A snapshot of
our communities
2014
Overview 1
Defining our region
2
Growing suburban
poverty 6
What is the state of our region? How will we
know progress when we see it?
Metro Hartford Progress Points takes a look at the forces shaping
Hartford and the region today, both the connections across it and
the critical education, income and opportunity gaps within it. It is a
call to action for groups and individuals throughout Metro Hartford
to recognize all that we share, to join forces to address our challenges
and to create more vibrant and prosperous communities for all. To learn
more, visit MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org.
Increasing
globalization7
Stubborn
education gaps 8
What do we mean by “Metro Hartford”?
The Hartford region consists of 750,000 people living in the city of Hartford, its surrounding
inner-ring suburbs, and outer-ring and rural towns that have historical, economic or social
ties with the city. We refer to “Metro Hartford” and “Greater Hartford” interchangeably.
Somers
Suffield
Granby
Canton
Enfield
East
Granby
Ellington
Windsor
Locks
Simsbury
Avon
Bloomfield
East
Windsor
Windsor
Vernon
Tolland
South
Windsor
West
Hartford
Bolton
Manchester
HARTFORD
East
Hartford
Farmington
Newington
Stafford
Glastonbury
Hebron
Andover
Marlborough
Wethersfield
Rocky Hill
hartford
Inner
Suburb
outer
Suburb
* Inner suburbs have higher population density and poverty
levels than outer suburbs. See footnotes for more detail.
1 MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org
Defining our region
Long-term shift from urban to suburban
Following World War II, people gradually moved from the city of Hartford to the suburbs. Beginning
in the 1960s, most of the population growth has been farther afield in formerly rural towns beyond
the inner-ring suburbs. Both Latino and Asian populations have grown rapidly throughout the
region for the last 25 years. The black population has shifted from living mostly in the city of
Hartford to a majority now living in the inner suburbs. The white population has shrunk overall,
with growth only in the outer suburbs.
Most rapid growth in
outer suburban areas
500,000
Inner
Suburb
400,000
300,000
outer
Suburb
200,000
hartford
100,000
Population 1900–2010; projections
2010–2025. Source: State Data Center
0
1920
1960
2000
2020
Aging population across the region
Fewer young people are projected to live and work in the region while growing numbers of aging
workers will reach retirement age in the next decade, particularly in the suburbs.
hartford
Inner
Suburb
Outer
Suburb
30,000
20,000
10,000
0–24 years
25–54 years
0
-7,300
-5,100
7,900
900
-6,100
29,300
36,700
55 years and over
-8,400
-10,000
-15,100
Projected change 2010–2025
Source: State Data Center projections
2
Defining our region (continued)
Jobs draw people in and out of Hartford
The population of Hartford doubles each workday, as commuters travel from all over the region to
jobs in the city—which tend to be concentrated in highly skilled professions such as insurance and
finance. 82 percent of the region’s workers commute within the region.
windsor
bloomfield
26%
Simsbury
Manchester
19%
27%
Avon
19% Marlborough
20%
19%
East hartford
20%
17%
Farmington
2 | East Hartford
3 | Manchester
4 | Windsor
5 | West Hartford
20%
16%
West
hartford
Other top destinations
for commuters include:
South
Windsor
23%
newington
19%
27%
wethersfielD
81%
of all Metro Hartford
workers commute
alone by car
glastonbury
25% ROCKY HILL
83%
of the 121,000 jobs in
Hartford are filled by
commuters
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011
65%
75%
of Hartford residents with
jobs are employed
of Hartford workers who
commute outside of Hartford
outside of Hartford
make less than $40K
Source: U.S. Census Bureau , 2011
9% of students
magnet/CHARTER/CHOICE
1 in 6 students attends school in a
different town
96%
87%
Even as school enrollment has dropped throughout
the region—a reflection of the larger trend of an aging
population—the number of students commuting to a school
that is not in their neighborhood has increased with the growth
of magnets, charters and other public school options.
