ZIP Code 06470

Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Greater Danbury metropolitan area as well as the New York metropolitan area. Newtown was founded in 1705, and later incorporated in 1711. As of the 2020 census, its population was 27,173. The game of "Scrabble" was developed here by James Brunot. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother in her home and then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he killed 20 children and six adult staff. Lanza suffered from severe mental illness which was left untreated. The Newtown Bee has been the hometown media outlet since June 1877, under Publisher John Pearce of Bethel. The town's population grew to over 4,000 c.1881. In the following decades, the population dwindled to a low of 2,635 in 1930 before again growing. The state's fifth largest town in area, it is bordered by Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Easton, Monroe, Oxford, Redding and Southbury. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.1 sq mi (153 km²), of which 57.8sq mi (150 km²) is land and 1.3 sq mi. (3.4km²), or 2.22%, is water. The population of Newtown was 25,031 as of the census of 2000, with 8,325 households and 6,776 families residing in the town.

History

In 1705, English colonists purchased the Townsite from the Pohtatuck Indians, a branch of the Pasgussett. Settled by migrants from Stratford and incorporated in 1711, Newtown residents had many business and trading ties with the English. It was a stronghold of Tory sentiment during the early Revolutionary War. Local industry has included the manufacture of furniture, tea bags, combs, fire hoses, folding boxes, buttons, and hats, as well as farming, and mica and feldspar mining. The game of "Scrabble" was developed here by James Brunot. The Newtown Bee has been the hometown media outlet since June 1877, under Publisher John Pearce of Bethel. The Smith family purchased the newspaper in 1881 and has continuously operated it since that time. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother in her home and then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he killed 20 children and six adult staff. Adam committed suicide when police arrived at the school. The event reignited a debate regarding access to firearms by people with mental illness and gun laws in the United States. The town's population grew to over 4,000 c.1881. In the following decades, the population dwindled to a low of 2,635 in 1930 before again growing. From the period of highway development and suburbanization following World War II, the town has developed as a suburb of Danbury, with many people also commuting to Norwalk, Stamford, and Bridgeport.

Geography

Newtown is located in northern Fairfield County, about 45 mi (72 km) southwest of Hartford and about 42 mi (68 km) northeast of New York City. It is bordered by Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Easton, Monroe, Oxford, Redding and Southbury. The northeastern border of the town is a natural border that follows the Housatonic River. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.1 sq mi (153 km²), of which 57.8sq mi (150 km²) is land and 1.3sq mi, or 2.22%, is water. The town is the state's fifth largest town in area, with a population of 1,715,000 (2011 Census). The town's ZIP codes are 06470, 06482, 06570, and 06480. The borough of Newtown has a ZIP code of 06472 and the borough of Sandy Hook has aZIP code 06483. The village of Hattertown has a ZIP code of 06470 and the town of Newtown Borough has a ZIP code of 06570. The city of Newtown is home to the town's only high school, Newtown High School, which was founded in 1872. It was the site of the deadliest school shooting in American history, killing more than 1,000 people in December 2012. The school is located on the Connecticut Turnpike, which runs through Newtown.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the total population was 27,179 in 9,934 households. As of the census of 2000, there were 25,031 people, 8,325 households, and 6,776 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 95.14% White, 1.75% Black or African American, 0.14%; 1.40% Asian; 0.04% Pacific Islander; and 0.89% from two or more races. Males had a median income of $68,965 versus $42,217 for females. The per capita income was $37,786. About 2.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of people age 65 or over. The median income for a household was $90,193, and the median income. for a family was $99,192 (these figures had risen to $101,937 and $119,175 respectively as of a 2007 estimate) The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.24. The average age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there are 104.9 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 103.5 males. The town has a population density of 433.4/sq mi (167.3/km²). There were 8,601 housing units at an average density of 148.9/ sq mi (57.5/km 2).

Parks and recreation

The town of Newtown offers many programs for area residents. Numerous parks and fields offer playgrounds, swimming, tennis, softball, baseball, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, as well as a nature center and trails. Prominent Newtown parks include Treadwell Park, Dickinson Park, and Collis P. Huntington State Park. The town pool is located in Tread well Park, which was named after former selectman Timothy Tread Well. The pool was a large asphalt-lined bowl-shaped depression surrounded by a grass "beach" It lacked a formal filtration system and required attendants to periodically row out and manually add chlorine to the water. The asphalt was removed and the pond pool filled with earth in 2006. The park was closed in 2009 and replaced by a new park. The new park was completed in 2010 and is named after a former mayor of the town. It is located on the banks of the Newtown River, which runs through the center of the city. It was originally built in the early 1900s as a public park, but was later converted into a state park. It has a swimming pool, tennis courts, baseball fields, and a soccer field. The swimming pool was removed in 2006 and the park was replaced with a park with a new, more modern pool and tennis courts. The current park is called Dickinson Park and is located at the base of a hill. It also has a baseball field and a baseball diamond. The state park is known for its baseball and softball fields, which have been used for decades.

