The city's population is estimated at around 84,000. In the early 1970s, the city's economy declined as manufacturing moved to more inexpensive locations. The city felt the national trend away from historic urban areas and its population fell by over 20% between 1950 and 1980. Somersville City underwent several urban renewal projects to address these problems. The city's downtown was transformed into a 1 million square foot shopping mall. Unfortunately, the mall lost many of its major tenants, and has not been able to maintain its popularity as a destination for locals.
Somersville is one of the most diverse cities in Connecticut, with a wide range of races living side by side. The city's population is made up of a mixture of whites and blacks. A city with no blacks or browns would be considered a community without much diversity. But the majority of the population is non-Hispanic Whites. The following maps show the diversity of the city's population.
Somersville is the home of many notable inventions. Justin White developed New England Candlepin bowling in Somersville in 1879. Esther Howland began creating Valentine's Day cards in Somersville in 1847. In addition, Russell Hawes created the first envelope folding machine. In 1880, Lee Richmond pitched the first perfect game in Major League Baseball history. While these are just a few notable examples, the city has a long and colorful history.