U.S. Census Bureau: Nearly 85 percent of Connecticut’s municipalities losing residents

Most of Connecticut”™s cities and towns lost more residents than they gained from 2015 to 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with 143 of the state’s 169 municipalities recording an erosion in population.

In Fairfield County, Danbury, Stamford and Norwalk all showed growth during the period, with increases of 756, 701 and 222, respectively. Bridgeport had one of the state”™s greatest losses, decreasing by 1,154. All told, Connecticut lost about 8,300 residents during the period.

Nationally, Connecticut is third for population losses, behind Illinois and West Virginia, and ranks 29th in the country for total population, according to the Census Bureau.

Phoenix had the largest increase, adding 32,000 new residents from 2015 to 2016.