Hamden is a
townThe New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in
New Haven CountyNew Haven County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2010 Census, the county population is 862,477 making it the third most populated county in Connecticut. There are 1,340 people per square mile...
,
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States. The town's
nicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
is "The Land of the
Sleeping GiantSleeping Giant of south-central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a rugged traprock mountain located north of New Haven. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the...
." Hamden is home to
Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates. Hamden is a suburb of the city of
New HavenNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
.
In 2008,
Fortune Magazine and
CNN Money picked Hamden as #33 on their "Best Place to Live and Launch" list, citing Hamden's great blend of urban and suburban lifestyles. The article also pointed out Hamden's exceptional education system as well as its "New England Charm".
History
Originally settled by Puritans as part of the town of
New HavenNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Hamden was purchased by
Theophilus EatonTheophilus Eaton was a merchant, farmer, and Puritan colonial leader who was the co-founder and first governor of New Haven Colony, Connecticut.-Early life and first marriage:...
and Reverend
John DavenportJohn Davenport was an English puritan clergyman and co-founder of the American colony of New Haven.-Early life:Born in Manchester, Warwickshire, England to a wealthy family, Davenport was educated at Oxford University...
in 1638 from the local
QuinnipiackThis article is about the Native American nation. For the university, see Quinnipiac University.The Quinnipiac — rarely spelled Quinnipiack — is the English name for the Eansketambawg a Native American nation of the Algonquian family who inhabited the Wampanoki This article is about the Native...
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe. It remained a part of New Haven until 1786 when 1,400 local residents incorporated the area as a separate town, naming it after the
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
statesman
John HampdenJohn Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
.
Largely developed as a nodal collection of village-like settlements, (which remain distinct today,) including Mount Carmel (home to
Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
), Whitneyville, Spring Glen, West Woods, and Highwood, Hamden has a long-standing industrial history. In 1798, four years after Eli Whitney began manufacturing the
cotton ginA cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
in New Haven, he made arms for the U.S. Government at a
millA watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
site in Hamden, where a waterfall provided a good source of power. At that site, Whitney introduced the modern era of
mass productionMass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
with the concept of interchangeable parts.
The major thoroughfare through Hamden has been named Whitney Avenue in honor of Eli Whitney, and it runs past Whitney's old factory, now the
Eli Whitney MuseumThe Eli Whitney Museum, in Hamden, Connecticut, is an experimental learning workshop for students, teachers, and families. The museum focuses on teaching experiments that are the roots of design and invention, featuring hands-on building projects and exhibits on Eli Whitney and A. C...
.
Whitney constructed stone houses for his employees in the nearby area, which is still referred to as Whitneyville; this is believed to be the first example of employer-provided homes in U.S. history. In 1806, the dam that Eli Whitney built at the mill site was enlarged to create a
reservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
,
Lake WhitneyLake Whitney is a lake in Hamden, Connecticut that is a part of the Mill River. The lake was a water source for the New Haven, Connecticut metro area, until it was discontinued in the early 1990s...
. The first
truss bridgeA truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
in the United States was erected nearby over the Mill River in Whitneyville in 1823, but has since been replaced.
The
Farmington CanalThe Farmington Canal, also known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal, was a major private canal built in the early 19th century to provide water transportation from New Haven into the interior of Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond. Its Massachusetts segment was known as the Hampshire and...
, which ships traveled from New Haven northward, passed through Hamden between 1825 and 1848 until it was supplanted by railroad travel. The canal right-of-way has become, in recent years, a popular walking and bicycling trail, passing by some of the well-preserved
locks of the canalA lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
, as well as some of Hamden's oldest sites. Before its use as a walking and bicycling trail, many local residents rode their motocross bikes on the Farmington Canal.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hamden received a steady influx of immigrants, most notably from
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and
IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. To this day, a large part of Greater New Haven's Italian-American community resides in Hamden.
