At the request of the State of Connecticut, the Census Bureau has published a notice in the Federal Register regarding the treatment of Connecticut’s Planning Regions, which correspond to the state’s Councils of Governments (COGs), as geographic units equivalent to counties for Census statistical purposes. This change, which as also supported by all nine COGs and the Connecticut Data Collaborative would result in:
- The Census Bureau tabulating data by Planning Region from the year 2023, and
- COGs becoming eligible to participate in federal programs (such as grants) that are open to counties and county equivalents.
It is important to note that county equivalency is a statistical term of art and that application of this term to Planning Regions in Connecticut is not intended to and will not change government structure or authority in Connecticut. More information on county equivalency can be found in:
- Press release from the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management announcing the proposal (ct.gov)
- Frequently Asked Questions: Census Bureau County Equivalency Status for Connecticut’s Planning Regions (ct.gov)
Detail on the proposal, including how to submit comments during the 60-day comment period (which begins December 14, 2020) can be found in the Federal Register notice.