Bradford is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) and

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

in the towns of Westerly and Hopkinton in

Washington County, Rhode Island Washington County, known locally as South County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,839. Rhode Island counties have no governmental functions other than as court administrat ...

, United States. The population was 1,406 at the 2010 census. The Bradford Village Historic District was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1996 as a area including 149

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

, one other contributing site, and one other contributing structure. The CDP as defined by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

is located only in Westerly. Bradford was named for

Bradford, West Yorkshire Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, England.

Geography

Bradford is located at (41.400657, -71.747607). According to the

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 1,457 people, 556 households, and 312 families in Bradford. The population density was . There were 580 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 84.76% (1,235)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(83.73%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 1.58% (23)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 2.06% (30) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 2.26% (33) Asian, 0.27% (4)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 1.51% (22) from other races, and 7.55% (110) from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 3.64% (53) of the population. Of the 556 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18; 47.8% were married couples living together; 26.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 23.4% of households consisted of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 18.1% of the population. 22.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 97.4 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $64,737 (with a margin of error of +/- $37,689) and the median family income was $83,750 (+/- $14,858). Males had a median income of $38,711 (+/- $11,469). The median income for those above 16 years old was $33,417 (+/- $11,630). Approximately, 13.5% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 59.6% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those ages 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,497 people, 482 households, and 397 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 496 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.33%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.67%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.73% American Indian, 0.60% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races.

or Latino were 1.94% of the population. There were 482 households, out of which 51.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.39. In the village, the population was spread out, with 35.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $42,130, and the median income for a family was $40,370. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $24,353 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $14,004. About 12.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the

, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Environmental contamination

Bradford is a working-class village in southwest Rhode Island where the Bradford Dyeing Association (BDA) has operated for nearly 100 years. BDA is the largest producer of battle dress uniform fabrics to the U.S. Dept. of Defense. In violation of the federal Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, the BDA plant polluted the Pawcatuck River and fouled the local air. The RI DEM (Department of Environmental Management) was not responding to local complaints about the contamination so the Bradford Coalition 2 Stop Pollution, a community group of homeowners and tenants, lobbied to reduce BDA's pollution. A civil lawsuit was successfully filed in 2005 in collaboration with the TAC (Toxic Action Center), RIPIRG (Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group) and Sierra Club. The BDA settled in November 2005, agreeing to pay $150,000 in fines and make improvements on the textile mill to reduce pollution. The plant will build taller smokestacks, install a soot-reducing device and better manage its sewage sludge pond. “State and federal environmental regulators had given BDA a free pass for years,” explained RIPIRG Advocate Matthew Auten. “By requiring the company to significantly upgrade its air pollution and water pollution controls, this settlement demonstrates the important role that citizens can and often must play in enforcing our

environmental law Environmental laws are laws that protect the environment. The term "environmental law" encompasses treaties, statutes, regulations, conventions, and policies designed to protect the natural environment and manage the impact of human activitie ...

s.” In 2011, BDA's success was already in decline and as of 2019, the association was shut down and site sold.

References