Niantic, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Niantic is a census-designated place
(CDP) and village in the Town of East Lyme
, Connecticut
in the United States
. The population was 3,085 at the 2000 census.
Located on Long Island Sound
, Niantic Bay is popular for swimming, fishing and boating. Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons, the Niantic Bay Yacht Club organizes sailboat races and the Bay is filled with sailboats. The Millstone Nuclear Power Plant
in nearby Waterford
is visible on the bay's eastern horizon line.
Beachgoers may want to seek out the local Rocky Neck State Park, whose mile of beach offers much better views of Long Island Sound, including several offshore islands such as Gardiners Island
, Plum Island
and the distant tip of Long Island, Orient Point.
The Rocky Neck beach is known for its sandbar, one of the few places along the Connecticut shoreline free of rocks and stones. At low tide the sandbar lies exposed and bathers may walk out into the water for quite some distance before reaching waist deep water. The sandbar at low tide is a popular place with kids for building sandcastles, digging holes and flinging mud. Besides beachgoing, Rocky Neck also offers camping in the summertime and a large, flat meadow area also has a number of picnic tables and outdoor barbecue grills. Weekends are usually the most crowded time in summer, with many people coming down to the shore to get away from the more intense inland heat.
In the off-season, Rocky Neck is popular with locals for hikes through the woods (the wooded areas of Rocky Neck feature some great hiking trails, but make sure to avoid them in the summer heat when the deer flies, whose bite is nasty, make hiking less than a pleasure). Spring and fall are beautiful times for hiking and enjoying the quieter side of Rocky Neck. On mild winter days one will find local inhabitants enjoing a stroll along the beach.
Once famous for its Niantic River scallops, the scallop population has been in decline for a number of years. Attempts to revive the scallop population have not met with much success, most likely due to increased pollution from the heavy traffic of motorboats on the river . Nonetheless, boating, fishing and swimming are all popular summer activities up and down the river.
The Book Barn is also a popular Connecticut destination for bibliophiles.
, the CDP has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which, 1.5 square miles (3.8 km2) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it (58.64%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,085 people, 1,404 households, and 835 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 2,110.3 people per square mile (815.8/km2). There were 1,756 housing units at an average density of 1,201.2 per square mile (464.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.63% White, 0.49% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.42% from other races
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.11% of the population.
There were 1,404 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,872, and the median income for a family was $65,077. Males had a median income of $46,887 versus $35,811 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $27,306. About 1.9% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
According to www.city-data.com, the median income for a household in 2008 was $74,348, higher than the median income for the entire state of Connecticut ($68,595 in 2008). The median of all housing units in Niantic was $337,612 in 2008.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) and village in the Town of East Lyme
East Lyme, Connecticut
East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,118 at the 2000 census. The latitude of East Lyme is 41.353N...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,085 at the 2000 census.
Located on Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, Niantic Bay is popular for swimming, fishing and boating. Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons, the Niantic Bay Yacht Club organizes sailboat races and the Bay is filled with sailboats. The Millstone Nuclear Power Plant
Millstone Nuclear Power Plant
The Millstone Nuclear Power Station is the only nuclear power generation site in Connecticut. It is located at a former quarry in Waterford...
in nearby Waterford
Waterford, Connecticut
Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
is visible on the bay's eastern horizon line.
Beachgoers may want to seek out the local Rocky Neck State Park, whose mile of beach offers much better views of Long Island Sound, including several offshore islands such as Gardiners Island
Gardiners Island
Gardiners Island is a small island in the town of East Hampton, New York, in eastern Suffolk County; it is located in Gardiners Bay between the two peninsulas at the eastern end of Long Island. It is long, wide and has of coastline...
, Plum Island
Plum Island
Plum Island may refer to:*Plum Island , and island in Alaska, United States*Plum Island Bald Eagle Refuge , a bald eagle refuge in northeast Illinois*Plum Island , an island in Essex County, United States...
and the distant tip of Long Island, Orient Point.
The Rocky Neck beach is known for its sandbar, one of the few places along the Connecticut shoreline free of rocks and stones. At low tide the sandbar lies exposed and bathers may walk out into the water for quite some distance before reaching waist deep water. The sandbar at low tide is a popular place with kids for building sandcastles, digging holes and flinging mud. Besides beachgoing, Rocky Neck also offers camping in the summertime and a large, flat meadow area also has a number of picnic tables and outdoor barbecue grills. Weekends are usually the most crowded time in summer, with many people coming down to the shore to get away from the more intense inland heat.
In the off-season, Rocky Neck is popular with locals for hikes through the woods (the wooded areas of Rocky Neck feature some great hiking trails, but make sure to avoid them in the summer heat when the deer flies, whose bite is nasty, make hiking less than a pleasure). Spring and fall are beautiful times for hiking and enjoying the quieter side of Rocky Neck. On mild winter days one will find local inhabitants enjoing a stroll along the beach.
Once famous for its Niantic River scallops, the scallop population has been in decline for a number of years. Attempts to revive the scallop population have not met with much success, most likely due to increased pollution from the heavy traffic of motorboats on the river . Nonetheless, boating, fishing and swimming are all popular summer activities up and down the river.
The Book Barn is also a popular Connecticut destination for bibliophiles.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which, 1.5 square miles (3.8 km2) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it (58.64%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,085 people, 1,404 households, and 835 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,110.3 people per square mile (815.8/km2). There were 1,756 housing units at an average density of 1,201.2 per square mile (464.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.63% White, 0.49% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.42% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.11% of the population.
There were 1,404 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,872, and the median income for a family was $65,077. Males had a median income of $46,887 versus $35,811 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $27,306. About 1.9% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
According to www.city-data.com, the median income for a household in 2008 was $74,348, higher than the median income for the entire state of Connecticut ($68,595 in 2008). The median of all housing units in Niantic was $337,612 in 2008.