During the post-war period, Hamden underwent significant suburban development. Much of the southern section of town is urbanized and is difficult to distinguish from neighboring New Haven. The northern section of town, however, retains a more rural character, and has the distinct neighborhood of Mount Carmel. This area of town is the location of the unique
Sleeping GiantSleeping Giant of south-central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a rugged traprock mountain located north of New Haven. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the...
hill formation that is the source of the town's nickname.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 33.3 square miles (86.2 km²), of which, 32.8 square miles (85 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (1.62%) is water. The town features the Mill River, which runs from the northern part of town, is dammed to form
Lake WhitneyLake Whitney could be:*Lake Whitney *Lake Whitney...
, and flows from there to the
Long Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. The town also has the
Quinnipiac RiverThe Quinnipiac River is a river in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Connecticut.It rises in west central Connecticut from Dead Wood Swamp west of the city of New Britain...
and Lake Wintergreen, as well as numerous small streams.
Neighborhoods
- Augerville
- Centerville (Town Center)
- Dunbar Hill
- Hamden Plains
- Highwood
- Mix District
- Mount Carmel
- Spring Glen
- State Street
- Whitneyville
- West Woods (Hamden Hills)
Notable areas
The Town Hall at the center of Hamden has a distinctive appearance. Across the street is Freedom Park, which contains a fountain with concrete stepping stones leading to a sign that pleads for peace in several different languages.
Hamden was host to the Ghost Parking Lot, a notable roadside
public artThe term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
installationInstallation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
located in front of the Hamden Plaza shopping center in Hamden's commercial district on Dixwell Avenue. Erected in 1978, it consisted of 15 car hulks, specially treated and encased in asphalt. Although featured in over 100 art books, the attraction was torn down in 2003 due to the excessive cost of restoration and repair.
Adjacent municipalities
Hamden is bordered by six other towns:
- To its north, Cheshire
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
and WallingfordWallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
- To its east, North Haven
North Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut on the outskirts of New Haven, Connecticut.North Haven is less than ten miles from downtown New Haven and Yale University. It is near Sleeping Giant State Park and home the Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing,...
- To its south, New Haven
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
(a town whose territory is identical to that of the city of the same name)
- To its west, Woodbridge
Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University...
and BethanyBethany is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,040 at the 2000 census. Bethany was first settled in 1717 but it was not until May 1832 that Bethany separated from Woodbridge to become incorporated as a town. This slightly remote, sparsely populated,...
Government
Hamden is governed by a mayor-council form of government, with a 15-member legislative council. Six councilors are elected at large while the other nine are elected by district. Town elections are held biennially during odd years in May. Other elected positions in the town government are the Town Clerk and members of the Board of Education. Positions in the various town boards and commissions are generally appointed by the Mayor subject to approval by the Legislative Council.
Scott Jackson became mayor in 2009. Past mayors of Hamden are:
- Craig Henrici, 2005–2009
- Carl Amento, 1999–2005
- Barbara DeNicola, 1997–1999
- Lillian Clayman, 1991–1997
- Johnny Carusone, 1987–1991
- John DeNicola Jr., 1985–1987
- Peter Villano, 1981–1985
- Dick Harris, 1979–1981
- Lucien DiMeo, 1973–1979
- Bill Adams, 1967–1973
- John DeNicola Sr., 1965–1967
John DeNicola Sr. was the town's last first selectman before becoming the town’s first mayor, in November 1965.
Economy
The main industries in the town are retail trade, computer products, manufacture of wire and cable, concrete, pump mixer products, fabricated metals, construction and business services. Business services account for 49.4% of employment in the town, with retail trade accounting for 22.8%, and manufacturing accounting for 9.6%. The top four major employers are: the town government and school district,
Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
, Harborside Health Care, and Area Cooperative Education Services (ACES).
Shaw's Supermarket was one of the top five major employers but the Hamden Shaw's was sold to ShopRite in a sale of Shaw's Connecticut stores announced on February 13, 2010. The Shaw's supermarket has been shut down and the new ShopRite store has opened.
Hamden is a residential suburb for
New HavenNew Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
with more residents commuting to work in New Haven than residents working in Hamden.
