Wilton Answer Book – Demographics

How big is Wilton?

Wilton is nearly 27 square miles or 17,280 acres, and represents 4.1% of the entire area of Fairfield County. From the south border of Ridgefield to the north border of Norwalk, Wilton is approximately six miles long. From the west border with New Canaan to the east with Weston, the town is approximately 4.5 miles wide. Wilton also abuts Westport to the southeast and Lewisboro, N.Y. to the west.

How many people live here?

According to the CERC Town Profile 2009, Wilton’s population in 2008 was 17,924. There were 8,777 males, 9,147 females. The town’s racial makeup last year was as follows:

• White, 16,612
• Asian-Pacific, 673
• Hispanic (any race), 446
• Black, 297
• Native American, 9
• Other races, 333

What is the median age of Wiltonians?

The median age of Wilton residents is about 43 years.

What is the median income?

According to the above-referenced town profile, the median household income for Wilton in 2008 was $181,187 compared to $81,058 for all of Fairfield County.

What is the average sale price of a house here?

According to Eric Weitz at Coldwell Banker, there were 162 single-family homes sold in 2008, down from 219 in 2007 and  233 in 2006. (There were 323 homes sold in 2005). The average sale price was $1,049,389, down from $1,093,497 in 2007. The median sale price was $875,000, also down from  $898,750 the previous. Fifteen homes sold for more than $2 million. The average days on the market was 121.

In 2008, there were 17 condos sold (nine fewer than the previous year) for an average sale price of $504,000, which was actually an increase over the average of $403,205 in 2007.  The median sale price was $465,000, compared to $410,000 in 2007. The average days on the market was 93, down from 109 last year.

How many houses are there in Wilton?

According to the 2007 grand list, there are 5,351 homes and 522 condominiums in Wilton.

What is the town’s labor force and what is the unemployment rate?

In March 2009, the town’s labor force was 8,296, of which 7,840 were employed. There were 456 people unemployed, for an unemployment rate of 5.5%, up from 3.3% a year ago. The state unemployment rate was 7.8%. These statistics are from the Connecticut Department of Labor.

How far is Wilton from major cities?

Wilton is 55 miles from midtown Manhattan, 67 miles from Hartford, and about 166 miles from Boston.

How long is the Norwalk River?

The Norwalk River winds its way from its source, the Great Swamp in the Farmingville section of Ridgefield, through a small slice of Redding, then through Wilton and Norwalk. The river stretches through roughly seven miles of Wilton, seven miles of Ridgefield and four miles in Norwalk. Its elevation ranges from 590 feet to sea level.

What is the average temperature?

The Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University says the average winter temperature on the Fahrenheit scale is 31.8 degrees, spring 47.7, summer 70.1, and fall 52.9.

What is the average precipitation?

Average total precipitation in this area is 50.49 inches, which includes about 44 inches of snow.

What’s the growing season?

Wilton is partially in Hardiness Zone 5 and partially in Hardiness Zone 6, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Generally speaking, if you are north of Millstone Road you are in Zone 5; if you are south, you are in Zone 6. Because of this, standard published planting guidelines are uncertain when applied to Wilton.

The summer growing season is generally defined by the last spring frost and the first fall frost. Gardeners are usually safe to assume the last frost will occur by Memorial Day, and they can expect the first fall freezing no later than the first or second week of October. Cold weather crops such as broccoli, cabbage, peas and leaf lettuce may be planted outdoors four to six weeks before the last spring frost. All other crops may be safely planted or sown directly in the soil after the last frost.

Gardeners who want to plant a fall crop need to determine the number of weeks the crop will need to mature and then count back from the date of the first killing frost (about Oct. 10) to determine planting date. But the first and last frosts can be unpredictable in this area, and many “old-timers’’ swear that tomatoes should not be planted until after Memorial Day.

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