Bethel, Connecticut

Bethel (/ˈbɛθəl/) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, about 69 miles (111 km) from New York City. Its population was 18,584 at the 2010 census.[1] The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). The core area of the town center is the Greenwood Avenue Historic District.

Bethel, Connecticut
Town
Seal
Location in Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut.
Coordinates: 41°22′27″N 73°23′42″W
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyFairfield
Metropolitan areaBridgeport-Stamford
Incorporated1855
Government
 • TypeSelectman-town meeting
 • First selectmanMatthew S. Knickerbocker (D)
 • SelectmanRichard C. Straiton (D)
 • SelectmanPaul R. Szatkowski (R)
Area
 • Total16.9 sq mi (43.8 km2)
 • Land16.8 sq mi (43.5 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
482 ft (147 m)
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total18,584
 • Density1,099.6/sq mi (424.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06801
Area code(s)203/475
FIPS code09-04720
GNIS feature ID0213390
Websitewww.bethel-ct.gov

Interstate 84 passes through the Bethel, and it has a train station on the Danbury Branch of Metro-North's New Haven Line.

History

Bethel was first settled around 1700. The town incorporated in 1855. Bethel is a name derived from Hebrew meaning "house of God".[2]

On the National Register of Historic Places

Historic pictures
  • Bird's eye view, ca. 1910
  • P.T. Barnum Fountain, ca. 1914
  • Greenwood Avenue, ca. 1909
  • South Street, ca. 1910

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.9 square miles (44 km2), of which 16.8 square miles (44 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.53%, is water. The Bethel CDP, corresponding to the town center, has a total area of 4.1 square miles (11 km2), all land. Bethel borders Redding to the south, Danbury to the west, Brookfield to the north, and Newtown to the east.

In Bethel
Bethel Sycamore
  • The first meeting of the Young Communist League was held in Bethel in May 1922.[3]
  • Battery manufacturer Duracell is headquartered in 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[4] and an award-winning marching band (The Marching Wildcats)

Notable people

Movies filmed in Bethel

The following films were at least partially shot in Bethel.[8]

Demographics
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income
Historical population
YearPop.±%
18601,711—    
18702,311+35.1%
18802,727+18.0%
18903,401+24.7%
19003,327−2.2%
19103,792+14.0%
19203,201−15.6%
19303,886+21.4%
19404,105+5.6%
19505,104+24.3%
19608,200+60.7%
197010,945+33.5%
198016,004+46.2%
199017,541+9.6%
200018,067+3.0%
201018,584+2.9%
Source: [9]

As of the 2010 census Bethel had a population of 18,584. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 88.8% white, 1.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 2.8% from some other race and 1.9% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino from any race.[10]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 18,067 people, 6,505 households, and 4,846 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,075.7 people per square mile (415.5/km2). There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of 396.1 per square mile (153.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town in 2005 was 85.86% White, 1.91% African American, 0.26% Native American, 4.58% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races or of multiple races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.33% of the population. 20.2% were of Italian, 17.5% Irish, 9.1% German, 7.0% English, 6.7% American and 6.0% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.[12] 88.7% spoke English, 4.4% Spanish, 3.3% Portuguese, 1.5% German and 1.0% French as their first language.[13]

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. About 1.2% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Politics
Bethel town vote
by party in presidential elections[14]
Year Democratic Republican Third Parties
2016 48.52% 4,777 46.47% 4,575 5.02% 494
2012 51.18% 4,777 47.63% 4,445 1.19% 111
2008 53.57% 5,179 45.20% 4,370 1.23% 119
2004 46.74% 4,486 51.34% 4,927 1.92% 184
2000 48.50% 4,324 45.50% 4,057 6.00% 535
1996 46.62% 3,883 41.69% 3,472 11.69% 974
1992 34.04% 3,178 42.56% 3,974 23.40% 2,185
1988 36.41% 2,924 62.43% 5,013 1.16% 93
1984 29.09% 2,312 70.57% 5,610 0.34% 27
1980 32.24% 2,379 54.42% 4,015 13.34% 984
1976 41.54% 2,640 57.67% 3,665 0.79% 50
1972 30.88% 1,709 67.56% 3,739 1.55% 86
1968 39.80% 1,780 53.06% 2,373 7.13% 319
1964 65.63% 2,731 34.37% 1,430 0.00% 0
1960 44.86% 1,862 55.14% 2,289 0.00% 0
1956 24.59% 850 75.41% 2,607 0.00% 0
Voter Registration & Party Affiliation as of October 29, 2019[15]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 3,229 191 3,420 25.77%
Democratic 3,571 234 3,805 28.67%
Unaffiliated 5,383 448 5,831 43.94%
Minor parties 200 14 214 1.61%
Total 12,383 887 13,270 100%
gollark: Skynet is just a communications system. The relay handles interaction with a few ingame devices.
gollark: Yes, that would be your problem.
gollark: You'll have to do everything but the communication yourself, obviously.
gollark: I mean, in theory skynet - no relay needed - can be used to *send messages to and from* turtles.
gollark: What? It's the relay, you don't need the relay bit for that.

References
  1. "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Bethel town, Connecticut". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  2. The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 331.
  3. http://www.marxisthistory.org/subject/usa/eam/ycleague.html
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-10-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Dixon, Ken, "Music Hall of Fame proposed for state", article in Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 26, 2007 ("Thurston Moore, leader of alt-rock legends Sonic Youth, who grew up in Bethel")
  6. http://www.ctpost.com/news/slideshow/What-was-CT-like-26-years-ago-81926/photo-5546204.php
  7. Shook, J.R.; Hull, R.T. (2005). Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers. The Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers. Thoemmes. p. 2188. ISBN 978-1-84371-037-0. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  8. https://www.imdb.com/search/title?locations=Bethel,%20Connecticut,%20USA
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2007-03-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. 2010 population by race and Hispanic or Latino by place chart for Connecticut from the US Census
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  13. http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=9&place_id=4790&cty_id=
  14. https://authoring.ct.gov//SOTS/Election-Services/Statement-Of-Vote-PDFs/General-Elections-Statement-of-Vote-1922
  15. "CT Registration & Party Enrollment Statistics as of November 5, 2019" (PDF).
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