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Differential Privacy: What Connecticut Data Users Should Watch

If you use the American Community Survey (ACS) to write a grant, report to a funder or your stakeholders, or conduct planning, there are changes coming that may impact the availability of the data you have grown accustomed to accessing. According to a June 4 rule published by the Office of Privacy and Open Government at the Commerce Department, key statistical products from the Department will be returning to out-of-date statistical methods to protect privacy, which is likely to result in much less data being available for the public to utilize.

As a data user in Connecticut, here's what we know and what you can look out for with upcoming data releases.

Census & ACS, EquitySarah Eisele-DyrliJuly 31, 2026census, equity in data

Connecticut’s Population Continued to Grow from 2024 to 2025, Despite Decreased Net International Migration and High Domestic Out-Migration from Western CT

In March, the Census Bureau released its Vintage 2025 County Population Estimates – which, in Connecticut, are for our nine “county-equivalent” planning regions. The data include annual total population estimates for states and counties or county-equivalents for July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2025, as well as estimated “components of change” – births, deaths, and migration – between each year.

Read on to learn about how Connecticut’s population has changed, overall and by planning region.

Census & ACS, Migration, Demographics & PopulationCynthia WillnerMay 13, 2026population estimates, census

Every Person Counts: The 2030 Census Will Drive Billions in Funding for Connecticut

April 1 marks Census Day, a once-in-a-decade event with significant financial implications for Connecticut. While the decennial census is often seen as a simple population count, it plays an important role in determining how federal funding is allocated. For Connecticut, that translates to billions of dollars each year that support health care, education, housing, and other essential services. Read more.

Census & ACSJason CheungApril 1, 2026census

CT Housing Costs: What the ACS 5-Year Estimates Tell Us

The 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates were released in December 2024. The ACS is a survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, reaching 3.5 million households nationwide and over 30,000 households in Connecticut in 2023. ACS data tables cover a variety of topics, including demographics, housing, and income.

Census & ACSJill WalshApril 9, 2025acs, census

New Federal DOT Policy Would Disadvantage Connecticut, Especially Our Urban Centers

Transportation infrastructure shapes not just how we move, but the economic opportunities and daily costs faced by residents. The newly confirmed U.S. Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, issued a memo on January 16th that could significantly affect the transportation landscape of the country. In this post, we examine the potential impacts of such a demographically-driven policy on Connecticut.

Census & ACSChase WilsonFebruary 26, 2025census

Our Comment to the Census Bureau's Race and Ethnicity Code List

This past Tuesday, we submitted detailed recommendations to improve the Census Bureau’s race and ethnicity code list, drawing on years of experience with Census and ACS data. Our team identified several areas for improvement that, if addressed, should make a real difference in how Connecticut’s diverse communities are represented.

Census & ACSGuest UserFebruary 20, 2025census

Equity in Data Community of Practice | Your Feedback Can Shape the Census

In January 2025, we held a Community of Practice session focused on the Race and Ethnicity Coding Improvement Project. The Census survey includes a write-in response option under race categories, and to better capture how people racially and ethnically self-identify, the Census Bureau is seeking feedback on its Race and Ethnicity Coding List. Submissions are due by February 18th. These changes will directly impact our understanding of community demographics in Connecticut, ensuring the data reflects the state's rich diversity.

Community of PracticeGuest UserFebruary 14, 2025census

Census Bureau Releases Vintage 2024 State Population Estimates

On December 19th, 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau released their vintage 2024 population estimates for the nation and states. This estimates series incorporates a methodological change to how the Census Bureau estimated net international migration, resulting in substantially higher nationwide estimates of net international migration over the last several years.

Census & ACS, Demographics & Population, MigrationCynthia WillnerDecember 20, 2024population estimates, census

Changes to the federal standards for how race and ethnicity data are collected and reported

Last 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.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationJeff BorofskyApril 4, 2024census, acs

Check Out Our 2020 Demographics and Housing Explorer!

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!

Census & ACS, Demographics & Population, HousingJason CheungSeptember 15, 2023census

Unveiling the U.S. Census Bureau's Methodology for Annual Population Estimates

Accurate 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.

Census & ACS, Demographics & PopulationJeff BorofskyAugust 7, 2023census, population estimates

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

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

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

Connecticut Census Tract Boundaries are Changing

In February 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau updated census geographic boundaries for many states across the country, including Connecticut. Since data from both the American Community Survey and decennial census is often consumed at the census-tract level (areas of up to 4,000 people), it is important for data users to understand the differences between 2010 and 2020 boundaries, as new data will be disseminated using updated boundaries going forward.

Demographics & Population, Census & ACSIlya IlyankouFebruary 26, 2021census, census tools, Geographic Resources

Find the Data You Need with Over 130 Programs and Surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau is typically associated with the once-a-decade count of the entire population of the United States, but did you know the bureau collects and shares data from over 130 surveys and programs?

Business & Economy, Housing, Demographics & Population, Census & ACSGuest UserFebruary 17, 2021census

Online vs. Paper: New Census Tool Reveals How Communities Will Receive 2020 Census

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.

Census & ACSMorgan FinnDecember 2, 2019census, census tools