Transportation
The
Wilbur Cross ParkwayThe Wilbur Cross Parkway is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, a former governor of the state...
runs through the center of the town serving as a connection to
HartfordHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in the north, and
New York metropolitan areaThe New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
to the south. The town is connected to Interstate 91 via state highway
Route 40Route 40, also known as the Mount Carmel Connector, is a spur route from Interstate 91 in North Haven, Connecticut connecting I-91 and Bailey Road in North Haven to Route 10 in the Mount Carmel neighborhood of Hamden. Route 40 is a 4-lane freeway with one intermediate exit leading to/from U.S....
, a spur expressway to the Mount Carmel section of town. The main route from the town center to New Haven passing through the commercial areas of Hamden is Dixwell Avenue (Route 10). Another route to New Haven via the Spring Glen and Whitneyville residential neighborhoods is Whitney Avenue.
Public transportation is provided by
Connecticut Transit New HavenConnecticut Transit New Haven is the second largest division of Connecticut Transit, providing service on 24 routes in 19 towns within the Greater New Haven and Lower Naugatuck River Valley areas, with connections to other CT Transit routes in Waterbury and Meriden, as well as connections to...
. The main bus routes in the town are the Dixwell Avenue (D) and the Whitney Avenue (J) routes. Other secondary routes serving the town are the State Street (M) and Winchester Avenue (O) bus routes.
North Haven/Hamden StationNorth Haven/Hamden Station is a proposed station in North Haven, Connecticut on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line. It was listed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation as one of three new stations that would be built for the line, the others being Enfield and Newington...
, a possible station on the proposed
New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail LineThe New Haven–Hartford–Springfield commuter rail line is a planned commuter rail line with a southern terminus at Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut, and a northern terminus at Union Station in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States...
, may be built next to the Hamden-North Haven border near the
Route 40 ConnectorRoute 40, also known as the Mount Carmel Connector, is a spur route from Interstate 91 in North Haven, Connecticut connecting I-91 and Bailey Road in North Haven to Route 10 in the Mount Carmel neighborhood of Hamden. Route 40 is a 4-lane freeway with one intermediate exit leading to/from U.S....
, serving both towns.
Elementary schools
- West Woods Elementary School
- Church Street Elementary School
- Spring Glen Elementary School
- Shepherd Glen Elementary School
Shepherd Glen Elementary School is an elementary school located on Skiff Street Extension in Hamden, Connecticut. It was established in 1972. It enrolls students in grades kindergarten to 6th. The current principal is Mr. Joesph DiBacco.- Structure :...
- Ridge Hill Elementary School
- Dunbar Hill Elementary School
- Bear Path School http://www.hamden.org/page.cfm?p=160
- Helen Street Elementary School
- Alice Peck Early Learning Center
Middle school
- Hamden Middle School
Hamden Middle School is a two-year middle school for grades 7 and 8, located at 2623 Dixwell Ave. in Hamden, Connecticut. It is the only public middle school within the Hamden Public School District. It was the 1998-99 Connecticut School of the Year. The current principal is Daniel Levy...
(grades 7 and 8, with an enrollment of about 1,200 students)
Magnet schools
- Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (grades: Kindergarten through 8)
- Highville Mustard Seed Charter School (High school)
High schools
- Eli Whitney Technical High School
Eli Whitney Technical High School, previously known as Eli Whitney Regional Vocational Technical High School, is a four year high school for grades 9 through 12. It is located in Hamden, Connecticut and opened in 1956.-References:**...
- Hamden High School
Hamden High School is a four year high school for grades 9 through 12. It is located at 2040 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut. It is part of the Hamden Public School System and is the only public high school within the town of Hamden....
(grades 9–12, with an enrollment of about 2,200 students)
Private
Hamden is home to several private and religious schools, including:
- Hamden Hall Country Day School
Hamden Hall Country Day School is a coeducational private day school in Hamden, Connecticut, offering classes from PreSchool through Grade 12. Hamden Hall was founded in 1912 as an elementary day school for boys by Dr. John P. Cushing, its first Headmaster. The school has been coeducational since...
