County profile

South Central Connecticut Planning Region

Connecticut · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
570,598
Median household income
$88,197
People below poverty
11.4%
Median home value
$353,100

Income

The median income of households in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut was $88,197. An estimated 5.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 16.2% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 5.3
$10,000 to $14,999 3.2
$15,000 to $24,999 5.8
$25,000 to $34,999 5.9
$35,000 to $49,999 9.1
$50,000 to $74,999 13.8
$75,000 to $99,999 11.8
$100,000 to $149,999 17.6
$150,000 to $199,999 11.2
$200,000 or more 16.2

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 77460
Female 65822

An estimated 77.3% of households received earnings. An estimated 32.3% of households received Social Security and an estimated 24.6 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $25,242. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 77.3
Social Security 32.3
Retirement income 24.6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 5.2
Cash public assistance income 3

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 11.4 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 14.6% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 9.2% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 11% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 11.4
Children under 18 years below poverty 14.6
People 65 years old and over below poverty 9.2
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 11

In 2020-2024, 13.5 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 39.1% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 45.3% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 33.1% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024, 95.1% had health insurance coverage and 4.9% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 66.7% and public coverage was 39.9%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 2.9%.


In 2020-2024, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut had a total population of 570,598 - 294,796 (51.7%) females and 275,802 (48.3%) males. The median age was 40.2 years. An estimated 19.6% of the population was under 18 years, 32.7% was 19 to 44 years, 25.8% was 45 to 64 years, and 18.6 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 14503 13902
5 to 9 14988 14684
10 to 14 16850 15589
15 to 19 19729 20141
20 to 24 20281 20258
25 to 29 18930 19066
30 to 34 18582 18958
35 to 39 18190 18940
40 to 44 16200 17290
45 to 49 15508 16965
50 to 54 17602 18843
55 to 59 18800 20106
60 to 64 19090 20537
65 to 69 15396 17682
70 to 74 12877 14961
75 to 79 8808 10629
80 to 84 5008 6899
85 and over 4460 9346

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 61.6% were White; 13.9% were Black or African American; 3.2% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 4.6% were Asian; 4.6% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 10.6% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 19.5% of the people in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 58.5% of the people in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 230,673 households in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut. The average household size was 2.38 people.

Married-couple households made up 42.1% of the households in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut while cohabiting couple households made up 7.3% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 32.3% of all households, while 18.3% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 12.9% of households were male householders living alone, and 18.3% were female householders living alone, for a total of 31.2% of all households.

In South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, 26.4% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 33.4% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 42.1
Cohabiting Couples 7.3
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
18.3
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
32.3

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 46.4% of males and 40.9% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 42.2 37.7
Now married, except separated 46.4 40.9
Separated 1 1.5
Widowed 2.5 8
Divorced 7.9 11.9

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, 9,550 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 30.3% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 86.3% of the people living in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut were U.S. natives. 59.3% of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 13.7% of South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 52.8% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 65.2 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 42
Asia 27.9
Europe 18.4
Africa 8.9
Northern America 2.4
Oceania 0.4

Language

Among people at least five years old living in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024, 22.3 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 13.4% of people at least five years old; 8.3% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 13.4
Other Indo-European languages 4.4
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 2.8
Other languages 1.7

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 87.8 % of the people at least one year old living in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 87.8
Different house, same county 6.3
Different county, same state 2.3
Different state 2.8
Abroad 0.8

Education

In 2020-2024, 92.1 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 42% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 7.8% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut was 143,168 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 7,489 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 82,432. College or graduate school enrollment was 53,247.

Educational Attainment of People in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 7.8
High school diploma or equivalency 28.1
Some college, no degree 15.1
Associate's degree 6.9
Bachelor's degree 21.7
Graduate or professional degree 20.3

Disability

In South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 11.9 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 4.9% of people under 18 years old, to 9.1% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 29% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, 61.1 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 34.9% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 81.8% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 13.2% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 4.9 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 236,412 81.8
Federal, state, or local government workers 38,148 13.2
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 14,285 4.9

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0.2
Construction 5.5
Manufacturing 10.2
Wholesale trade 1.7
Retail trade 9.8
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 4.7
Information 1.9
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 5.9
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 10.7
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 33.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 7.8
Other Services, except public administration 4.5
Public administration 3.6

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 137,667 47.6
Service occupations 47,073 16.3
Sales and office occupations 52,821 18.3
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 19,554 6.8
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 31,927 11

Commuting to Work

An estimated 69.4% of South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 7.2% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 23.5 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 69.4
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 7.2
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 3
Walked 4.6
Other means 1.6
Worked from home 14.3

In 2020-2024, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut had a total of 248,267 housing units. Of these housing units, 58.8% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 40.7% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 0.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 58.8
Apartments in multi-unit structures 40.7
Mobile homes 0.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

4.3% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 23.1% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut was 5.4 rooms, and of these housing units 52.3% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut had 230,673 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 17,594 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 60.5% while renters occupied 39.5%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.56 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.1.

4.1% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 12.2% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 11.4% and another 17.9% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut:

House Heating Fuel Used in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 49.8
Electricity 18.4
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 29.8
All other fuels 1.4
No fuel used 0.6

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut was $353,100.

Of the owner-occupied households, 65 % had a mortgage. 35% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $2,377 and for owners without a mortgage it was $1,107.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut was $1,525. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.