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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreThough 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.
Read MoreThe 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
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).
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreWhen we work with data, we are always working with a place – a state, the nation, a town, etc. In data-speak, these are called “geographies.” It simply means a physical place to where the data are connected. Explore this blog post to understand the census geographies that are most commonly used in Connecticut.
Read MoreCensus Bureau data products continue to give insight into changes in mortality trends over the past few years and through the Covid-19 pandemic. Vintage 2022 Population Estimates, which are based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, take into account final 2021 and provisional 2022 mortality data and allow data users to look at mortality by sex and by race and ethnicity.
Read MoreTo celebrate Native American Heritage month, we explored the Decennial Census data files to find some data on Native Americans living in Connecticut. In this post we share what we found about the tribes with the highest populations in Connecticut, demographics of the Native American population in Connecticut, and where Native populations live across the state.
Read MoreThis past summer the Equity in Data Community of Practice met to learn from the Census Bureau about how to access granular data on nationality, county of origin, and more. Many people turn to data.census.gov for data on the “standard” race and ethnicity categories. But these categories never accurately represented people from different racial groups, and this is becoming more true as the US becomes more diverse. During this meeting, Kanin Reese from the Center for Enterprise Dissemination at the Census Bureau demonstrated how we can utilize the Census Bureau’s Microdata Tool to find data about people living in our state from specific countries of origin, nationalities, languages, ethnicities, and more.
Read MoreThe 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics-A (Detailed DHC-A) file, which provides population counts for 1,500 racial and ethnic groups, was released last week.
There are a few methodological changes to be aware of:
Read MoreConnecticut’s Department of Public Health (DPH) has determined that the Census Bureau’s vintage 2022 population estimates are artificially high for certain Connecticut towns in 2021 and 2022 due to pandemic-related issues with the counts of residents in group quarters facilities.
This blog post:
discusses what happened;
explains the impact on population estimates for specific towns, planning regions and the state;
delineates which population estimates the state will be using for official purposes; and
provides some recommendations for data users on which version of the population estimates to use, and where to find these estimates.
The 2020 Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC), released by the U.S. Census Bureau in May 2023, is one of many data products released as part of the 2020 decennial census. The DHC file includes detailed tables on topics such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, along with many topics about households and families.
The raw data can be downloaded on the Census Bureau’s website, but CTData has created a 2020 Demographics and Housing Explorer for data users to easily access and explore data found in the DHC file. Click the button or preview below to explore data for your town!
Read MoreThis week, the Census Bureau is releasing 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates data for Connecticut’s new county-equivalent planning region geographies for the first time. Earlier this year, population estimates for planning regions were released – you can read more about those estimates and about planning regions in our blog post. This blog post provides a guide to resources for the new planning region geographies.
Read MoreAccording to the 2020 decennial census, Connecticut has approximately 1.4 million households, of which 3.9%, or 55,526, are multigenerational. This marks an increase of about 0.3%, or 4,924 households, from the 2010 decennial census. In comparing the change from 2010 to 2020, every planning region in Connecticut experienced an increase in multigenerational households. The smallest increase was in the Lower Connecticut River Valley, with 77 households, or 4.3%, while the largest was in Western Connecticut, with 1,683 households, or 23.5%.
Read MoreAccurate population estimates are vital for informed decision-making and planning for the future. The U.S. Census Bureau produces annual population estimates that provide valuable population insights. This blog post explores the methodology utilized by the Census Bureau to produce these estimates, highlighting the data sources, statistical techniques, and considerations on when to use them.
Read MoreAccurate and reliable population data is essential as we strive to understand our communities and plan for the future. From determining congressional districts to allocating resources for schools and healthcare, population data drives decision-making at all levels of government and beyond.
In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at four commonly used sources of population data: the Decennial Census, American Community Survey (ACS), Population Estimate Program (PEP), and Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) Population Estimates. Continue reading to learn more about these sources.
Read MoreTo protect respondents’ privacy, for the 2020 Decennial Census the Census Bureau is using a modern disclosure avoidance approach called differential privacy. In brief, differential privacy adds statistical noise—small random additions or subtractions—into the data to reduce the risk that someone could reidentify any person or household.
In this post, we will: (1) describe how differential privacy is applied to the 2020 Decennial Census data; (2) review the Census Bureau’s guidance for 2020 Decennial Census data users; (3) provide an overview of the summary metrics file released by the Census Bureau; and (4) discuss some illustrative examples of the amount of error introduced to certain counts as reported in the summary metrics file.
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