This article shows U.S. Census totals for Fairfield County, Connecticut, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.
Like most areas of New England, Fairfield County is (and has been at all times since well before the 20th century) entirely divided into incorporated municipalities. There is no unincorporated territory.
There are three types of municipalities in Connecticut: towns, boroughs and cities. As in the other New England states, towns are the basic unit of municipal government.
Boroughs overlay towns and assume responsibility for some municipal services within their boundaries. Boroughs are not found in any of the other New England states, and are not very common in Connecticut today, although they were somewhat more numerous in the past. A number of boroughs have disincorporated over the years, choosing to revert to full town control.
Cities also overlay towns. This is different from the other New England states, where cities are a different type of municipality equivalent to a town (this difference is related to cities having originally developed in Connecticut from the borough model). Most current cities are coextensive with their parent town, however, such that the entire municipality functions as a city. In practice, these cities are really no different from cities in the other New England states.
It is also possible for a city in Connecticut to overlay part, but not all, of a town. There are currently only one or two examples, but it was a more common arrangement in the past. Many of today’s coextensive cities were non-coextensive at one time. As with boroughs, a number of non-coextensive cities have also disincorporated over the years, choosing to revert to full town control.
The main tables below show municipalities at the town level. For any census, adding up the totals for each town should yield the county total. In cases where a community encompassed a coextensive city, the tables in the New England Historical U.S. Census Totals series mark the community as a city. In cases where a town included a non-coextensive city, the total shown below represents the entire town, including but not limited to the city. A separate section follows with population totals for boroughs and non-coextensive cities.
For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.
1913 – Norwalk became a coextensive city (Note: before this time, there had been both a city of Norwalk as well as a city of South Norwalk each within, but each not coextensive with, the town of Norwalk)
1915 – The city of Shelton was incorporated and made coextensive with the town of Huntington (Note: before this time, Shelton had been a borough within the town of Huntington)
1919 – Huntington changed its name to Shelton (thus changing the name of town to match that of its coextensive city)
1949 – Stamford became a coextensive city (Note: before this time, there had been a city of Stamford within, but not coextensive with, the town of Stamford)
1965 – Danbury became a coextensive city (Note: before this time, there had been a city of Danbury within, but not coextensive with, the town of Danbury)
County Total: 184,203
Bridgeport (city) 70,996
Norwalk (*) 19,932
Danbury (*) 19,474
Stamford (*) 18,839
Greenwich 12,172
Huntington 5,572
Fairfield 4,489
Westport 4,017
Stratford 3,657
Bethel 3,327
Newtown 3,276
Darien 3,116
New Canaan 2,968
Ridgefield 2,626
Wilton 1,598
Trumbull 1,587
Redding 1,426
Brookfield 1,046