56%
Growth 2006–2011
Source: State Department of Education
84% of students
Public
-7%
3 MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org
-17%
-5%
7% of students
private
-2%
-13%
-15%
Affordable housing options
concentrated in Hartford
Those seeking more affordable housing
options won’t find many in the inner
and outer suburbs. In turn, this tends to
concentrate lower-income families in
the city of Hartford and limits options for
families in the suburbs.
36%
11%
hartford
inner suburb
6%
outer suburb
Source: Department of Housing, 2008–2012
Homeownership dramatically
higher in suburbs
Homeownership is one of the strongest
features of a “vibrant community.” While
homeownership rates are typically lower in
cities, the gap between the percent who live
in owner-occupied homes in Hartford and
suburban communities is high compared to
other regions.
26%
hartford
75%
inner suburb
88%
outer suburb
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2008–2012 estimates
Voter turnout significantly
lower in Hartford
Lower crime rates in suburbs,
but higher housing costs
There is a significant difference in turnout
among registered voters between Hartford and
its neighboring towns. Lack of engagement
in the electoral process makes it difficult for
residents to make changes in their community.
While crime in Hartford has decreased in
recent years, neighboring communities and
suburban areas still have higher levels of
public safety than their counterparts in the
city. Unfortunately, low incomes and a lack of
available/affordable housing mean that many
cannot afford to live in lower-crime areas
outside the city.
28%
32%
5,745
2,461
5%
1,119
HARTFORD
Inner
suburb
Outer
suburb
2013 Election Turnout
Source: Secretary of the State, November 2013 election results.
HARTFORD
Inner
suburb
Outer
suburb
Number of TOTAL Crimes Per 100,000 RESIDENTS
Source: CT Data, Department of Public Safety.
4
Defining our region (continued)
Growing job opportunities in caring for our aging population
While the Hartford region is still providing large numbers of jobs, its historically strong sectors of
finance, insurance and manufacturing have seen their numbers decrease over the past decades. Many
of the sectors with recent growth involve service industries related to meeting the needs of an aging
population in the outer suburbs—specifically, in healthcare.
On the decline
Construction
Manufacturing
Finance & Insurance
Holding
steady
On the rise
Government
Administrative Support
Retail
Transportation
Healthcare
Education
Real Estate
Scientific & Technical
Shifting top 5 job sectors over past 20 years
Number of employees
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
healthcare
Manufacturing
Finance &
insurance
retail
50,000
education
40,000
30,000
1993
2003
2013
Source: Department of Labor, 1993–2013.
Metro Hartford employment snapshot
• 70% of the unemployed residents
in the region live in the suburbs
• 3
,000 people return from prison
to the region—just over half to Hartford—
each year
• 29% of those unemployed in the
region are between the ages of 16 and 24
7,600 Hartford residents
are looking for work and cannot find jobs
25,000
suburban residents
are looking for work and cannot find jobs
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008–2012 estimates; Department of Labor, 2013 local area estimates.
5 MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org
Growing Suburban poverty
Poverty growing beyond the city limits
Population living under federal poverty line
In Hartford, a high proportion of the population is living under the federal poverty line (about
$23,000 for a family of four). But the sharpest increases in poverty have been outside the capital city,
mostly in the inner suburbs.
50,000
hartford
40,000
inner
suburb
30,000
20,000
Outer
suburb
10,000
0
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Source: State Data Center, U.S. Census Bureau.
Poverty rates in Hartford
highest of all CT cities
And on par with the poorest
cities in the U.S.
Hartford
38%
DETROIT, MI
42%
NEW HAVEN
26%
CAMDEN, NJ
39%
bridgeport
25%
FLINT, MI
39%
waterbury
25%
YOUNGSTOwN, OH
39%
new britain
24%
SPRINGFIELD, MA
33%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 estimates.
6
Increasing Globalization
Increasing globalization through immigration
Schools are more ethnically and culturally diverse than at any time in our history. More than 100
different languages are spoken in homes throughout the region, bringing diversity to our schools
and our towns.
