population decline of 5,262. Generally speaking, this was due to a far steeper drop in the child populations of these 159 smaller towns, combined with relatively slower increases in their adult populations," said Mark Abraham, executive director of DataHaven.
In addition to the drop in the white population, Ridgefield also saw a drop-off among its non-Hispanic Hawaiian and Pacific islands demographic groups.
Overall, the population of Ridgefield grew 2 percent, from 24,638 to 25,033. The Hispanic community grew from 941 in 2010 to 1,505, a decade later.
See Also: 5 Takeaways From The Release Of 2020 Census Data: AP Explainer
- U.S. Is Diversifying, White Population Shrinking: Census Data
- Census Data Sets Up Redistricting Fight Over Growing Suburbs
Census data is only as strong as residents' interest in filling out the surveys, but Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who chaired the state's Complete Count Committee vouched for the data's accuracy. The state's 99.9 percent overall response rate exceeded the national average and its 70.6 percent self-response rate exceeded Connecticut's 2010 self-response rate of 69.5 percent, according to Bysiewicz.
