Our people are what make Westport a great place to live. While we know statistics cannot paint a complete picture of our town and its people, the following information can help you compare our more measurable qualities with those from other communities.

Demographics in Brief (2000 Census)

Total Population: 25,749
Male: 12,244
Female: 13,505
Median Age: 41.4

Racial Makeup
White: 24,503
African American: 292
American Indian and Alaska Native: 12
Asian American: 625
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 5
Other Race: 103
Hispanic or Latino: 602

Family and Household Information
Total Households: 9,334
Average Household Size: 2.66

Family households: 7,166
Married Couple Families: 6,336
Average Family Size: 3.10
Median Household Income: $119,872
Median Family Income: $152,894

If you're wondering what the difference is between a "household" and a "family", the Census Bureau says: "A family consists of two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit. A household consists of all people who occupy a housing unit regardless of relationship. A household may consist of a person living alone or multiple unrelated individuals or families living together."

Housing Tenure
Total Housing Units: 10,065
Total occupied housing units: 9,586
Owner-occupied housing units: 8,203
Renter-occupied housing units: 1,383

We also have individual data tables. See the tables below.

Each of the links below presents demographic data in a different format.

• To see Westport data compared to data from the other seven cities and towns that make up our Southwestern Regional Planning Area, check out the South Western Regional Planning Agency (SWRPA) Web site.
• The State of Connecticut Economic Development Commission provides town profiles (2000) for every city and town in Connecticut.  Click to download a 4-page pdf summary of Westport data.

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Population and Density Year Population 1 % Increase Density 2 1950 11,667 - 521 1960 20,955 79.6 935 1970 27,318 30.4 1,220 1980 25,290 -7.4 1,129 1990 24,410 -3.5 1,090 2000 2 25,749 5.5 1,150

¹ 1950-2000 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census
² Per square mile: 22.4 square miles

 

Major Employers Employer Type of Business Approximate Number of Employees in Westport Town of Westport Board of Education Municipal School System 894 Town of Westport Municipal Government 298 Save the Children Federation Non-profit 276 Met Life Insurance 250 TBM Holding Inc Financial 220 Lifecare Inc. Life Event Management Services 200 Hall-Brook Foundation Health Care 200 Allied Domecq North America Liquor Importers 200 Playtex Marketing Marketing 200 Shoreline Life Care LLC Health Care 180

Source: Westport Chamber of Commerce, 2006 

 

Employment By Industry Employed Persons 16 Years and Over   Town of Westport State of Connecticut Sector Number Percent Number Percent Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining 219 1.6% 22,578 1.3% Construction 453 3.3 99,110 5.9 Manufacturing - Non-durable goods 1,063 7.9 97,607 5.8 Manufacturing - Durable goods 739 5.5 248,945 14.7 Transportation 318 2.4 57,723 3.4 Communications, Public Utilities 238 1.8 42,935 2.5 Wholesale trade 723 5.3 70,375 4.2 Retail trade 1,761 13.0 260,829 15.4 Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 1,913 14.1 176,421 10.4 Business, Repair Services 1,089 8.1 76,983 4.5 Personal, Entertainment, Recreation 756 5.6 57,548 3.4 Health Services 936 6.9 154,145 9.1 Educational Services 850 6.3 143,666 8.5 Other Professional and related services 2,199 16.3 121,523 7.2 Public Administration 257 1.9 62,486 3.7 Total Labor Force, Employed 13,514 100.0% 1,692,874 100.0%

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1990

 

Employment Data By Place of Residence   Town of Westport Percentage Unemployed Period Employed Unemployed Town of Westport Stamford Labor Market State of Connecticut May 1999 1 14,126 244 1.7 2.3 3.3 1998 14,060 234 1.6 2.2 3.4 1997 13,844 359 2.5 3.2 5.1 1996 14,096 399 2.8 3.7 5.7 1995 13,750 372 2.6 3.8 5.5 1994 13,629 355 2.5 3.8 5.6 1993 14,031 443 3.1 4.1 6.2 1992 13,867 572 4.0 5.3 7.5 1991 13,856 541 3.8 4.7 6.7 1990 13,957 370 2.6 3.5 5.1

¹ Not seasonally adjusted.

Source: Department of Labor, State of Connecticut

 

Building Permits The following schedule of building permits and their estimated values over the last eight years: Fiscal Year Ending 6/30 Residential Commercial Miscellaneous1 Total No. No. No. No. Value 2001 70 4 3,767 3,841 $101,396,000 2000 72 6 2,920 2,998 $97,891,000 1999 60 6 2,811 2,877 $59,945,000 1998 49 6 2,077 2,132 $68,389,000 1997 51 1 2,940 2,992 72,798,000 1996 50 - 2,675 2,725 61,685,000 1995 75 2 2,624 2,701 69,156,000 1994 54 4 2,510 2,568 46,285,000 1993 37 3 2,448 2,488 37,962,000 1992 20 3 2,016 2,039 34,464,000 1991 10 4 1,429 1,443 30,298,000

¹ Includes additions, alterations, swimming pools, etc.

Source: Town of Westport, Building Department

 

Land Use Summary 1982 and 2001   1982 2001 Type of Land Use Land Area in Use (Acres) % of Total Town Area Land Area in Use (Acres) % of Total Town Area Total Residential 7,420 51.7% 8,297 57.8% Total Business & Commercial 300 2.1 335 2.3 Total Industrial & Utilities 135 0.9 135 0.9 Total Public & Private Institutional 620 4.3 521 3.6 Roads 850 5.9 1,208 8.4 Total Developed Land 9,325 65.0 10,496 73.0 Open Space and Recreation 1,145 8.0 1,336 9.5 Total Undeveloped Land 1,145 8.0 1,336 9.5 Estimated Total Land in Use 10,470 73.0% 11,832 82.5%