Webinar Recap: Navigating the New 2024 Population Estimates Dashboard

On September 23, 2024, we introduced our new 2024 Population Estimates Dashboard through an informational webinar. This powerful tool provides easy access to Connecticut census data from 2020 to the present for each of the state's towns and planning regions, marking a significant step forward in making vital demographic information easily accessible to the public, researchers and policymakers. 

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Understanding the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2023 Population Estimates for Connecticut

In May of 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PEP) released their vintage 2023 population estimates for Connecticut’s towns. However, there are some important caveats to keep in mind when interpreting Connecticut’s population estimates. In this blog post, we discuss some errors and adjustments in the Census Bureau's population estimates for Connecticut and provide guidance for data users.

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2023 American Community Survey Data Released - Check Out What Has Changed in Connecticut in the Past 5 Years!

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the American Community Survey (ACS) continuously throughout the year. On September 12, 2024, they released the 2023 ACS 1-year estimates. Our data visualizations showcase Connecticut's trends over recent years, incorporating both ACS data and business statistics from the Connecticut Secretary of the State. These graphics offer insights into the state's evolving demographic and economic landscape.

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Error in the 2022 American Community Survey Domestic Migration Estimates for Connecticut

Last month, the Census Bureau released an erratum informing the public that they had made a data processing error in the 2022 ACS domestic migration estimates for Connecticut and that data users should not use these migration estimates. This blog post discusses what happened, what data products were affected, and what data users should do.

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Navigating Immigration and Language Datasets: A Step-by-Step Guide

Though our Data Helpline, CTData often receives questions about accessing data on immigration and languages spoken in Connecticut from organizations who want to better understand their communities and tailor their approaches to outreach and service provision. In this blog post, we introduce different datasets that include local immigration and language data and discuss how to access them.

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2024 Hartford Youth Data Fellows Showcase Projects at Community Data Walk

On May 20, 2024 the Hartford Data Collaborative hosted its annual Hartford Data Walk. The ten 2024 Hartford Youth Data Fellows (HYDF) presented data projects related to library engagement, home ownership, and the impact of evictions in Hartford. The Data Walk showcases the youth fellows' work and promotes data engagement among community members around key issues in Hartford. 

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Exploring the Internal Revenue Service Statistic Tables for Connecticut 2019-2020

The IRS makes data available for returns filed each year. This data can be found at SOI Tax Stats (Statistics of Income). With all the changes in the last few years in tax policy and policies and changes during the pandemic, we wondered what we could learn about income tax returns by examining different standards and itemized deductions for Connecticut. The analysis in this blog post looks at the change between 2019 and 2020.

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Webinar Recap: Promoting Equitable Pandemic Recovery for Hartford's Young Children

On Thursday, May 2, 2024, we held an event discussing the findings of our most recent research report, Promoting Equitable Pandemic Recovery for Hartford’s Young Children. We also heard about how the City of Hartford is using our findings to inform their work, discussed some other early childhood research going on at CTData, and heard from Courtney Parkerson at The Connecticut Project about the statewide RAPID survey of families with young children that has just launched.

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The Population Estimates "Blended Base:" What it is and Why it Matters

The blended base is the estimate of the national, state, and county populations by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin as of April 1st, 2020, that the Census Bureau has used in their population estimates since the 2020 Decennial Census. The blended base uses population totals from the 2020 Decennial Census, but the distribution of the population by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin comes from other data sources.

In this blog post, we will:

  • Provide an introduction to the blended base and why it matters

  • Compare Connecticut’s blended base population estimates by age and sex to the 2020 Decennial Census counts for the state

  • Discuss the future of the population estimates base

  • Dive into more details on the blended base methodology for those who are interested

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Work From Home Trends and Commuting Patterns Since 2019

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many workplaces quickly transitioned from in-person work to remote work. While many workplaces have returned to offices, many other jobs have continued to be performed at home. We wanted to look at these trends using two Census Bureau data products: the American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates, and the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES).  

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Changes to the federal standards for how race and ethnicity data are collected and reported

Last week the Census Bureau announced that it will implement updated standards for the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are effective as of March 28th, 2024. This is the first time the OMB’s race and ethnicity data standards have changed since 1997. Read more.

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Navigating Race and Ethnicity Statistics in Census Data

In March, the Equity in Data Community of Practice learned about how to responsibly utilize census data to explore race and ethnicity. We heard from CTData’s own Cynthia Willner (Senior Research Associate) and Jason Cheung (Senior Data Analyst) who shared how race and ethnicity data is collected and how we can use it appropriately in our work. Watch the video of the session in this post.

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Case Study: Creating a Platform to Explore Local Data

Every five years, Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) updates their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which serves as a guide to the region’s 21 towns and economic development partners. Northwest Hills COG reached out to CTData to provide a data and analysis platform to be used in community presentations and meetings the kick of the first phase of the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan update.

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Jill Walsh