[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JViello

Pfft, you think Glastonbury is bad you should see the people in Fairfield.

Haha, you're probably right. There are some pretty bad people around here. I pay them no mind. The people on my block are pretty cool and not like that, except maybe for one person.

I think that snobby people serve a purpose; in nice areas, they're almost a necessary evil because they play a role in keeping standards high and keeping the area aesthetically pleasing.

There was actually somebody here who opposed redistricting of his kid to a particular school on the grounds that his neighborhood had 1-acre zoning, while most of the area the new school served had only 1/4-1/2 acre zoning. It's a perfectly good school, BTW. And he actually wrote a letter saying this to the newspaper.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

Pretty much. Some towns/cities are smaller and not economically diverse, so their income levels can appear higher than other towns that are bigger and have more middle class. So looking at the town as a whole is not always a perfect indicator of the neighborhood you might be looking at.

Well, yeah, but the median income is the median income, no matter how you slice it. If every town were exactly the same, we would be living in a pretty boring place.

Just because a given town isn't economically diverse doesn't mean the data is skewed. It simply means that the town isn't economically diverse, therefore has a higher (or lower) income. The boundaries have been there for years, so it's all about how the communities evolved - I would agree with you if the boundaries were drawn post-development.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Well, yeah, but the median income is the median income, no matter how you slice it. If every town were exactly the same, we would be living in a pretty boring place.

Just because a given town isn't economically diverse doesn't mean the data is skewed. It simply means that the town isn't economically diverse, therefore has a higher (or lower) income. The boundaries have been there for years, so it's all about how the communities evolved - I would agree with you if the boundaries were drawn post-development.

I don't disagree with you. I just don't think it's necessary to live and die by these statistics.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I don't disagree with you. I just don't think it's necessary to live and die by these statistics.

I think an example of that would be - Hartford.

Some of the homes on Prospect ave are straight up baller mansions on a hillside with commanding views of the city. Many many million dollar homes around Elizabeth park etc. But by looking at the data, you would never, ever know that.

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

They are. I have an uncle in Bethesda and he is obsessed with comparing Bethesda to Greenwich, Beverly Hills and Palm Beach. It's really comical how they break down their sections of town to make them rank higher on the lists. Funny enough, two of Maryland's counties have average household incomes of 30k (Allegany and Garrett). They have appalachia and inner-city poor while we have inner city poor.

Well that CERTAINLY explains a lot of the conversation in this thread.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JViello

Some of the homes on Prospect ave are straight up baller mansions on a hillside with commanding views of the city. Many many million dollar homes around Elizabeth park etc. But by looking at the data, you would never, ever know that.

I drove by there recently, and I thought I was in West Hartford. Then I drove a bit and realized I wasn't. This is the road with the speed bumps, right?

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I drove by there recently, and I thought I was in West Hartford. Then I drove a bit and realized I wasn't. This is the road with the speed bumps, right?

Yep, that's the one. Nice area.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JViello

I think an example of that would be - Hartford.

Some of the homes on Prospect ave are straight up baller mansions on a hillside with commanding views of the city. Many many million dollar homes around Elizabeth park etc. But by looking at the data, you would never, ever know that.



Well that CERTAINLY explains a lot of the conversation in this thread.

A really nice section of Hartford could be a good deal if you don't intend to use the schools. There's a section of Bridgeport - St. Mary's by the Sea - that is like that. It's a beautiful section, and the house will be much cheaper than something comparable in a nearby upscale town like Fairfield or Westport. So it can be a good deal for the person with the right circumstances.

[elle423]

I have a stupid question: When there were only 10 questions on the 2010 census and not a single one related to household income, per capita income, etc., why is everyone taking these "official" results so seriously? I think these numbers are nothing more than stats which are available and updated every year, and are probably based on filed state or federal tax returns. It's really not a big deal

[elle423]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Why? We're discussing the results of the latest census. We've waited ten years for it to come out. After all, this is city-data.

Check out this link from the State of Connecticut...you don't have to wait 10 years for this type of info...the state updates the town profiles EVERY year.

DECD: DECD: All Connecticut Town Profiles

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by elle423

I have a stupid question: When there were only 10 questions on the 2010 census and not a single one related to household income, per capita income, etc., why is everyone taking these "official" results so seriously? I think these numbers are nothing more than stats which are available and updated every year, and are probably based on filed state or federal tax returns. It's really not a big deal

There's a certain percentages of households who get the 'long form' which asks much more detailed questions. I think they then extrapolate those answers over the larger population. I got the long form in 1990 but I've gotten the short form all other times.