Connecticut data analysis and articles — CTData

Posts in Census & ACS

An Overview of Differential Privacy in the 2020 Decennial Census

To 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.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationCynthia WillnerJuly 12, 2023differential privacy

Recent and Proposed Changes in How the Census Bureau Collects and Processes Race and Ethnicity Data

In 2020, the Census Bureau made some important changes to how they collect and process race and ethnicity data. These changes were intended to better capture the increasingly diverse racial and ethnic identities of the U.S. population, while still following the 1997 Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. However, these changes also raise some questions about the validity of the Census Bureau’s “Two or More Races” classification in 2020, particularly for Hispanic and Latino individuals. They also complicate comparisons with race data from before 2020, making it difficult to assess change over time. In this blog post, we discuss the consequences of the Census Bureau’s recent changes to how they collect and process race and ethnicity data, as well as the proposed revisions to the OMB standards for the classification of federal data on race and ethnicity.

Census & ACS, Demographics & Population, Equity, PolicyCynthia WillnerMay 3, 2023census

Census Bureau Releases First Population Estimates for Connecticut’s “County-Equivalent” Planning Regions

Today, the Census Bureau released the first postcensal population estimates for Connecticut’s nine planning regions. These nine planning regions are the new county-equivalent geographic units that the Census Bureau will be using for Connecticut (see our earlier blog post on this topic). This is the first Census Bureau data product to be released using Connecticut’s new county-equivalent geographic units.

Census & ACS, Demographics & Population, Migration, Town & RegionalCynthia WillnerMarch 29, 2023population estimates

Connecticut State & Metro Migration Flows

At CTData, we often receive questions about changes in migration patterns before and after 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using three data sources from the U.S. Census Bureau, this blog post will look at recent migration patterns in Connecticut.

Migration, Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationJill WalshMarch 27, 2023acs, population estimates

New Geographic Resources for 2020 Census Tracts & Blocks

At CTData, we are continuing to update our geographic resources following the changes to census tracts and census blocks for the 2020 Census. We’ve released three new crosswalks: one for census tracts, one for census blocks, and an updated 5 Connecticuts crosswalk.

Census & ACSJill WalshFebruary 28, 2023

Celebrating Black History Month

February 2023 marks the 96th year of celebrating the incredible accomplishments and contributions of Black and African American residents nationwide. Since 1976, the month of February has been designated as Black History Month (whereas prior to 1976, this event was celebrated for a week). In this post, we will highlight various data facts and achievements to celebrate our Black and African American residents in Connecticut.

Census & ACSJason Cheung & Wenyu XieFebruary 15, 2023

2021 American Community Survey Data: Connecticut Sees an Increase in Health Insurance Coverage

Health insurance coverage in Connecticut has changed from 2010 to 2021, and in this post, we take a look at both state and town-level trends.

We used town-level data from the recently released 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, as well as the 2012-2016 ACS 5-year estimates, and the American Community Survey 1-year estimates for state-level trends.

Census & ACSJill WalshJanuary 19, 2023acs

2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates Released: Explore Data For Your Town!

The American Community Survey (ACS) is administered by the United States Census Bureau on an ongoing basis, from January through December of every year. The 2021 ACS 5-year estimates (covering the period from January 2017 through December 2021) were released on December 8, 2022. As usual, we have created an interactive tool for you to explore the data.

Our interactive tool covers a variety of topics, including economic, demographic, education, language, and many other data topics disaggregated by town along with comparisons to previous 5-year periods.

Census & ACSJason Cheung & Wenyu XieDecember 8, 2022acs

CTData 2022 Mini-Conference Recap: What You Need to Know about Using Census 2020 Data

The 2020 Decennial Census faced unprecedented challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic, political interference, natural disasters, and the implementation of a new approach to privacy protection called differential privacy. We invited two experts to share what this means for using Census 2020 data. Amy O’Hara is a Research Professor in the Massive Data Institute and Executive Director of the Federal Statistical Research Data Center at Georgetown University. Elizabeth Garner is the State Demographer at the Colorado State Demography Office.

Demographics & Population, Census & ACS, CTData News, EventsCynthia WillnerNovember 21, 2022ctdata conference 2022

CTData Conference Recap: Population Estimates & Updates

Each year, the Census Bureau produces population estimates for each state and county that are different than the ACS t-year survey that many of us are used to. These are called Population Estimates, and these are the official measures of population & housing units between decennial censuses. In this conference session, you will learn about the methodology that undergirds these annual data and learn about the ways you can access the data through the US Census Bureau.

