Monroe, Connecticut


Monroe is a town located in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census.
Monroe is largely considered a bedroom community of New York City, New Haven, and Bridgeport.

History

On May 15, 1656, the Court of the Colony of Connecticut in Hartford affirmed that the town of Stratford included all of the territory inland from Long Island Sound, between the Housatonic River and the Fairfield town line, to include the southern portion of present-day Monroe. In 1662, Stratford selectmen Lt. Joseph Judson, Captain Joseph Hawley and John Minor secured all the written deeds of transfer from the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation for this vast territory that comprises the present-day towns of Trumbull, Shelton and Monroe. In 1671, Stratford purchased from the Paugusset Indians the territory which included the remainder of the northern portions of Monroe, Trumbull and Shelton, in what is known as "The White Hills Purchase", and officially annexed it to the Township of Stratford.
Monroe incorporated as a town in 1823. The community is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.76%, is water. The Pequonnock River begins in Monroe in Wolfe Park. Monroe borders Lake Zoar, a reservoir on the Housatonic River formed by Stevenson Dam.

Neighborhoods

Monroe is made up of several neighborhoods:
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,247 people, 6,481 households, and 5,346 families residing in the town. The population density was 736.5 people per square mile. There were 6,601 housing units at an average density of 252.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 95.8% White, 0.20% African American, 0.08% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.20% of the population.
There were 6,481 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.0% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. Of all households 14.9% were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town, the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $85,000 and the median income for a family was $92,514. Males had a median income of $61,109 versus $41,572 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,161. About 1.8% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Notable locations

Monroe is a stalwart Republican town at the presidential level with the longest streak of supporting the GOP in Fairfield County. No Democrat has won the town in over 60 years. Lyndon B. Johnson came the closest in his landslide victory in 1964, having lost the town by only 17 votes to Barry M. Goldwater.
YearDemocraticRepublicanThird Parties
201641.44% 4,52054.29% 5,9224.27% 466
201243.02% 4,44655.70% 5,7571.28% 132
200846.41% 5,13352.58% 5,8151.00% 111
200440.73% 4,34958.02% 6,1951.25% 133
200044.57% 4,35250.79% 4,9604.64% 453
199640.94% 3,54445.84% 3,96813.23% 1,145
199228.47% 2,74547.78% 4,60723.76% 2,291
198832.60% 2,59966.67% 5,3150.73% 58
198425.02% 1,77174.65% 5,2830.32% 23
198028.82% 1,81559.34% 3,73711.85% 746
197636.05% 2,02563.20% 3,5500.75% 42
197225.87% 1,32971.92% 3,6952.22% 114
196833.15% 1,52757.47% 2,6479.38% 432
196449.78% 1,96050.22% 1,9770.00% 0
196035.51% 1,11664.49% 2,0270.00% 0
195620.66% 38979.34% 1,4940.00% 0

Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018
PartyPartyActive votersInactive votersTotal votersPercentage

Education

Monroe Public Schools

The school district for Monroe is called Monroe Public Schools and includes approximately 4,000 students, in three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.
In 2011, STEM Academy was opened at Masuk High School as an additional middle school option for Monroe's 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
Chalk Hill Middle School housed Monroe's 5th and 6th graders from 1969-2011. From 2012-2016, Chalk Hill was the home of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown following the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting.

Private school

For the 2017-18 school year, St. Jude School merged with two other local Catholic schools. The three schools combined to make Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, housed in the former St. Lawrence School in Shelton.
St. Jude School, was a Catholic school with around 220 Pre-K to 8th Grade students, located next to St. Jude Parish on Route 111.
In 2003, the St. Jude School boys' junior varsity basketball team won the New England CYO tournament, defeating Springfield, Massachusetts in the championship, becoming the school's first team to win the tournament. The first selectman of the town dedicated a day to them. In 2005, they returned to the tournament in Rhode Island as 8th graders. After defeating Worcester and Boston, they lost to Hartford by 5.
In 2006, the St. Jude boys' junior varsity again won the New England CYO tournament, defeating Hartford, Connecticut.

Media

Roads

Fire department

Monroe is protected by three independent and all-volunteer fire departments operating out of six fire stations.

Emergency medical services

Monroe is served by the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.

Police department

Officially organized in 1952, the Monroe Police Department operates out of Monroe Town Hall.

Places of worship

The town of Monroe features eleven houses of worship representing numerous faiths.