- Laurel Oaks Adventist School (grades 1–8)
- Lorraine D. Foster Day School
- Sacred Heart Academy (grades 9-12)
- St. Stephen School (Roman Catholic, grades pre-K to 8)
- St. Rita School http://www.stritaschool.org (Roman Catholic, grades pre-K to 8)
- West Woods Christian Academy (evangelical Christian, grades K-12)
- SKF Academy
Colleges and universities
- Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
, which has an enrollment of about 8,000 students
- Paier College of Art
The Paier College of Art is a private 4-year art school in Hamden, Connecticut, on the outskirts of the greater New Haven area. Formerly the Paier School of Art, the institution's current name and form date from 1982 when it received a charter and accreditation for offering a 4-year Bachelor of...
- Mount Sacred Heart College
Mount Sacred Heart College was a small Catholic women's college in Hamden, Connecticut. It was founded in 1946 and closed in the summer of 1997 due to low enrollment....
, a CatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
women's collegeWomen's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
associated with Sacred Heart Academy, closed in 1997.
Quality of life
Within the town limits, there are 16 banks, 6 lodging facilities, and 29 day care facilities. There are no hospitals in the town although it is close to the major hospitals in New Haven. In 2004, the crime rate was 2,084 per 100,000 residents, lower than the statewide average of 2,981 per 100,000 residents. The town library has 166,358 volumes (as of 2001).
Electricity in the town is provided by the United Illuminating company; natural gas is provided by the
Southern Connecticut Gas-Overview & History:The Southern Connecticut Gas Company is a natural gas distribution company that delivers natural gas and energy services to more than 185,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers along or near the Long Island Sound shoreline. SCG is a subsidiary of UIL Holdings...
company; the water provider is the
South Central Connecticut Regional Water AuthorityThe South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority is a public water supply utility in Connecticut, United States.The Authority supplies water in a 15-town region with a population of about 400,000. Historically it was the water supplier in the towns of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven,...
; Cable TV is provided by
ComcastComcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
of New Haven.
There are several parks and museums located in Hamden, including
Eli Whitney MuseumThe Eli Whitney Museum, in Hamden, Connecticut, is an experimental learning workshop for students, teachers, and families. The museum focuses on teaching experiments that are the roots of design and invention, featuring hands-on building projects and exhibits on Eli Whitney and A. C...
in Whitneyville, parts of
West Rock Ridge State ParkWest Rock Ridge State Park is a state park located in New Haven, Hamden, and Woodbridge, Connecticut. It is named for the trap rock West Rock Ridge, which is part of the Metacomet Ridge extending from Long Island Sound to the Vermont border. The ridge consists largely of diabase basalt, much like...
(including Lake Wintergreen) and
East Rock ParkEast Rock Park is a park in the city of New Haven and the town of Hamden, Connecticut that is operated as a New Haven city park. The park surrounds and includes the mountainous ridge named East Rock and was developed with naturalistic landscaping....
(including the Pardee Rose Garden), and the Sleeping Giant State Park. The
Farmington Canal TrailThe Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is an 80-mile multi-use rail trail located in Connecticut and Massachusetts.It follows the abandoned north-south right-of-way of the former New Haven and Northampton Company...
runs through the town. Two blue-blazed hiking trails, the
Quinnipiac TrailThe Quinnipiac Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is the product of the evolution and growth of the first trail designated in Connecticut's Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system, with its light-blue rectangular vertical painted blazes .-The route:From its...
and the
Regicides TrailRegicides Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail, about 7 miles long, roughly following the edge of a basalt, or traprock, cliff northwest of New Haven, Connecticut. It is named for two regicides, Edward Whalley and his son-in-law William Goffe, who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England...
, also run through the town.
The Jonathan Dickerman House, listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
is located in Mount Carmel. Hamden also has an all-volunteer orchestra, the Hamden Symphony Orchestra, providing concerts throughout the year.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 56,913 people, 22,408 households, and 14,027 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,736.1 people per square mile (670.4/km²). There were 23,464 housing units at an average density of 715.7 per square mile (276.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.30% White, 15.53% African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.61% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.26% of the population.
