STAMFORD—The number of people living in Waterside, the northern collar of downtown and portions of the East Side grew by more than 15 percent over the past decade, according to the 2010 Census.
The finding was one of several that stood out in an analysis of the census figures by tract.
Of all city areas, Tract 217, associated with a section of the East Side bounded by Greyrock Place and Myrtle Avenue, saw the greatest population growth, 23 percent, or an addition of 1,377 residents. It now becomes the city’s most populated neighborhood, with 7,354 residents.
In 2000, the largest number of city residents were living in a North Stamford tract bordering New York state and New Canaan.
The decennial survey shows four tracts shrank by varying degrees — the eastern half of the West Side, central downtown, a swath bordering Interstate 95, including parts of the East Side and Glenbrook, and Westover.
The West Side, which lost 615 residents, had the most sizable decrease, 9 percent. It was followed by a tract in the heart of downtown, which saw a loss of 9 percent. The other two tracts saw smaller decreases. Westover, for example, lost half a percent of its 2000 population.
Overall, the city grew by nearly 5 percent, adding 5,560 residents for a total of 122,643. The latest count allowed Stamford to preserve its ranking as the state’s fourth-largest city.
Since their release in early March, city officials have been dissecting the census results. In addition to determining levels of federal funding, population shifts shown by the data effects legislative redistricting.
While it is difficult to pinpoint reasons for some of the dramatic shifts, Todd Dumais, an associate planner in the city’s land use bureau, speculated that lost population in the West Side might be attributed to redevelopment efforts by Stamford Hospital and the city’s housing authority.
Since 2007, the hospital has acquired about 45 residential properties toward its expansion. The housing authority in 2008 demolished Fairfield Court, an aging 144-unit public housing project, as part of a plan to replace the units with less dense mixed-income developments spread across the West Side.
The population explosion in part of the East Side reflects a large influx of Asians and Hispanics. There, the number of Asians more than doubled to constitute 18 percent of the area’s population. Hispanics rose by 29 percent and now represent 20 percent of the population.
Citywide, Hispanics grew by 50 percent — from 19,635 to 29,188 — for a 24 percent share of the Stamford’s population.
Asians, however, experienced the largest percentage growth rate, that of 65 percent, climbing from 5,856 to 9,675 residents.
Non-Hispanic whites registered an 9 percent decline, from 71,610 to 65,406. The group now accounts for 53 percent of the city’s population.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Kim can be reached at elizabeth.kim@scni.com or 203-964-2265.