Data Center pinpoints CT income drop

New U.S. Census data from the bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) understates statewide household income in Connecticut by failing to include income derived from capital gains, according to the Connecticut State Data Center in CLAS.

The new census data also shows a highly skewed picture of personal income by town, resulting in average income statistics that are misleading for Connecticut , according to the Data Center , which has compared the ACS data just released by the Census Bureau with data from the IRS.

The Census's ACS data was based on 2006 surveys and includes income estimates for Connecticut 's eight largest towns: Bridgeport , Danbury , Hartford , New Britain , New Haven , Norwalk , Stamford , and Waterbury .

The IRS data used by the Data Center is drawn from actual income tax returns for 2005.

The Connecticut State Data Center in CLAS is the state's official liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau and provides a portal for socioeconomic data sets for the State of Connecticut and its municipalities. Its mission is to assist the state with reliable, updated population estimate and projections and to evaluate the accuracy of official federal counts of Connecticut 's population.

To view charts of Connecticut 's household income, comparing the ACS data released by the Census with the IRS data, click one of the links below:

• Chart 1: Statewide Aggregate Household Income (PDF)
• Chart 2: Connecticut Median Household Income - 1999 to 2006 (PDF)
• Chart 3: Aggregate Household Income Comparison - Towns with Population >= 65,000 (PDF)

To hear a podcast by Orlando Rodriguez, director of the Connecticut State Data Center , describing the new ACS survey, click here.

For more information, go to http://www.ctsdc.uconn.edu/ .