CTData News, Census & ACSSarah Eisele-DyrliNovember 17, 2022census, ctdata conference 2022, population estimates

CTData Conference Recap: Census Bureau Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Demo

The Longitudinael-Employer Household Dynamics Data (LEHD) Products combines state administrative data with census data to understand various aspects of the workforce. During this conference session, we learned about several of the LEHD products, and learned how to use them. Watch the video to learn how you can use these products to inform your decision-making.

CTData News, Census & ACS, EventsSarah Eisele-DyrliNovember 17, 2022census tools, ctdata conference 2022

Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed annually in October, recognizing people with disabilities' essential roles in a diverse and inclusive American workforce.

From the American Community Survey, 5-year estimates for 2016-2020, we looked at three data tables for Connecticut's population with a disability: population, employment, and median earnings. Below are some of the highlights from the data.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationLori ReynoldsOctober 20, 2022

Celebrating Connecticut’s Hispanic and Latino Residents

This week marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, a reminder for the nation to recognize and celebrate our Hispanic and Latino community members.

In this blog post, we share a profile of Connecticut’s large and vibrant Hispanic and Latino population using data from the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Census and the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Demographics & Population, Census & ACSCynthia WillnerOctober 14, 2022

Census Bureau Releases Coverage Estimates for Housing Units from the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey: Were Connecticut’s Housing Units Accurately Counted?

On August 16th, the U.S. Census Bureau released coverage estimates for housing units from the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey (PES). These results provide insight into the accuracy of the 2020 Census counts of housing units (not to be confused with counts of people). The coverage estimates are provided nationally, by region and state, and by type of housing unit (e.g., single unit versus multiunit and owner- versus renter-occupied) and characteristics of the householder (e.g., race and ethnicity).

This blog post reviews key findings for housing unit coverage estimates nationally, and for Connecticut and other states.

Census & ACS, HousingCynthia WillnerAugust 19, 2022census

New Census Bureau Data on Young Adult Migration: Connecticut Experiences More Out-Migration than In-Migration of Young Adults, with Rates Varying by Parental Income and Race/Ethnicity

On July 25th, the U.S. Census Bureau in collaboration with Harvard University released a new interactive data tool on young adult migration. The data tool tracks patterns of migration between all 741 commuting zones in the U.S. from childhood (measured at age 16) to young adulthood (measured at age 26), for individuals with a Social Security Number who were born in the U.S. between 1984 and 1992.

Migration patterns are provided for the full sample and disaggregated by parental income quintile and by four categories of race and ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White).

In this blog post, we report some findings from the tool on migration patterns for Connecticut residents.

Migration, Census & ACSCynthia WillnerAugust 3, 2022census

Learn about the Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Data

The Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data are an experimental data product developed by the Census Bureau that provides earnings and employment outcomes for college and university graduates by degree level, degree major, and post-secondary institution. The data are generated by matching university transcript data from participating universities with a national database of jobs compiled by the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program (LEHD) at the Census Bureau.

Census & ACS, EducationCynthia WillnerJuly 18, 2022

Census Releases 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Results: How Is Connecticut Impacted?

Today, the Census Bureau released 2020 undercount and overcount rates by state from the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES). The PES measures the accuracy of the decennial census by surveying a sample of the population to estimate the proportion of people missed or counted erroneously during the census count.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationJason CheungMay 19, 2022

Connecticut Marks Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. In Connecticut – according to the 2020 U.S. Census – the Asian/Pacific American population grew by 27.1% during the past decade, from 134,091 residents in 2010 to 170,459 in 2020.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationLori ReynoldsMay 10, 2022

American Community Survey Data Release: Income and Education Levels Increased, Remote Working Increased, Home Values Decreased

When comparing the 5-year estimates of American Community data between 2011-2015 and 2016-2020, CTData has found:

A majority of towns experience a decrease in population
Home values decrease while rent increases
Women continue to earn only 80 cents on the dollar compared to men

Education levels have increased
Working from home is becoming increasingly common

Explore the data, as well as more topics, with this ACS 2020 roundup!

Census & ACS, Housing, Demographics & PopulationCynthia WillnerMarch 17, 2022acs

2020 Census Demographic Analysis By The "Five Connecticuts"

Over the past several months, we have explored population changes in Connecticut from 2010 to 2020, touching on topics such as overall changes, diversity, housing, analysis for specific towns, and more. In this short blog post, we explore population changes by race and ethnicity for each of the “Five Connecticuts,” a system developed by the University of Connecticut.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationJason CheungFebruary 28, 2022