2008

December 2008

This map of the month depicts the average point percentage   change for housing sales activity for Conneciticut towns from 2006 through 2008.  Towns like West Hartford, East Hartford, Waterbury and Darien are among the hot spots for sales activity (both churning and new homes). The reasons for the higher activity among these towns are probably as diverse as the towns are from each other.

 

 

November 2008

This statewide map was produced for CERC's 2008 Research and Policy Conference.  It maps both the top and bottom 50 Connecticut zip codes for Adjusted Gross Income.  Although Fairfield county was expected to contain many of the top 50 zip codes, Litchfield county, western Hartford county and the lower Conneccticut river valley all carry an impressive share.   For the bottom 50 zip codes, the large cities contain the most concentrations as expected.  What is notable, however, is that eastern Connecticut, particularly along the I-395 corridor is peppered with them as well.

October 2008

This month's map showcases the businesses currently located along the Route 34 Corridor in New Haven.  The City of New Haven's Development Commission is working on a municipal development plan for a 37 acre corridor along Route 34 between Howe Street and Ella T. Grasso Boulevard. 

Alissa DeJonge, assistant director of research recently gave a presentation on retail opportunities and the current state of the proposed area.  For more information on the project, view the presentation and overview. 

 September 2008

CERC has mapped the primary market areas for the circulation of Connecticut newpapers.  The result is an interesting array of territories.  The Hartford Courant has the largest area, followed by the New Haven Register and and the New London Day.  The Connecticut Post circulates to eight towns, most of which are fragmented.  The News-Times and and New London Day areas flow into New York and Rhode Island.  Also note the overlap of circulation areas.  Some towns share multiple markets on the fringes.  Southington takes the cake, being located in the primary market areas for the Hartford Courant, the Meriden Record-Journal, the New Britain Herald, the Republican  American, and the Bristol Press.

July/August 2008

This map illustrates the median single family house price change from quarter 1, 2007 to quarter 1, 2008 by town.  The results are a complete mix of rising and falling prices, with no clear indication as to why.  All coastal towns' prices are down.  A possible indicator could be rising waterfront property costs, and with it, less of a market for second homes on the shoreline.  Most major cities are down as well.  Towns with the highest percentage rise in prices are rural and suburban.  It is possible that new or improved schools might attract new/yound families to reside in these towns.  Most price changes, however, are probably the result of multiple factors, varying from town to town.

June 2008

CERC is proud to present the 2008 State-by-State Analysis Database.  This map represents one category of analysis included in the database for all 50 states and the U.S. as a whole.  Other categories of analysis include population, taxes, financial, labor, education, technology, exports, transportation, tourism, social conditions and cost of living. 

 
May 2008

This month's map shows the change in commuting patterns among 24 municipalities between 1990 and 2000, according to data from the U.S. Census.  The links between the New Haven area and Waterbury have inreased substantially.  Stronger connections can also be seen between Stamford, Danbury and Bridgeport.  On the other hand, commuter links between New Haven and Bridgeport have lessened along with losses in the greater Hartford area.  The Norwich to Groton commuting patterns have also decreased substantially.  For additional information on commuting patterns among these 24 municipalities, or for further trend analyses, read Communities, Connecting to Compete.

April 2008

This month's map represents the share of U.S. establishments involved in photonics industries by state.  Just under two percent of photonics establishments in the nation are located in Connecticut.  With 20 percent of the nation's photonics establishments, California is the leader among the 50 states, followed by Florida, New York and Texas.  The Mountain region as a whole has fewer photonics industries with the exception of Colorado.
For more information on the photonics industry, please read the accompanying research brief. 

 
March 2008

Research is performed every day by many people, which includes investigating an issue until the situation is better understood.   Scientific research involves experimentation in order to discover, interpret or revise facts and theories.  The research leads to additional knowledge in the subject matter.  More info...

 
February 2008

This month's map looks at relative change along a number of dimensions for each of Connecticut's 169 municipalities.  The intent is to examine each town's share and growth   in the following areas:
•      Population
•      Labor force
•      Unemployment rate
•      Jobs by place of work
•      Worksites
•      Personal income
•      Inbound/outbound 
                                                                                  commuter ratio
In each case towns were assigned a rank based on their absolute size in 1990 and their growth, defined as change in share, between 1990 and 2005.  For example, in the population category Bridgeport ranked 1st based on its absolute size and 168th based on its growth rate.  Its rank among all towns, based on the numerical value of these rank scores, placed it in the fourth, or lowest, quartile.  It should be noted that towns in the bottom quartile have not necessarily experienced negative growth but rather may be growing more slowly than other towns.
As the map shows, there are certain geographic patterns in these data.  Those communities in the top quartile are heavily concentrated in the southwestern quadrant and in affluent shoreline communities east of New Haven.  Additionally, towns in the Farmington Valley have done well, as have a few other towns scattered about. 
Towns with the slowest growth are found in both rural and urban areas with pronounced pockets of slow growth around the state's three largest cities--Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven.

January 2008

 The home sales activity index used in this map shows the total number of sales in the past four quarters through 2007:Q3, based on the stock of houses in the town for 2006.  The colors of each town and the height each town is raised above the plain reflect the index.