To help data users assess the impacts of differential privacy in their communities, CTData used the IPUMS joint data release to develop an interface to compare the original 2010 town-level data with what the 2010 town-level data would look like if differential privacy was applied.
To what extent did the original 2010 Census data change after differential privacy was applied? We’ll look at a few variables below as examples. You can see what these and other variables look like in your community by visiting CTData’s interactive online tool.
As 2020 begins, the fast-approaching decennial 2020 United States Census looms large. To increase awareness and understanding of the importance of the census to Connecticut, to explain precisely how it will work, and to seek the assistance of organizations in communities statewide, the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance, Connecticut Council for Philanthropy and Connecticut Data Collaborative will be co-sponsoring a series of workshops for nonprofit organizations throughout January.
With 111 days until Census Day 2020 (April 1, 2020), the clock is ticking and communities must be ready to count everyone. That was the message that reverberated throughout the room during the December 10th Connecticut Complete Count Committee meeting, held at the State Capitol. This meeting brought together state leadership, Local Complete Count Committee (LCCC) representatives, service organizations, funders, and Census Bureau staff to brainstorm how to reach hard-to-count populations such as young children, those living in group quarters, and immigrant communities.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to census communications. Each community will require its own nuanced plan, and although the online census form is making its debut in 2020, it’s imperative to consider inequities in access to technology and the potential barriers to census completion that this presents. For example, not all Connecticut households have access to the internet—in fact, around 200,000 households still do not have Internet access or have dial-up only. When strategizing about community outreach, it’s important to inform people about how the Census will reach out to them to help different populations complete the form easily and accurately.
Having a complete and accurate count of Connecticut communities during the 2020 Census is not merely an ambition—it’s a necessity. The information collected will determine how federal funding is allocated to Connecticut and will also inform federal and state-level redistricting. In fact, the 2010 Census resulted in nearly $11 billion flowing annually into Connecticut for essential programs and services like schools, transportation, emergency preparedness, and health interventions.
On Friday, November 8, Connecticut held its first-ever Census Create-A-Thon (#CreativesForTheCount). This event brought together Census Complete Count Committee representatives, municipal leaders, grassroots organizers, designers, content strategists, and media experts to create materials to reach hard-to-count communities across the state. During the four-hour event, teams developed over 20 communications materials such as posters, billboards, and public service announcements about the importance of Census 2020. CTData Collaborative Director of Community Impact, Elizabeth Grim, and Old Saybrook Selectman, Carol Conklin, won second place and $250 for the best content for their design: “I’m Learning to Count: Count Me in 2020.” Thank you, Expressiones Cultural Center in New London, for graciously donating the award.
CTData has traveled state to state on the conference circuit over the past few months. We recently attended the American Community Survey (ACS) Users Data Conference in Washington, DC; the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership Meeting in Milwaukee, WI; the Census State Data Center Conference in Charlotte, NC; and the Association for Public Data Users Conference in Washington DC. One of the most pressing topics of discussion was the 2020 Census and its new differential privacy policies. To help you gain some clarity about these contested policies, we’ll provide background about the census, discuss existing privacy protections, and describe upcoming changes to Census 2020 under differential privacy.
With Census 2020 on the horizon, Riordan-Nold discussed potential census challenges—new and old. This will be the first census that people can complete online, and while this will create new opportunities for participation, Ms. Riordan-Nold reminded the audience that not all households have Internet access. According to the 2017 U.S Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, fifteen percent of households had either no Internet subscriptions (~200,000 households) or dial-up only access (~6,700). The cities of Hartford, New Britain, Waterbury, New Haven, New London, Norwich, and Bridgeport had the highest percentage of Connecticut households with no Internet or dial-up only. North Canaan, Plainfield, Ansonia, Putnam, Derby, Winchester, and Killingly all topped the list for suburban/rural towns.
We have some exciting news: Connecticut’s Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz has formed a Complete Count Committee for the state, and Connecticut Data Collaborative’s Executive Director Michelle Riordan-Nold will serve as a member!
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The Census is now hiring for full-time and part-time temporary jobs that begin in 2019 and 2020, and a majority of the openings are for census takers. Now through June 2019, most of the recruitment will be for Address Canvassing, which entails working during the day and updating lists and maps to ensure an accurate count.
The Hartford Courant published an op-ed written by Michelle Riordan-Nold about the importance of the 2020 Census for the State of Connecticut. In case you missed it, we've published the article.
Today, the U.S. Census Bureau, released the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (2013-2017). These data are the only data available at the census tract and municipal level for Connecticut. We have created a tool that enables you view changes for: median household income, population estimates, population without health insurance, poverty status, and median rent. (User beware: when comparing data overtime using ACS 5-year estimates, only use non-overlapping time periods.) CTData has over 50 ACS datasets that we process and curate and will be updating these datasets over the next couple weeks.
The Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) has been designated as the lead organization in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and Connecticut’s official source for Census data, as the state and nation approach the 2020 Census. The designation was made on behalf of the State of Connecticut by Governor Dannel Malloy, and is effective immediately.
On our monthly open data calls, we have provided updates on data in the news and the biggest newsmaker by far has been Census 2020. Besides the challenges the Census Bureau has faced in maintaining their federal funding and finding new leadership, a recent hiccup has put the accuracy of the Census 2020 count in jeopardy.
