The Population Growth of Patch Towns in North-Central Connecticut

Every 10 years, per the United States Constitution, the U.S. Census Bureau determines the current population of the country, and the resulting counts are used to set the number of members from each state in the House of Representatives and, by extension, in the Electoral College. Preparations for the 2020 census are already underway; residents of Providence, R.I., for example, recently received letters asking them to respond to the 2018 End-to-End Census Test questionnaire.

Patch editors in Hartford and Tolland counties examined population records for the 30 towns covered in that region, provided by the Secretary of the State's office, to see which communities experienced the largest growth, by percentage, from the 1980 census through the most recent tally in 2010.

Suffield had the highest percentage of population increase, from 9,294 residents in 1980 to 15,735 in 2010, a growth of 69.3 percent. Avon was second at 61.6 percent, followed by Ellington (60.7), Tolland (55.3) and Farmington (54.4).

At the opposite end of the scale, two communities saw a decrease in residents during those years. Hartford fell from 136,392 in 1980 to 124,775 in 2010, a drop of 8.5 percent, while East Hartford's numbers went down 2.5 percent. The smallest increases were in Wethersfield (2.5 percent), Windsor Locks (2.5) and West Hartford (3.2).

Here are the 30 area communities, listed in order of highest percentage gains. For complete data from 1790 through 2010, visit the Secretary of the State's web site.

Photo credit: Coldwell Banker Homes