Race relations in America seem to be hitting a tipping point.
While we still haven’t dealt with racism as a society, the election of Donald Trump to the presidency has only flamed the tensions that have been mounting for years.
Part of the reason for that tension? The country as a whole continues to self segregate across race, income, and party lines. But it’s not all bad on the race relations front.
There are parts of Connecticut where there’s a high level of diversity — where people of all walks of life come together. We decided to shine a light on those places today.
Using a standard measure of diversity, we ranked all 21 cities in Connecticut from most to least diverse.
Here are the 10 most diverse places in Connecticut for 2023:
So what city is the most diverse in Connecticut? According to the most Census data, New Haven took the number one over all spot for diversity in Connecticut.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Connecticut ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.
For more Connecticut reading:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Diverse Places In Connecticut For 2023
/10
Population: 133,874
HHI: 2,809
% White: 28.7%
% African American: 32.1%
% Asian: 5.1%
More on New Haven: Data
/10
Population: 148,529
HHI: 3,131
% White: 18.3%
% African American: 32.1%
% Asian: 4.3%
More on Bridgeport: Data
/10
Population: 113,783
HHI: 3,235
% White: 39.3%
% African American: 17.9%
% Asian: 2.2%
More on Waterbury: Data
/10
Population: 55,518
HHI: 3,319
% White: 48.2%
% African American: 18.1%
% Asian: 4.9%
More on West Haven: Data
/10
Population: 134,820
HHI: 3,359
% White: 48.5%
% African American: 12.4%
% Asian: 8.5%
More on Stamford: Data
/10
Population: 27,585
HHI: 3,367
% White: 45.0%
% African American: 13.1%
% Asian: 2.5%
More on New London: Data
/10
Population: 74,022
HHI: 3,456
% White: 38.1%
% African American: 12.4%
% Asian: 2.7%
More on New Britain: Data
/10
Population: 121,562
HHI: 3,456
% White: 14.7%
% African American: 34.1%
% Asian: 2.6%
More on Hartford: Data
/10
Population: 86,197
HHI: 3,572
% White: 50.7%
% African American: 8.4%
% Asian: 6.5%
More on Danbury: Data
/10
Population: 90,821
HHI: 3,627
% White: 51.2%
% African American: 11.9%
% Asian: 5.0%
More on Norwalk: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most diverse cities in Connecticut for 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census — and Saturday Night Science. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Connecticut.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
- Hispanic or Latino
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 9,000 people. That left us with 21 cities.
We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 2,809 (New Haven) to 6,735 (Milford).
Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI, with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. New Haven took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Milford was the least diverse city.
We updated this article for 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the most diverse places in Connecticut.
Summary: Diversity Across Connecticut
If you’re looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Connecticut, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Connecticut:
- Milford
- Torrington
- Shelton
For more Connecticut reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Connecticut
- Cheapest Places To Live In Connecticut
- Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Connecticut
- Safest Places In Connecticut
- Worst Places To Live In Connecticut
Detailed List Of Race By City In Connecticut For 2023
| Rank | City | HHI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | 2,809 |
| 2 | Bridgeport, CT | 3,131 |
| 3 | Waterbury, CT | 3,235 |
| 4 | West Haven, CT | 3,319 |
| 5 | Stamford, CT | 3,359 |
| 6 | New London, CT | 3,367 |
| 7 | New Britain, CT | 3,456 |
| 8 | Hartford, CT | 3,456 |
| 9 | Danbury, CT | 3,572 |
| 10 | Norwalk, CT | 3,627 |
| 11 | Meriden, CT | 3,843 |
| 12 | Groton, CT | 3,896 |
| 13 | Norwich, CT | 4,061 |
| 14 | Ansonia, CT | 4,351 |
| 15 | Derby, CT | 4,717 |
| 16 | Middletown, CT | 4,720 |
| 17 | Bristol, CT | 5,496 |
| 18 | Naugatuck, CT | 5,582 |
| 19 | Shelton, CT | 6,569 |
| 20 | Torrington, CT | 6,733 |
| 21 | Milford, CT | 6,735 |
