CT's Population Growth Slows, Only 0.9% During Past Decade After 4.9% in Previous

While much as been made of late of the thousands who have relocated to Connecticut from out-of-state due to factors related to the pandemic, Connecticut – surprisingly to some – increased its population, ever so slightly, during the past decade.

Connecticut’s population grew by nine-tenths of one percent during the decade between April 2010 and April 2020, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.  Connecticut had 3,605,944 residents on April 1, 2020, compared with 3,574,097 on April 1, 2010, the date of the previous decennial census.  That’s an increase of 31,847 residents.

Based on resident population, Connecticut ranked 29th in both the 2020 and 2010 Census.  The state’s population increase over the decade ranked 47th by percentage increase and 44th by numeric increase, according to Census analysis.

According to the Census Bureau, the resident population of a specific geographic location includes all people living in that location at the time of the census. Since the first decennial census in 1790, people have been counted at their "usual residence," which is the place where they live and sleep most of the time. This place is not always the same as a person's legal residence, voting residence, or where they prefer to be counted, officials noted.

The 2020 Census resident population also includes military and civilian employees of the U.S. government who are deployed outside the United States (while stationed or assigned in the United States) and can be allocated to a usual residence address in the United States based on administrative records from the Department of Defense.

The U.S. population was 331,449,281, an increase of 7.4% from 2010.  The 2020 Census marked the 24th census in U.S. history and the first time that households were invited to respond to the census online.

Connecticut’s population breakdown showed 17.7% were age 65 or older, 20.4% were age 18 or younger, 79.7% were white, 16.9% were Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% were Black or African American, and 5% were Asian.

Nationwide, the U.S. population grew by 7.4% between April 2010 and April 2020.  The largest population growth was in Utah (18.4%), Idaho (17.3%), Texas (15.9%), North Dakota (15.8%), Nevada (15%).  Three states lost population – West Virginia (-3.2%), Illinois (-0.1%) and Mississippi (-0.2%).

All four regions grew between 2010 and 2020, with the Northeast and Midwest growing more slowly than the U.S. increase of 7.4% and the South and West growing faster. The South’s numeric increase of 11.7 million was the largest of any region and represented just over one-half (51.6%) of the national increase of 22.7 million. The West’s increase of 6.6 million people was second-largest, followed by the Northeast (up 2.3 million) and Midwest (up 2.1 million).

In the Northeast, Massachusetts was the region’s fastest growing state this decade for the first time ever. Among states in the region, New York saw a 4.2% increase, Massachusetts reached 7.4% increase, and Rhode Island saw a 4.3% increase in population during the decade.

Census data also indicates that Connecticut’s overseas population was 2,354, which includes U.S. military and federal civilian employees living overseas (and their dependents living with them overseas).  The nation’s overseas population was 350,686.

Looking back to the 2000 Census, Connecticut’s population was 3,405,602.  It grew by 168,495 during the next ten years, to reach 3,574,097 in 2010.  That reflected a 4.9% increase, to be followed by the .9 percent increase between 2010 and 2020. During the first two decades of this century, from 2000 and 2020, Connecticut’s population has grown by 200,342.

U.S. Census charts