Is Stamford catching up to Bridgeport in population?

While Stamford still has fewer residents than Bridgeport, it is now the second largest city in the state and is growing at a faster pace than Bridgeport, according to Census data.

In 2020, Bridgeport’s population was 148,654 while Stamford was 135,470 — a difference of just over 13,000 people. 

If current trends hold, Stamford could surpass Bridgeport within the next decade, like it did to New Haven and Hartford in 2020. In that census, it jumped over Hartford, which lost population and counted 121,054 residents within its city limits, and inched past New Haven’s 134,023 population to take the title of second largest Connecticut city. 

Between 2010 and 2020, Stamford’s population jumped by 10.5%, compared to a 3.1% increase in Bridgeport. 

Stamford’s growth has been driven, in part, by a housing development boom, investment in its downtown and its proximity to New York City.