New Canaan, Connecticut
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New Canaan is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 19,395.
New Canaan has two Metro North railroad stations. They are called New Canaan and Talmadge Hill.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.2 km² (22.5 mi²). 57.3 km² (22.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.56% water. The town is served by the Merritt Parkway, and by a spur line of the Metro North railroad. It is north of Stamford and west of Wilton. The downtown area consists of many restaurants, an old movie theater, antique shops, and other miscellaneous shops. There are also several churches in town, as well as the historic Roger Sherman Inn.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 19,395 people, 6,822 households, and 5,280 families residing in the town. The population density is 338.4/km² (876.5/mi²). There are 7,141 housing units at an average density of 124.6/km² (322.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 95.27% White, 1.04% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,822 households out of which 41.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% are married couples living together, 6.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% are non-families. 19.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.83 and the average family size is 3.26.
In the town the population is spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $141,788, and the median income for a family is $175,331. Males have a median income of $100,000 versus $53,924 for females. The per capita income for the town is $82,049. 2.5% of the population and 1.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.2% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
In 1731, Connecticut's colonial legislature established Canaan Parish as a religious entity in northwestern Norwalk and northeastern Stamford. The right to form a Congregational church was granted to the few families scattered through the area. As inhabitants of Norwalk or Stamford, Canaan Parish settlers still had to vote, pay taxes, serve on juries, and file deeds in their home towns. Because Canaan Parish was not planned as a town, New Canaan, when incorporated in 1801,found itself without a central common, a main street or a town hall.
Until the Revolutionary War, New Canaan was primarily an agricultural community. After the war, New Canaan's major industry was shoe making. As New Canaan's shoe business gathered momentum early in the nineteenth century, instead of a central village, regional settlements of clustered houses, mill, and school developed into distinct district centers. Some of the districts were centered on Ponus Ridge, West Road, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, Talmadge Hill and Silvermine, a pattern which the village gradually outgrew.
With the 1868 advent of the railroad to New Canaan, many of New York City's wealthy residents discovered the quiet, peaceful area and built magnificent summer homes. Eventually, many of the summer visitors settled year-round, commuting to their jobs in New York City and creating the residential community that exists today.
It is the birthplace of conservative political commentator Ann Coulter and the hometown of L. Paul Bremer.
Education
New Canaan has five public schools:
- Elementary School: East School, South School, West School
- Middle School: Saxe Middle School
- High School: New Canaan High School
New England Association of Schools and Colleges rating: Superb.
There were 3,980 students enrolled in grades K-12 in the 2003-2004 school year and the total expenditure was $50,786,700.
Class of 2003 statistics:
- Average SAT I Verbal: 585
- Average SAT I Math: 598
- 48.3% of students attending 4 year colleges were accepted to schools ranked by Barron's Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges as Most Competitive and Highly Competitive.
New Canaan also has two private schools:
- St. Luke's School: 5th Grade, Middle School, Upper School
- New Canaan Country School: Middle School, Upper School
Movies Filmed In New Canaan
Books about New Canaan
- Public Schools Should Learn to Ski by Stephen E. Rubin
Links
- Official Website of the Town of New Canaan, CT (http://www.newcanaan.info/)
- New Canaan public schools (http://www.newcanaan.k12.ct.us/)