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New Haven County, Connecticut
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New Haven County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. In 2000, the population was 824,008. Two of the state's largest cities, New Haven and Waterbury, are part of New Haven County.
County governments were abolished in Connecticut in 1960. Thus, as is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is no county government, and no county seat. Until 1960, the city of New Haven was the county seat.
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Encyclopedia
New Haven County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. In 2000, the population was 824,008. Two of the state's largest cities, New Haven and Waterbury, are part of New Haven County.
County governments were abolished in Connecticut in 1960. Thus, as is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is no county government, and no county seat. Until 1960, the city of New Haven was the county seat. In Connecticut, towns are responsible for all local government activities, including fire and rescue, snow removal and schools. In some cases, neighboring towns will share certain activities, e.g. schools, health, etc. New Haven County is merely a group of towns on a map, and has no particular authority. The county Sheriff system was abolished by voters and replaced by State Judicial Marshals in 2000. As a result, the state judicial system in New Haven County is currently split into three judicial districts: New Haven, Ansonia-Milford, and Waterbury.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 862 square miles (2,233 kmē), of which, 606 square miles (1,569 kmē) of it is land and 256 square miles (664 kmē) of it (29.74%) is 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 include Mount Carmel ("Sleeping Giant"), West Rock and East Rock.
Adjacent counties
New Haven county is bounded on the south by Long Island Sound.
Cities, towns, and villages*
* Villages are named localities within towns but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.
Government and municipal services
As of 1960, counties in Connecticut do not have any associated county government structure. All municipal services are provided by the towns. In order to address issues concerning more than one town, several regional agencies that help coordinate the towns for infrastructure, land use, and economic development concerns have been established. Within the geographical area of New Haven County, the regional agencies are:
- (partly in Litchfield County)
- (partly in Fairfield County)
Judicial
The geographic area of the county is served by the three separate judicial districts: Ansonia-Milford, Waterbury, and New Haven. Each judicial district has a superior court located, respectively, in Milford, Waterbury, and New Haven.
Law enforcement
Law enforcement within the geographic area of the county is provided by the respective town police departments. Prior to 2000, a County Sheriff's Department existed for the purpose of executing judicial warrants, prisoner transport, and court security. These responsibilities have now been taken over by the Connecticut State Marshal System.
Fire protection
Fire protection in the county is provided by the towns. Several towns also have fire districts that provide services to a section of the town.
Water service
Water service is provided by a regional non-profit public corporation known as the Regional Water Authority. The Regional Water Authority supplies water to most of the towns within New Haven County, excluding the Waterbury area and the towns of Guilford and Madison. The Regional Water Authority is one of only two such county-wide public water service providers in the state.
Education
Education in the county area is usually provided by the individual town governments. Several less populated towns have joined together to form regional school districts. Bethany, Orange, and Woodbridge are part of Region 5; Middlebury and Southbury are part of Region 15; and Beacon Falls and Prospect are part of Region 16.
Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 824,008 people, 319,040 households, and 210,566 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,361 per square mile (525/kmē). There were 340,732 housing units at an average density of 563 per square mile (217/kmē). 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. 24.5% were of Italian, 12.3% Irish, 6.0% Polish, 5.7% English and 5.6% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 8.73% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 2.05% speak Italian.
There were 319,040 households 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.
The age distribution was 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 household income was $48,834, and the median family income 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. About 7.00% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
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:
New Haven county organizations
See also
External links
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