Monroe 1,043
Easton 960
Weston 840
Sherman 658
New Fairfield 584
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes one or more non-coextensive cities that encompass a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 245,322
Bridgeport (city) 102,054
Stamford (*) 28,836
Norwalk (*) 24,211
Danbury (*) 23,502
Greenwich 16,463
Huntington 6,545
Fairfield 6,134
Stratford 5,712
Westport 4,259
Darien 3,946
Bethel 3,792
New Canaan 3,667
Ridgefield 3,118
Newtown 3,012
Wilton 1,706
Trumbull 1,642
Redding 1,617
Brookfield 1,101
Easton 1,052
Monroe 1,002
Weston 831
Sherman 569
New Fairfield 551
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes one or more non-coextensive cities that encompass a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 320,936
Bridgeport (city) 143,555
Stamford (*) 40,067
Norwalk (city) 27,743
Danbury (*) 22,325
Greenwich 22,123
Stratford 12,347
Fairfield 11,475
Shelton (city) 9,475
Westport 5,114
Darien 4,184
New Canaan 3,895
Bethel 3,201
Newtown 2,751
Ridgefield 2,707
Trumbull 2,597
Redding 1,315
Wilton 1,284
Monroe 1,161
Easton 1,017
Brookfield 896
Weston 703
Sherman 533
New Fairfield 468
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes a non-coextensive city that encompasses a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 386,702
Bridgeport (city) 146,716
Stamford (*) 56,765
Norwalk (city) 36,019
Greenwich 33,112
Danbury (*) 26,955
Stratford 19,212
Fairfield 17,218
Shelton (city) 10,113
Darien 6,951
Westport 6,073
New Canaan 5,456
Bethel 3,886
Trumbull 3,624
Ridgefield 3,580
Newtown 2,635
Wilton 2,133
Redding 1,599
Monroe 1,221
Easton 1,013
Brookfield 926
Weston 670
New Fairfield 434
Sherman 391
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes a non-coextensive city that encompasses a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 418,384
Bridgeport (city) 147,121
Stamford (*) 61,215
Norwalk (city) 39,849
Greenwich 35,509
Danbury (*) 27,921
Stratford 22,580
Fairfield 21,135
Shelton (city) 10,971
Darien 9,222
Westport 8,258
New Canaan 6,221
Trumbull 5,294
Bethel 4,105
Newtown 4,023
Ridgefield 3,900
Wilton 2,829
Redding 1,758
Monroe 1,728
Brookfield 1,345
Easton 1,262
Weston 1,053
New Fairfield 608
Sherman 477
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes a non-coextensive city that encompasses a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 504,342
Bridgeport (city) 158,709
Stamford (city) 74,293
Norwalk (city) 49,460
Greenwich 40,835
Stratford 33,428
Fairfield 30,489
Danbury (*) 30,337
Shelton (city) 12,694
Darien 11,767
Westport 11,667
Trumbull 8,641
New Canaan 8,001
Newtown 7,448
Bethel 5,104
Wilton 4,558
Ridgefield 4,356
Monroe 2,892
Easton 2,165
Redding 2,037
Weston 1,988
Brookfield 1,688
New Fairfield 1,236
Sherman 549
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes a non-coextensive city that encompasses a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 653,589
Bridgeport (city) 156,748
Stamford (city) 92,713
Norwalk (city) 67,775
Greenwich 53,793
Fairfield 46,183
Stratford 45,012
Danbury (*) 39,382
Westport 20,955
Trumbull 20,379
Darien 18,437
Shelton (city) 18,190
New Canaan 13,466
Newtown 11,373
Bethel 8,200
Ridgefield 8,165
Wilton 8,026
Monroe 6,402
Weston 4,039
Easton 3,407
Brookfield 3,405
Redding 3,359
New Fairfield 3,355
Sherman 825
(*) not a city in its entirety, but includes a non-coextensive city that encompasses a significant percentage of the town's overall population.
