Data Analysis Reveals CT’s Changing Population During Past Decade

Connecticut’s median age and median household income increased, more residents earned a bachelor’s degree, population decreased statewide and in more than 100 municipalities, and Stamford eclipsed Hartford as the state’s third largest city. Those are among the highlights in a new analysis by the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData), comparing official population information covering two consecutive five-year periods during the past decade.

Utilizing the American Community Survey’s (ACS) new 5-year estimates, just released, for Connecticut towns and census tracts for 2014-2018, and ACS data covering 2009-2013, the CTData analysis highlights key trends in Connecticut’s population during the past 10 years. The ACS estimates are produced by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median Income Grows in Most Communities

In Connecticut, median household income increased by 9.6%, from $69,461 to $76,103. Of 169 towns, 147 experienced an increase in household income, while 22 towns saw a decrease. Regarding income levels, the ACS revealed:

• The capital city of Hartford has the lowest median household income among all communities at $34,338. New London is the only other municipality where median household income falls below $40,000.
• Darien ($210,411) and Weston ($219,083) are the two towns where median income exceeds $200,000. Other higher income communities include: Wilton ($187,903), Westport (187,988), and New Canaan (192,428).
• Mansfield and Thomaston experienced a decline in household income exceeding 10%, while East Granby, Westbrook, and Roxbury each experienced an increase exceeding 40%.
• Towns and cities that saw a decrease in median income were: Brookfield, Easton, Seymour, Woodbury, Watertown, Thomaston, Litchfield, Middlefield, Durham, Madison, Hebron, Marlborough, Coventry, Mansfield, Chaplin, Eastford, Pomfret, Voluntown, Sprague, North Stonington, Stonington, and New London.

State’s Median Age Increases; 31 Towns Get Younger

The median age of Connecticut’s population increased by 0.6 years, from 40.2 to 40.8. At the same time, 31 towns became “younger,” with Willington, Ledyard, Colebrook, and Bethlehem experiencing a decrease in median age of over 2 years. On the other side of the spectrum, Mansfield (21.1), Windham (30.0), New Haven (30.6), New London (31.0), and Hartford (31.5) are among the youngest towns. Towns with higher median ages include Bridgewater, Washington, Sharon, and Salisbury, where the median age is above 55.

The Connecticut Data Collaborative website includes the datasets that were included in the analysis, comparing ACS data from 2009-2013 and 2014-2018. The datasets, along with interactive town-by-town maps, include per capita income, median household income, median home value, median gross rent, population, median age, high school graduates, and population with bachelor’s degree or higher. The web page is https://acs2018.ctdata.org/

The Connecticut Data Collaborative is a statewide public-private partnership that advocates for the public availability of open and accessible data, serving nonprofits, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and funders in using data to drive policy and improve programs and services, budgeting and decision making at the state, regional and local levels.

“These data are the primary source of town level data and allow communities to plan and understand the people they serve,” explained Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative. “New 5-year estimates are released each year in December; however, only non-overlapping time periods can be used for comparative purposes. Our comparative analysis tool provides highly requested datasets in an easy-to-use format that allows users to see the change over time.”

CTData has more than 50 ACS datasets on their website for individuals and organizations to explore and use, in addition to the comparison between the two most recent five-year periods released today.

More Residents with Higher Education

In Connecticut, the share of population aged 25 and older who holds a bachelor’s degree or above increased by 2.4 percentage points, from 36.5% to 38.9%. The share increased in 127 towns and decreased in 42. Fairfield county towns have the highest share of towns with a bachelor’s degree or higher -- Darien (81.3%), Weston (81.2%), New Canaan (79.3%), Westport (78.0%), and Wilton (76.6%). Meanwhile, most of Connecticut’s largest municipalities are among the towns with the lowest share of population with a bachelor's degree or higher -- Waterbury (15.8%), Hartford (16.8%), and Bridgeport (18.3%).

State Population Decreases; Stamford Sees Largest Growth

The population in Connecticut decreased by about 2,000 people from the 2009-2013 to the 2014-2018 ACS estimates. In most municipalities (116 of 169), the population experienced a decrease as well.

In the latest ACS estimates, Stamford experienced the biggest population growth of just over 5,000 people (a 4.1% increase) compared to 2009–2013 estimates. Some other towns that experienced a large increase in population are Danbury (~2,500), Norwalk (~1,900), Fairfield (~1,500), and Milford (~1,150). Hartford lost the most population (around 1,500), going from 3rd to 4th largest city in Connecticut.

Some of the smallest towns in the state are Union (873), Canaan (1,196), Cornwall (1,302), and Warren (1432). The top-5 largest communities are Bridgeport (146,417), New Haven (130,529), Stamford (129,026), Hartford (123,628), and Waterbury (108,672).

More than 200 data sets are now accessible to the public on the CTData website, including a wide array of subjects and policy categories. Among its areas of responsibility, CTData has been designated as the lead organization for the State of Connecticut in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and as Connecticut’s official source for census data related to the 2020 Census.

CTData also runs the CTData Academy, which offers numerous seminars and sessions across the state on data-related subjects, and recently launched an initiative specifically designed for high school students. More information is available at ctdata.org.