Top Companies Profiting from War: Two Have Major CT Presence

An analysis to determine the top 20 companies across the globe that are “profiting the most from war,” finds two with Connecticut connections. Virginia’s General Dynamics, parent company of Groton-based Electric Boat is ranked at #6 and Farmington-headquartered United Technologies is at #11. In its analysis, the website 24/7 Wall St. indicated that “global military spending increased by 3.9% in 2017, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The global rise was driven partially by a $9.6 billion hike in U.S. spending — the United States is the world’s largest defense spender by a wide margin. What growing arms investments will mean for the future of international peace is unclear. What is clear is that defense companies around the world are benefitting tremendously.”

The analysis also found that:

• Total arms sales among the world’s 100 largest defense contractors topped $398 billion in 2017 after climbing for the third consecutive years.
• Russia became the second largest arms-producing country this year, overtaking the United Kingdom for the first time since 2002.
• The United States is home to half of the world’s 10 largest defense contractors, and American companies account for 57% of total arms sales of the world’s 100 largest defense contractors (based on SIPRI data).

Leading the list was Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, the largest defense contractor in the world, with $44.9 billion in arms sales.  Rounding out the top five were Boeing, Raytheon, BAE Systems, and Northrup Grumman.

For United Technologies, the analysis indicated arms sales of $7.8 billion, total sales of $59.8 billion, and profit of $4.9 billion, led by its subsidiary brands Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney.  Collins Aerospace designs and sells advanced systems for military helicopters, including rescue hoists, autopilot systems, and laser guided weapon warning systems, the report noted. Pratt & Whitney designs and manufactures engines currently in use by 34 militaries worldwide.

United Technologies recently announced plans to split into three independent companies. Plans are for company’s defense division to remain under the United Technologies name, as the Otis Elevator Company and Carrier breaking off as independent entities.

During 2017, General Dynamics – based in Falls Church, Virginia, - sold $19.5 billion worth of arms, the fifth most of any U.S. company and the sixth most of any company worldwide. In the past year, General Dynamics earned a $5.1 billion contract to design and develop a prototype of the Columbia-class submarine. Electric Boat was awarded a contract modification to continue development of the US Navy’s next-generation Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine.

“In close collaboration with the navy and the submarine industrial base, Electric Boat will continue to lead key aspects of the Columbia-class development effort,” said General Dynamics Electric Boat president Jeffrey S Geiger.  “This work includes design, material procurement, construction and operating cost reduction. The entire Columbia-class team is committed to achieving an affordable and effective programme. Our nation’s security depends on it.”

Connecticut Ranks Third in U.S. in Preventing Youth Homelessness; Grant to Support Efforts

Washington, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are the most successful states at preventing youth homelessness, with Connecticut ranking third in the nation, according to the 2018 State Index on Youth Homelessness.  The report, by the True Colors Fund in partnership with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, analyzed 61 metrics in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Homelessness is defined as experiences of sleeping in places not meant for living, staying in shelters, or temporarily staying with others while lacking a safe and stable alternative living arrangement. Alabama, South Carolina, Wyoming, and Arkansas were the least successful states at preventing youth homelessness.

In recent weeks, it was announced that Connecticut will use $6.5 million in federal grants to provide housing opportunities for homeless youth, building on its successful track-record. The grants will fund new, innovative housing assistance programs for young adults as part of a coordinated housing continuum that assures those in need can quickly obtain permanent housing and necessary supports, according to state officials.

The grants were allocated as part of a competitive process through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) new Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). To date, Connecticut has been awarded the largest grant of any jurisdiction in the country.

Building off the state’s nationally recognized progress in ending homelessness under the Malloy administration – which includes being the first state in the nation certified for ending chronic veteran homelessness, being one of only three states certified for ending general veteran homelessness, and matching all chronically homelessness individuals to housing – the state has set a goal of ending both youth and family homelessness by the end of 2020.

Speaking last week before a legislative working group, Gov. Malloy said “Nothing I suspect is more shattering as a child than to find oneself homeless – or even as a young adult – so I’m particularly happy over this past year that we’ve been able to fund a number of units designed specifically to meet the needs of younger homeless individuals.”

Overall, at the start of the year, homelessness in Connecticut was at a record low, according to a report from The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.  It found that homelessness in the state has decreased for a fifth consecutive year and was at its lowest level to date. The report found that, as of Jan. 2018, roughly 3,300 people were homeless in Connecticut.  The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness states that overall homelessness in the state is down 25 percent from 2007.

Since 2011, the state Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority have created, rehabilitated, or committed funding for nearly 25,000 units of housing – approximately 22,000 of which are affordable to low and moderate income individuals and families, officials point out. This represents a state investment of more than $1.42 billion, which has been matched by over $2.45 billion from other financial sources, including the private sector.