County Total: 792,814
Bridgeport (city) 156,542
Stamford (city) 108,798
Norwalk (city) 79,288
Greenwich 59,755
Fairfield 56,487
Danbury (city) 50,781
Stratford 49,775
Trumbull 31,394
Westport 27,318
Shelton (city) 27,165
Darien 20,336
Ridgefield 18,188
New Canaan 17,451
Newtown 16,942
Wilton 13,572
Monroe 12,047
Bethel 10,945
Brookfield 9,688
Weston 7,417
New Fairfield 6,991
Redding 5,590
Easton 4,885
Sherman 1,459
County Total: 807,143
Bridgeport (city) 142,546
Stamford (city) 102,466
Norwalk (city) 77,767
Danbury (city) 60,470
Greenwich 59,565
Fairfield 54,849
Stratford 50,541
Trumbull 32,989
Shelton (city) 31,314
Westport 25,290
Ridgefield 20,120
Newtown 19,107
Darien 18,892
New Canaan 17,931
Bethel 16,004
Wilton 15,351
Monroe 14,010
Brookfield 12,872
New Fairfield 11,260
Weston 8,284
Redding 7,272
Easton 5,962
Sherman 2,281
County Total: 827,645
Bridgeport (city) 141,686
Stamford (city) 108,056
Norwalk (city) 78,331
Danbury (city) 65,585
Greenwich 58,441
Fairfield 53,418
Stratford 49,389
Shelton (city) 35,418
Trumbull 32,016
Westport 24,410
Ridgefield 20,919
Newtown 20,779
Darien 18,196
New Canaan 17,864
Bethel 17,541
Monroe 16,896
Wilton 15,989
Brookfield 14,113
New Fairfield 12,911
Weston 8,648
Redding 7,927
Easton 6,303
Sherman 2,809
County Total: 882,567
Bridgeport (city) 139,529
Stamford (city) 117,083
Norwalk (city) 82,951
Danbury (city) 74,848
Greenwich 61,101
Fairfield 57,340
Stratford 49,976
Shelton (city) 38,101
Trumbull 34,243
Westport 25,749
Newtown 25,031
Ridgefield 23,643
New Canaan 19,395
Darien 19,607
Monroe 19,247
Bethel 18,067
Wilton 17,633
Brookfield 15,664
New Fairfield 13,953
Weston 10,037
Redding 8,270
Easton 7,272
Sherman 3,827
Boroughs and Non-coextensive Cities
As of 1900, Fairfield County contained five boroughs and four non-coextensive cities:
The borough of Bethel, within the town of the same name
The borough of Greenwich, within the town of the same name
The borough of New Canaan, within the town of the same name
The borough of Newtown, within the town of the same name
The borough of Shelton, within the town of Huntington
The city of Danbury, within the town of the same name
The city of Norwalk, within the town of the same name
The city of South Norwalk, within the town of Norwalk
The city of Stamford, within the town of the same name
In addition to the above, there was a fifth city, Bridgeport, which had already been made coextensive with its parent town. A sixth borough, Ridgefield (within the town of the same name), was incorporated in 1901. The following changes have occurred since then:
1913 – The city of Norwalk became coextensive with its parent town, consolidating with the city of South Norwalk in the process
1915 – The borough of Shelton became a city, and was made coextensive with its parent town (the town of Huntington; the town's name was changed to Shelton in 1919)
The borough of Bethel disincorporated sometime between 1910 and 1920
1921 – The borough of Ridgefield disincorporated
1932 – The borough of Greenwich disincorporated
1935 – The borough of New Canaan disincorporated
1949 – The city of Stamford became coextensive with its parent town
1965 – The city of Danbury became coextensive with its parent town
1900
Danbury (city) 16,537
Stamford (city) 15,997
South Norwalk (city) 6,591
Norwalk (city) 6,125
Shelton (borough) 2,837
Bethel (borough) 2,561
Greenwich (borough) 2,420
New Canaan (borough) 1,304
Newtown (borough) 254
1910
Stamford (city) 25,138
Danbury (city) 20,234
South Norwalk (city) 8,968
Norwalk (city) 6,954
Shelton (borough) 4,807
Greenwich (borough) 3,886
Bethel (borough) 3,041
New Canaan (borough) 1,672
Ridgefield (borough) 1,114
Newtown (borough) 434
1920
Stamford (city) 35,096
Danbury (city) 18,943
Greenwich (borough) 5,939
New Canaan (borough) 1,918
Ridgefield (borough) 1,030
Newtown (borough) 426
1930
Stamford (city) 46,346
Danbury (city) 22,261
Greenwich (borough) 5,981
New Canaan (borough) 2,372
Newtown (borough) 482
1940
Stamford (city) 47,938
Danbury (city) 22,339
Newtown (borough) 603
1950
Danbury (city) 22,067
Newtown (borough) 782
1960
Danbury (city) 22,928
Newtown (borough) 1,261
1970
Newtown (borough) 1,963
1980
Newtown (borough) 2,022
1990
Newtown (borough) 1,800
2000
Newtown (borough) 1,843