The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey suggest that from 2011 to 2016, Connecticut reduced disparities in overall poverty, child poverty, and uninsurance between people of color and white residents. However, the state’s inequities remain larger than the national average, with the median Black and Latino households earning less than sixty cents for every dollar their white counterparts make.
- Overall poverty in Connecticut dropped from 2015 to 2016, with Latino residents experiencing a significant decline.
- Child poverty in Connecticut decreased slightly more rapidly than in the nation as a whole, with disparities between white residents and their Black and Latino counterparts decreasing while national disparities remained essentially flat.
- Connecticut’s overall median household income remained flat over the last year, with only white and Latino residents seeing gains.
- Connecticut maintains one of the nation’s lowest rates of uninsurance for both adults and children.
The latest state budget puts this progress in jeopardy. Budget cuts threaten insurance coverage for thousands of children and families, while cuts to key anti-poverty programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit will have a disproportionate impact on working families.
In our this policy brief, we provide an overview of the latest Census numbers as well as the upcoming policy changes that may put these positive trends at risk.