There were 22,408 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,351, and the median income for a family was $65,301. Males had a median income of $45,909 versus $35,941 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $26,039. About 4.5% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 |
| Party |
Active Voters |
Inactive Voters |
Total Voters |
Percentage
|
Democratic The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
|
13,161 |
701 |
13,862 |
37.98%
|
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
|
4,782 |
369 |
5,151 |
14.11%
|
Unaffiliated |
15,593 |
1,828 |
17,421 |
47.74%
|
Minor Parties |
57 |
4 |
61 |
0.17% |
| Total |
33,593 |
2,902 |
36,495 |
100% |
Notable people, past and present
- Daniel Altman
Daniel Altman is an American-born economist and writer. He is Director of Thought Leadership at Dalberg Global Development Advisors. He is also the founder and president of North Yard Economics, a not-for-profit consulting firm that provides high-quality economic analysis to governments and...
, author and journalist, grew up in Hamden and was educated entirely in the Hamden Public School system.
- Sidney Altman
Sidney Altman is a Canadian American molecular biologist, who is currently the Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Chemistry at Yale University. In 1989 he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Thomas R...
, Nobel Laureate, resident since 1972.
- Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
, the actor, was born in town.
- Scott Burrell
Scott David Burrell is an American retired professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Quinnipiac University. He has played internationally and was also a professional baseball player...
, two-sport athlete and longtime professional basketball player, grew up in town and attended the high school where he was also the starting quarterback on the varsity team.
- Anthony Rossomando
Anthony Pasquale Rossomando is a guitarist, most recently with Carl Barat's rock band Dirty Pretty Things. He previously stood in for Pete Doherty in The Libertines, after Doherty was first suspended from the band and then sacked due to his drug habits...
, of Dirty Pretty ThingsDirty Pretty Things were an English band fronted by Carl Barât, a member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Barât and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004. Barât had worked with Vertigo Records and had...
- John Carpenter
John Carpenter became the first millionaire on the United States version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on November 19, 1999. He held the record for the largest single win in United States game show history, until it was broken by Rahim Oberholtzer who won $1.12 million on...
, The first winner of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?"
- Joe Castiglione
Joseph John Castiglione is an American radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team, an author and lecturer.-Early life and career:...
, former TV play-by-play man for the Cleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, currently radio play-by-play man for the Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
- Thomas P. Colangelo (1949–2007), main designer of most famous high-end audio brand Mark Levinson
The company Mark Levinson, now owned by Madrigal Audio Laboratories specializes in high-end digital audio processors, integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, pre amplifiers, and CD players...
. His designs put the American audio industry back on the map.
- Rich Diana (born 1960), Former NFL running back for the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
- Paul Fusco
Paul Fusco is an American puppeteer, voice-over artist and character actor who is best known as the voice, creator, and puppeteer of ALF...
, the voice, creator, and puppeteer of ALFALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
, grew up in town.
- Edward W. Gosselin
Ensign Edward Webb Gosselin was an officer of the United States Navy who died in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor....
(1917 – December 7, 1941), a U.S. Navy ensign who died in the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborPearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, was born in town.
- James J. Greco
James Joseph Greco is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the restaurant group Le Duff America, a bakery café chain headquartered in Burlington, Vermont; Dallas, Texas; and Toronto, Canada.-Early Years and Personal Life:Greco was born in...
, CEO of Bruegger's Enterprises Inc.Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc., and wholly owned subsidiary Threecaf Brands Canada, Inc., are franchisers and operators of Bruegger's bakery-cafés, Timothy's World Coffee, mmmuffins, and Michel's Baguette....
grew up in town.
- Linda Greenhouse
Linda Greenhouse is the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph M. Goldstein Senior Fellow at Yale Law School...
(born 1947), Pulitzer prizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning journalist, grew up in town.
- Henry Gruber
Henry Gruber was a baseball pitcher in the late 19th century. He played 5 years, his first with the Detroit Wolverines, and then played with two Cleveland clubs, the Spiders and the Infants. He won 61 games and lost 78 in his career, and had a 3.67 E.R.A. After his time in the Majors, he played in...
(1863–1932), Baseball player, holds record for most walks in a game at 16.
- Donald Hall
Donald Hall is an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2006.-Personal life:...
, poet, named poet laureate of the United States in 2006, grew up in town.
- Jean Harris
Jean Harris was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia who made national news in 1980 as the defendant in a high-profile murder case of her lover Dr...
