Changes in economic indicators in Connecticut towns

Last week’s release of the 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau provides new demographic and socioeconomic data for all Connecticut towns, including estimates of  income, poverty, and workforce characteristics. One especially detailed table in this new dataset – made available by the American Community Survey since the program began – is DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics (see links appearing to the left of the table in American FactFinder to view data for previous years). Because the survey periods don’t overlap, the economic estimates published in the  2015 5-Year Estimates dataset can be compared with the 2010 5-Year Estimates data for evidence of change. The graphics below employ a calculation which determines whether town-level economic measures increased or decreased beyond the margin of error of the survey estimates, and illustrate these statistically significant changes between the 2006-10 and 2011-15 survey periods  for several economic indicators.

For help with locating U.S. Census Bureau data for Connecticut, including American Community Survey data, please contact the Connecticut State Data Center.

Educational Attainment in CT 2010-2015

This data looks at trends in the maximum level of education attained in Connecticut for residents over the age of 25 from 2010 to 2015. Across the state, the percentage of peoples who have achieved less than the equivalent of a high school education is much lower than those who have. Additionally, the percentage of people who have some college education but no degree or who hold an Associate’s degree is much lower than the percentage of those who hold a Bachelor’s degree. From 2010 to 2015 there is an increase in Graduate or Professional degrees earned and a subsequent decrease in the percentage of people who hold only Bachelor’s degrees. Urban areas such as Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport are more likely to have lower rates of degree attainment. Attainment of education beyond a high school diploma or its equivalent is less prevalent in the eastern part of the state while the southwestern part of the state has higher percentages of people who have obtained either their Bachelor’s or a Graduate degree. From 2010 to 2015, many towns saw increases in higher education attainment and decreases in the relative percentages of people who have not attained an education beyond the high school level.