New Haven County, Connecticut
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Template:Infobox U.S. County New Haven County is located in the south central part of the state of Connecticut. As of 2000 the population was 824,008. The largest city is New Haven.
As is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is no county government, and no county seat. In Connecticut, towns are responsible for all local government activities, including fire and rescue, snow removal and schools. In a few cases, neighboring towns will share certain resources, i.e. water, gas, etc. However, New Haven County is merely a group of towns on a map, and has no particular authority. The state judicial system, however, remains divided by county, and drivers receiving speeding tickets on state or interstate highways, for example, find themselves in New Haven County Court being escorted by a New Haven County Marshal. (See also: Greater New Haven)
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,233 km² (862 mi²). 1,569 km² (606 mi²) of it is land and 664 km² (256 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 29.74% water.
Geographic Features
The terrain is mostly flat near both the coast and the Housatonic River, rising significantly only in the north of the county. The highest elevation is close to the northernmost point in the county, found at two areas of approximately 1,050 feet (320 m) above sea level in the town of Wolcott. The lowest point is sea level.
Notable geographic landmarks:
Adjacent counties
- Hartford County -- north
- Middlesex County -- east
- Fairfield County -- west
- Litchfield County -- northwest
New Haven county is bounded on the south by Long Island Sound.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 824,008 people, 319,040 households, and 210,566 families residing in the county. The population density was 525/km² (1,361/mi²). There were 340,732 housing units at an average density of 217/km² (563/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.40% White, 11.32% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.51% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. 10.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 319,040 households out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,834, and the median income for a family was $60,549. Males had a median income of $43,643 versus $32,001 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,439. 9.50% of the population and 7.00% of families were below the poverty line. 13.00% of those under the age of 18 and 7.70% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Cities, towns, and villages*
- Ansonia
- Beacon Falls
- Bethany
- Branford
- -- Branford Center (a village of Branford)
- Cheshire
- -- Cheshire Village (a village of Chester)
- Derby
- East Haven
- Guilford
- -- Guilford Center (a village of Guilford)
- Hamden
- Madison
- -- Madison Center (a village of Madison)
- Meriden
- Middlebury
- Milford
- -- Woodmont (a village of Milford)
- Naugatuck
- New Haven
- Fair Haven, Connecticut (a village of New Haven)
- North Branford
- Northford, Connecticut (a village of North Branford)
- North Haven
- Orange
- Oxford
- Prospect
- Seymour
- Southbury
- Wallingford
- -- Wallingford Center (a village of Wallingford)
- Yalesville, Connecticut (a village of Wallingford)
- Waterbury
- West Haven
- Wolcott
- Woodbridge
* Villages are census division, but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.
Colleges and universities
New Haven county serves as a center of advanced learning, with several noted educational institutions located within its borders centered on the city of New Haven. These include:
- Albertus Magnus College
- Gateway Community College
- Quinnipiac University
- Southern Connecticut State University
- University of New Haven
- Yale University