Government

The Borough of Newtown occupies about 1,252 acres (5.07 km²) (or roughly two square miles) in the central part of town. Incorporated in 1824 by an act of the Connecticut General Assembly, it is one of only nine boroughs in the state. The Borough adopted zoning for the town center long before the rest of the community. Much of the borough is sewered, whereas most of the other parts of the town have wells and septic systems. The Newtown Police Department was founded in 1971. The town of Newtown is required to have both a Democratic and a Republican Town Committee. The Town Committee members vote on which candidates to endorse for public elections. They are led by a First Selectman, who is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer. The Board of Selectmen, with the assistance of the departments and boards and commission, prepares the annual budget for the Town of Newtown in February. Final budget approval is subject to a town-wide referendum. The Legislative Council of 12 members (elected to the same two-year terms) acts as the legislative body of theTown of Newtown and has the power to pass ordinances and approve budgets for referendums. These procedures are set forth in the Town Charter adopted and reviewed by the citizens of the Town. It is also possible to vote for a candidate in a town election without having to be a resident of Newtown. The vote is held by a majority of the residents of Newtown, who are required to vote in favor of the candidate.

Landmarks

Newtown has a number of local landmarks. The flagpole, first erected in 1876, now stands in the center of Main Street. Fairfield Hills Hospital, a state psychiatric hospital constructed in the 1930s and closed in 1995, was used as the set of the juvenile facility in the film Sleepers in 1995. Newtown's public library was opened December 17, 1932, with a capacity for 25,000 volumes. The library is a posthumous gift of Mary Elizabeth Hawley, who named it for her maternal grandfather, a doctor in town from 1820 until his death in 1871. The Edmond Town hall is notable for its cinema. The theater shows popular films shortly after they leave mainstream theaters. It is a popular spot for middle school and high school students. In 2008, the Newtown Youth Academy began to operate there; extracurricular amenities include a fitness section, basketball courts, and a turf field. The Town Hall was constructed for the community by a local benefactress Mary ElizabethHawley and dedicated in 1930. The building was named for Miss Hawleys maternal great-grandfather Judge William Edmond. In 2014, the theater began showing classic films through the Sunday Cinema Series, later changed to the Someday Cinema Series. A dozen films from 1939 were selected to celebrate The Greatest Year in Film, most sponsored by community members and local businesses, and presented by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission. All proceeds are put towards aiding the Edmond's theater upgrades. Headliners have included The Low Anthem, The Bill Frisell and Sam Amidon Duo, Brown Bird and Phosphorescent.

Economy

Many residents of Newtown commuted for work to Manhattan, Hartford, and Stamford. According to the Newtown Connecticut Economic Development Commission, the top employers in the Newtown and Sandy Hook area are: McDonald's, Wrigley's, and Wintrust Bank and Trust. The city's unemployment rate is currently at 4.7%. The unemployment rate for the Newtown area is currently 3.9%. The rate of unemployment for the state of Connecticut is currently 4.1%. The state's unemployment rates are currently at 3.8%. The U.S. unemployment rate has been 3.7% for the last three years. The state has a high unemployment rate of 3.6%. The United States has the highest unemployment rate in the world at 5.7%, according to the U.N. World Employment Report. The U-S. has the lowest unemployment rate at 2.8% for all of the world's countries, according to a U-N. report. The national unemployment rate, however, is 3.1% for countries with more than 50% of its population living outside of the United States, such as New York City and Washington, D.C. It is also 3.4% for those living in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The number of people living in poverty in the state is at its lowest level since the early 1980s. The rate is 4.3%. The number of unemployed is 2.1%, down from 3.3% in the early 1990s.

Education

The Newtown Public Schools district operates four elementary schools, Reed Intermediate School, Newtown Middle School and Newtown High School. Newtown also has several private and parochial schools, including St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic School, Fraser-Woods Montessori School, and the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School. In 2010, six educators made the top salary list in Newtown, Connecticut. The city has a population of 1.2 million people. The population of Newtown in 2010 was 1.3 million people, with a population growth rate of 0.7%. The city's unemployment rate was 3.7% in 2010. The unemployment rate in Newtown in 2008 was 4.1%. The population grew by 0.8% in the same year as the previous year, to 1.1 million. In 2009, the city's population growth was 0.9%. The growth rate in the city in 2008 and 2009 was 0% and 0.6% respectively, with the population growth rates in 2010 and 2009 being 0.5% and 1.0% respectively. In 2008, the town's population Growth Rate was 2.8%. In 2009 and 2010, the population Growth rate was 2%. In 2010 and 2011, the number of people living in the town was 1,071,000. The number of residents with a bachelor's degree or more was 1 in 2010, and 1 in 2011. The town has a high school graduation rate of 9.2%. The town's high school enrollment rate was 912 in 2009.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut = 7.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 32. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Newtown = 3.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,961 individuals with a median age of 40.4 age the population grows by 0.16% in Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 471.3 residents per square mile of area (182.0/km²). There are average 2.91 people per household in the 633 households with an average household income of $111,506 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.30% of the available work force and has dropped -3.25% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 27.20%. The number of physicians in Newtown per 100,000 population = 301.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Newtown = 51.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 122. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 179. 84 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut which are owned by the occupant = 86.93%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 51 years with median home cost = $378,770 and home appreciation of -6.34%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.56 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,720 per student. There are 15.7 students for each teacher in the school, 465 students for each Librarian and 489 students for each Counselor. 6.68% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 34.94% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 22.08% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).