Fastest-growing counties in Connecticut

Written by:
July 1, 2022
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Fastest-growing counties in Connecticut

Why do people move from one county or region to another? The usual suspects are jobs, family, significant others, and overall cost of living, but there are other elements at play. For those with children, moving within close proximity of a highly rated school district is a key contributing factor. For younger adults just starting out, living someplace with a vibrant social scene might be a top priority. And for those whose careers have wound down after a lifetime of work, finding retirement-friendly communities is the goal—communities deemed to be safe, offer accessibility to medical resources and leisure activities in equal measure, and be affordable for those on a limited income.

This is, of course, by no means an exhaustive list. People's reasons for choosing to live where they do are as diverse as people themselves.

As far as why certain counties across the U.S. have experienced growth, relocation is not the sole, or even primary, reason why. While more than 1,800 counties saw population gains in 2021, approximately 73% of all U.S. counties saw what the U.S. Census Bureau characterizes as a natural decrease. This was a significant jump from 2020, when 55.5% of countries experienced such a decrease. According to the Bureau, natural decrease is the simple result of "when there are more deaths than births in a population over a given time period." In 2021, the conflation of fewer births with an aging population that was also absorbing a higher-than-usual mortality rate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to this "increased decrease."

Nonetheless, as stated 1,800 counties nationwide have grown larger over the last year, and a sizable percentage of them are in Connecticut. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Connecticut using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2020, based on the U.S. Decennial Census.

#8. New London County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: -5,500
--- #3,092 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -2.0%
--- #7 among counties in Connecticut, #1,850 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 268,555
--- #4 largest county in Connecticut, #261 largest county nationwide

#7. Litchfield County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: -4,741
--- #3,071 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -2.5%
--- #8 among counties in Connecticut, #1,923 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 185,186
--- #5 largest county in Connecticut, #362 largest county nationwide

#6. Tolland County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: -2,903
--- #2,969 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.9%
--- #6 among counties in Connecticut, #1,824 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 149,788
--- #7 largest county in Connecticut, #448 largest county nationwide

#5. Windham County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: -2,010
--- #2,838 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.7%
--- #5 among counties in Connecticut, #1,784 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 116,418
--- #8 largest county in Connecticut, #540 largest county nationwide

#4. Middlesex County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: -1,431
--- #2,689 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.9%
--- #4 among counties in Connecticut, #1,629 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 164,245
--- #6 largest county in Connecticut, #407 largest county nationwide

#3. New Haven County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: +2,358
--- #773 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.3%
--- #3 among counties in Connecticut, #1,448 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 864,835
--- #3 largest county in Connecticut, #69 largest county nationwide

#2. Hartford County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: +5,484
--- #549 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +0.6%
--- #2 among counties in Connecticut, #1,393 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 899,498
--- #2 largest county in Connecticut, #64 largest county nationwide

#1. Fairfield County

- 2010 to 2020 population change: +40,590
--- #159 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +4.4%
--- #1 among counties in Connecticut, #882 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 957,419
--- #1 largest county in Connecticut, #54 largest county nationwide

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