, killer and ex-lover of Dr. Herman Tarnower, the co-author of The Complete Scarsdale Medical DietThe Scarsdale Medical Diet is a low-fat, low-calorie weight-loss diet system and accompanying book The Scarsdale Medical Diet is a low-fat, low-calorie weight-loss diet system and accompanying book The Scarsdale Medical Diet is a low-fat, low-calorie weight-loss diet system and accompanying book...
- Anttaj Hawthorne
Anttaj Hawthorne is an American football defensive lineman for the Arizona Rattlers of Arena Football 1. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.-Early years:Hawthorne attended Hamden High School in Hamden,...
, Former Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive tackle, grew up in town and starred on the high school football team.
- Bob Heussler
Bob Heussler , currently resides in Hamden, Connecticut and is a radio sports broadcaster at WFAN in New York where he has made regular appearances on the Mike and the Mad Dog and Mike'd Up programs since 1993. He currently is the radio play-by-play voice of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun...
, voice of the Connecticut SunThe Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
and a WFANWFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
broadcaster, has resided in Hamden since 1983.
- Rob Monaco, former St. Louis Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Center was born in Hamden.
- Jeff Natale, minor-league baseball in the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization, lives in town. Also teaches at Hamden Middle SchoolHamden Middle School is a two-year middle school for grades 7 and 8, located at 2623 Dixwell Ave. in Hamden, Connecticut. It is the only public middle school within the Hamden Public School District. It was the 1998-99 Connecticut School of the Year. The current principal is Daniel Levy...
in the offseason.
- Jaroslav Pelikan
Jaroslav Jan Pelikan was a scholar in the history of Christianity, Christian theology and medieval intellectual history.-Early years:...
(1923–2006) one of the world's leading scholars in the history of Christianity and medieval intellectual history, died in town, but not before saying the last of his many aphorisms: "If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen -- nothing else matters."
- Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Quick is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, NHL goalie. Rookie in 2007. Played first game for the Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on December 6, 2007.
- The Rock
Dwayne Douglas Johnson , also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler who is signed to the WWE,primarily featuring on its Raw brand. He is often credited as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson....
(Dwayne Douglas Johnson, b. 1972), professional wrestler and actor, spent part of his childhood in town, attending Shepherd Glen Elementary and Hamden Middle SchoolHamden Middle School is a two-year middle school for grades 7 and 8, located at 2623 Dixwell Ave. in Hamden, Connecticut. It is the only public middle school within the Hamden Public School District. It was the 1998-99 Connecticut School of the Year. The current principal is Daniel Levy...
.
- Benjamin Scolnic
Rabbi Benjamin Edidin Scolnic, born October 28, 1953, is an author who has been the spiritual leader at Temple Beth Sholom in Hamden, Connecticut since 1983....
, author, Rabbi, long-time resident
- Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.-Early years:Wilder was born in Madison,...
(1897–1975), the playwright, lived in town and is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery. In tribute to him, the Miller library (the town's main library) has a stage/performing arts wing named the Thorton Wilder Hall.
- Eddie Wilson
Edward Francis Wilson was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1936 and 1937 baseball seasons. He was a triple threat athlete at Hill House High School in New Haven, Ct starring in football, basketball and baseball, captaining both football and baseball teams in...
, (1909–1979), outfielder played for 14 years, born in Hamden.
- C. Vann Woodward
Comer Vann Woodward was a preeminent American historian focusing primarily on the American South and race relations. He was considered, along with Richard Hofstadter and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., to be one of the most influential historians of the postwar era, 1940s-1970s, both by scholars and by...
(1908–1999), pre-eminent historian focusing on the SouthThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and race relations, was a resident of the town at the time of his death.
- Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
(1765–1825), inventor of the cotton gin.
- Wendy Wright
Wendy Alane Wright is an American singer, author and actress; and daughter of author W.D. Wright .-Career as a signer:Wright was lead singer of the Dutch pop group Def La Desh And The Fresh Witness from 1990 to...
Lead singer of Def La Desh & The Fresh Witness, Star of ABC's Fat March (2007) author of Contrary Action: An Ordinary Girl's Dialogue with God, grew up in Hamden.
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