Hartford
West Hartford
East Hartford
Newington
Rocky Hill
Farmington
Wethersfield
Windsor Locks
CREC
East Windsor
Windsor
South Windsor
Glastonbury
Vernon
Avon
Manchester
Simsbury
East Granby
Enfield
Andover
Ellington
Bloomfield
Suffield
Stafford
Marlborough
Somers
Canton
Granby
Hebron
Tolland
Percent of households IN EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT
where more than one language is spoken
0
10
20
30
40
Source: State Department of Education.
A great variety of languages spoken in homes across the region
Because more foreign-born families are immigrating to the region, we have more
ELL (English language learner) students than ever before.
Spanish
SerboCroatian
Vietnamese
Polish
Gujarati
Chinese
Portuguese
Karen
Arabic
Malayalam
Korean
Telugu
Albanian
7 MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org
Urdu
Russian
Source: State Department of Education,
2010–2011.
Stubborn education gaps
Racial and ethnic disparities in educational attainment
While Greater Hartford continues to enjoy a highly skilled workforce, those skills are not equitably
distributed across all residents. More white residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher than their
black and Latino counterparts. In fact, one-third of all Latinos in the region lack a high school diploma.
7%
white
16%
12%
19%
35%
26%
23%
black
Latino
30%
42%
34%
25%
30%
bachelor’s
degree
Some
college
High
school
degree
Less than
high
school
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008–2012 estimates.
Range of high school graduation rates varies greatly
High school graduation rates are higher on average for whites and Asian-Americans, but the
range of results for individual schools shows that other groups—including low-income, special
education and ELL students—find success in at least some schools in the region.
White
Asian-American
Eligible for reduced lunch
Female
All students
Male
Black
Latino
Eligible for free lunch
Special education
ELL
25%
50%
Average graduation rate
Source: State Department of Education, 2010-2012
75%
100%
Range graduation rate
8
Stubborn education GAPS (continued)
3rd-grade reading scores vary widely across different groups
Although third-grade reading scores are increasing overall, the gaps aren’t narrowing much when
viewed by race/ethnicity, income and other dimensions.
300
300
white
Asian
female
250
250
GOAL
235
GOAL
235
GOAL
235
male
200
200
Latino
black
150
150
2006
2013
2006
300
2013
300
Full
Price
NOT ELL
250
250
GOAL
235
ELL
200
200
F/R
MEals
150
150
2006
2013
2006
2013
300
Early childhood education
provides the foundation for
school success.
Not
special
ed
250
GOAL
235
special
ed
200
150
2006
2013
4 in 5 children in the region
have preschool experience prior
to kindergarten. Many who do
attend pre-K programs do so
regionally, with 2 in 5 kids
attending school-based programs
outside their home district.
ELL = English language learners
F/R Lunch = Students receiving free or reduced cost lunch
9 MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org
Source: State Department of Education, 2006–2013.
Where do we go from here?
Increased job opportunities, a growing population, high-quality,
affordable housing, educated workers, engaged citizens and cultural
diversity are just a few of the factors that make a community a place
where all kinds of people want to live, work and raise their families.
How do we get there?
Consider the following in a discussion of Progress Points in your
community:
• Where is home to you?
• W
here do you and your family live, work, shop, learn, worship
and play?
• How does your community connect to the rest of the region?
• H
ow do we build stronger connections among the communities of
Metro Hartford?
• What are the greatest assets of the Metro Hartford region?
• What are its greatest challenges?
• H
ow can we together address our greatest challenges and capitalize
on our greatest assets for the good of all residents throughout the
region?
Progress Points represents the start of a collective effort to address the
root causes of our region’s challenges, toward a vision of more vibrant
and prosperous communities for all.
We, the institutional partners behind Progress Points, hope that this
report will prompt groups and individuals across Metro Hartford—state
and local government, academic institutions, businesses, nonprofits,
faith- and community-based organizations, advocacy organizations
and institutions—to work together to make real progress on the issues
illustrated by this report.
Please visit MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org to learn more.
10
MetroHartfordProgressPoints.org
©2014 Metro Hartford Progress Points