Fairfield (41n08, 73w16 EST) is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 57,340.

Fairfield is home to Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University and the headquarters of General Electric and R.C. Bigelow. It has two Metro North railroad stations, Fairfield and Southport.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 81.1 km² (31.3 mi²). 77.8 km² (30.0 mi²) of it is land and 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.15% water. Fairfield is considered the "dogwood capital of the world".

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 57,340 people, 20,397 households, and 14,808 families residing in the town. The population density is 737.2/km² (1,909.3/mi²). There are 21,029 housing units at an average density of 270.4/km² (700.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 95.27% White, 1.09% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.04% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 2.34% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 20,397 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% are married couples living together, 8.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% are non-families. 22.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.61 and the average family size is 3.07.

In the town the population is spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $83,512, and the median income for a family is $100,920. Males have a median income of $69,525 versus $44,837 for females. The per capita income for the town is $43,670. 2.9% of the population and 1.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.8% are under the age of 18 and 3.6% are 65 or older.