Diversity Takes Root in West Hartford

The town of West Hartford, led by the Blue Back Square development, has become a prime go-to destination in the region.  Increasingly, out-of-town guests at conventions centered in Hartford are including West Hartford Center and the adjacent Blue Back Square on their itineraries.  But there's more to the town than its hip and attractive restaurant/shopping district.  And some of the numbers may be surprising to those who continue to view the town as '60's - or even '80's - suburbia. A brief glance at a demographic tool developed by three prominent universities, at http://mixedmetro.us/, clearly reflects the changing demographics of the town and the region over the past two decades.

As pointed out in the new edition of West Hartford LIFE, the "changing face of West Hartford" has paralleled progress and change in other areas:

• Population:  63, 628
• Breakdown:  20.4% white, 9.8% Hispanic/Latino, 7.4% Asian, Black 6.3%
• Residents over age 65: 17%     Residents under age 18:  23%
• Minority population in schools:  37.7% [all-time high]
• Percentage of population (over age 5) that speaks a language other than English at home:  25%
• Number of languages spoken in West Hartford schools:  65