Arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Increase Significantly in Connecticut in 2025

In recent months, there has been an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the country as well as in Connecticut, including a high-profile story of the arrest of an Afghan interpreter for the US military who had fled the Taliban and resettled in Connecticut. We wondered, to what extent has this activity increased, and what we know about it?

Using data from the Deportation Data Project, we explored a few basic questions to get a clearer picture. Explore our analysis here.

Sarah Eisele-Dyrli & Jackie VancourSeptember 9, 2025

Connecticut Business Trends: Explore Our New Dashboard and Analysis on Business Formation Trends From 2010 to 2025!

Data from the Connecticut Secretary of the State reveals that annual net business formations across the state have tripled from 13,847 in 2010 to 44,146 in 2024, with the Capitol Planning Region now leading at 27% of all new businesses. We've released a dashboard that tracks these business formations, closures, and net growth trends from 2010 to 2025 and put together an analysis of the data. With this tool, you can explore the data at the state, regional, and town levels.

Business & EconomyJason CheungAugust 6, 2025business registration, business

Lessons from Data Strategic Planning

Many nonprofit organizations (and for-profit organizations) believe that creating a data dashboard is the key to solving all their data challenges. But the reality is often more complicated, just like the problems you are trying to solve.

Data Strategic PlanningFionnuala Darby-HudgensJuly 10, 2025

Roles and Goals in the Affordable Housing System

Support from The Connecticut Project enabled CTData to offer Data Strategic Planning to a cohort of organizations working to increase access to affordable housing across the state. This cohort brings together nonprofit housing developers, advocates, financers, organizers, and planners operating at the local, regional, and statewide levels.

Housing, Data Strategic PlanningFionnuala Darby-HudgensJuly 10, 2025

Data Work Is More Than Just Numbers: CTData’s Strategic Planning Service Brings Nonprofits Together

To celebrate two years of helping organizations across Connecticut strengthen their data work, CTData Collaborative’s Data Strategic Planning (DSP) program hosted a gathering of nonprofit organizations and government agencies that have completed the Data Strategic Planning initiative. Professionals working in social services, public health, legal aid, education, public libraries, housing, museums, historic preservation, and more came together at the beautiful Mercy by the Sea retreat center in Madison. They gathered to share what they have learned and how their organizations have grown through data work.

Equity in Data Community of Practice | Centering Racial Equity Throughout Data Work: AISP's Updated Toolkit

Our June Community of Practice session was centered around the AISP Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity Throughout Data Integration. We explored how decisions throughout data work, from project design to credit attribution, can either advance equity or reinforce harm.

Community of PracticeGuest UserJuly 8, 2025community of practice, equity in data, AISP, toolkit

Equity in Data Community of Practice | Check Before You Chat: A Guide to Evaluating Generative AI Tools

Our May Community of Practice session focused on evaluating generative AI tools with a risk-aware lens, highlighting key considerations like data handling, model transparency, and ethical safeguards. We also took a look at some practical checklists and evaluation rubrics to help guide responsible AI use in the workplace.

Community of PracticeGuest UserJune 20, 2025equity in data, community of practice, ai, tools, evaluating, guide, webinar

Strengthening Systems Through Shared Data Work

Non-profit organizations rarely work alone; they are often connected to other organizations working on similar issues or providing services essential to their operations. CTData provided data literacy training and coaching sessions for each of the state’s legal service providers, helping them to develop a framework for measuring their impact. The coaching sessions with each provider also helped CTData understand the challenges faced across the legal aid system and build a framework for further research.

Data Strategic PlanningElizabeth RoseJune 20, 2025DSP, legal, systems

Responding to Federal Data Changes: Connecticut’s Path Forward

While the topic of “disappearing data” may seem alarmist, or perhaps relevant only to data people, what we are learning about changes to the support of our publicly funded data is going to affect every organization, including non-profit and for-profit organizations. At our May 30 event in Hartford, we learned more about what is happening to data and data partnership that is affecting state data, what we can do in our own organizations to follow the law and protect privacy, and most importantly, identified actions that we can all take as participants in this great democracy.

Youth Voices Highlight Disparities at 2025 Hartford Youth Data Walk

On the afternoon of Tuesday May 13th, inside the historic Hall of Flags at the Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford youth took the spotlight. The 2025 Hartford Youth Data Walk, hosted by CTData, brought together young people, community leaders, nonprofit partners, and policymakers to engage with powerful, youth-led presentations rooted in local data. Click to read more.

Safeguarding Federal Data for Democracy

The United States leads the world in providing open access to government data. However, the neutrality and availability of crucial data required for informed decision-making, dissemination of public funds, public services, and research, is at risk.

In our recent webinar, Safeguarding Federal Data for Democracy, experts from across the country gathered to discuss the urgent need to preserve public data, the threats facing federal data infrastructure, and we data users can respond.

Equity in Data Community of Practice | Vulnerability in LGBTQ+ Data Collection

When designing surveys that include LGBTQ+ demographic questions, how do we balance the need for data with respect for privacy and identity? Our March Equity in Data Community of Practice session tackled this challenge by examining real-world examples and developing inclusive, transparent, and trustworthy data collection guidelines.

Equity, Community of PracticeGuest UserMay 13, 2025community of practice, cop, equity in data, webinar

2025 Hartford Youth Data Fellows Learn About Community-Driven Budgeting

The 2025 Hartford Youth Data Fellows hosted members from Hartford Decides at the Swift Factory this past March, creating a powerful intersection of youth engagement, data literacy, and community activism. During this session, the Fellows learned firsthand about participatory budgeting—a democratic process that allows community members to directly decide how to allocate a portion of a public budget.

Partnering for Success: Hartford Promise Strengthens its Data Culture with CTData

Hartford Promise faced challenges with their outdated data system while providing scholarships to Hartford public high school graduates. CTData helped them develop a strategic data plan that improved their ability to track impact and support scholars.

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

Looking Ahead to Census Day 2030: Celebrating America's Data Legacy

April 1, 2030 will be our next Census Day. Today, in anticipation of that day, we're reflecting on the remarkable impact of the Census Bureau—a cornerstone of American data transparency. Read more.

Census & ACSSarah Eisele-DyrliApril 1, 2025census tools, acs

Data at Your Fingertips

Have you ever tried downloading data across multiple years and towns, only to encounter a bunch of steps for what should be a straightforward question? We've been there too, which is why we created and recently updated our Data by Topic tool! This new and improved platform provides convenient way to access Connecticut data at state, town, county, and planning region levels.* Explore the tool with this webinar.

Census & ACSSarah Eisele-DyrliMarch 31, 2025census tools, acs

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

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