Bethel, Connecticut
Bethel is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA, about sixty miles from New York City. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 18,067.
The town is easily accessible from Interstate 84 and has a train station on Metro-North's New Haven line.
In Bethel
- P. T. Barnum was born in Bethel at 55 Greenwood Avenue, and he expanded the home during his youth after a fire destroyed the front of the building.
- The bicycle manufacturer Cannondale and battery manufacturer Duracell are both headquartered in Bethel.
- Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore is from Bethel.
- Actress Meg Ryan is from Bethel.
- In 1934, Rudolph Kunett started the first vodka distillery in the U.S. after purchasing rights to the recipe from the exiled Smirnoff family.
- Bethel High School is home to an award-winning NJROTC unit. [1]
History
For 96 years, until its secession in 1855, Bethel was a parish of what would later become Danbury. The name "Bethel" means "House of El (God)".
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.7 km² (16.9 mi²). 43.5 km² (16.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.53% water. Bethel has many hills and is in a valley; so not many cell phone companies have reception there( Nextel does).
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 18,067 people, 6,505 households, and 4,846 families residing in the town. The population density was 415.5/km² (1,075.7/mi²). There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of 153.0/km² (396.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.39% White, 1.26% African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. 3.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,505 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,891, and the median income for a family was $78,358. Males had a median income of $51,816 versus $36,544 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,927. 2.5% of the population and 1.2% of families were below the poverty line. 1.3% of those under the age of 18 and 5.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Historical Population
- 1860 - 1,711
- 1870 - 2,311
- 1880 - 2,727
- 1890 - 3,401
- 1900 - 3,327
- 1910 - 3,792
- 1920 - 3,201
- 1930 - 3,886
- 1940 - 4,105
- 1950 - 5,104
- 1960 - 8,200
- 1970 - 10,945
- 1980 - 16,004
- 1990 - 17,541
- 2000 - 18,067
- 2002 - 18,449 (estimate)