Hartford Ranked 3rd in U.S. for Women in Business

If you’re a woman in business, Hartford is among the best places in the nation to be.  That’s according to a new analysis by the website ShareFile, which ranked Hartford as the third best place in the U.S. for businesswomen.  Hartford ranked seventh a year ago. The “Businesswomen Power City Index” was developed by evaluating the 50 largest cities in the U.S. to determine where the best locations are for women to achieve business success, according to ShareFile.  The index ranks cities based on the percentage of women-owned businesses, executive jobs held by women, women vs. men wage gaps and the buying power of women, which is based on the cost of living and the average wages earned by women.

Hartford has jumped four places from 2017, as a result of a higher percentage of women-owned businesses (up 1.4%), according to the analysis.  Hartford’s ranking in the individual categories was:

• 3^rd (down from 2^nd) in women’s buying power: 119
• 6th (same as last year) in the percentage of women business executives: 31.9%
• 16^th (up from 22^nd) in the wage gap between women and men: 18.1%
• 31^st (up from 42^nd) in the percentage of women-owned businesses: 20.4%

The website points out that Hartford is home to the Women’s Business Center, located at the University of Hartford, which supports female entrepreneurs across the city and the state, offering advice, training, and events for women looking to expand their business.

Hartford is the only New England city in the top 20.  Providence, in the top 10 a year ago, fell out of the top 20.

Just ahead of Hartford, and retaining the top two positions in the ranking, were Baltimore and Tampa.  Rounding out the top 15 were Washington DC, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Denver, Orlando, Miami, Austin, Virginia Beach, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Aside from the top two, no other city in the top 20 has remained in the same position as a year ago.

The analysis relies on data from four main sources, including the U.S. Census 2016 Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs, U.S Census Bureau 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Sperling’s Best Places and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. ShareFile is a cloud-based file sharing service, a Citrix Systems company, based in Raleigh.

Millennials Make the Most Money in Massachusetts; Connecticut Ranks 16th

If you were born between 1982 and 2000, and you live in Massachusetts, you’re making more money, on average, then people of your generation living elsewhere in the United States.  If you live in Connecticut, there are 15 states where the average salary for millennials is higher. Based on U.S. Census data analyzed by the website howmuch.com, the average salary for millennials in Connecticut is $69,600, compared with $80,307 in Massachusetts.  The states in between, reaching the top 10, are Minnesota ($77,090), North Dakota ($76,836), Washington, DC ($75,220), Maryland ($74,737), New Hampshire ($73,941), Wyoming ($73,345), Alaska ($72,374), New Jersey ($72,150), and Virginia ($71,397).

Also ahead of Connecticut are Utah ($71,284), South Dakota ($70,989), Nebraska ($70,870), Washington ($70,441), and Iowa ($69,739).

The analysis points out that millennials “are the most diverse generation in American history, more of them went to college than previous generations, and they are now the largest contingent in the workforce. Many of them also graduated in the middle of the Great Recession, which economists believe might have a lifelong impact on their wages.”

Geography also plays a role, according to the data.  The South, for example, “clearly stands out as a lackluster region for millennials in the labor market.”  In the Upper Midwest, salaries tend to be higher, and the same is true for much of the Northeast.

With the exception of Washington State, much of the west coast does not stand out.  “This highlights the fact that big tech companies are creating great jobs for a select group of skilled workers,” the analysis points out.

Millennials are making the least amount of money in Florida ($54,889), Mississippi ($53,269) and New Mexico ($51,893).

The data used is 2016 median household income for 25 to 44 year olds, taken from Census data and adjusted by Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parity data, the most recent and comprehensive available.

CT Per Student Spending in Public Higher Education Saw 7th Largest Drop in Nation During Past Decade

The burden has shifted and grown during the past decade for students attending Connecticut’s public two- and four-year institutions of higher education. Between 2008 and 2018, average tuition at public colleges and universities (adjusted for inflation) grew by 38.4 percent in Connecticut, according to a new national analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The study found that average tuition increased by $3,437 during the decade – 13^th largest average increase among the states - as state spending per student dropped by $3,203.

That is the 7^th largest average drop in state per student spending in the nation, and the largest among the New England states.  The next largest state reduction in the region was in New Hampshire, ranking 24th.  Massachusetts ranked 28^th, reducing state spending per student by $1,295.

Tuition climbed as state spending per student dropped by 20.2 percent at Connecticut’s public higher education institutions - the 20th largest percentage decrease among the states.

Connecticut is not alone.

Overall state funding for public two- and four-year colleges in the school year ending in 2018 was more than $7 billion below its 2008 level, after adjusting for inflation, according to the study.

Of the 49 states (all except Illinois) analyzed over the full 2008-2018 period:

• 45 spent less per student in the 2018 school year than in 2008. The only states spending more than in 2008 were California, Hawaii, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
• States cut funding deeply after the recession hit. The average state spent $1,502, or 16 percent, less per student in 2018 than in 2008.
• Per-student funding in nine states — Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina — fell by more than 30 percent over this period.

The report also found that annual published tuition at four-year public colleges has risen by $2,651, or 36 percent, since the 2008 school year.  In Louisiana, published tuition at four-year schools has doubled, while in six other states — Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Hawaii — published tuition is up more than 60 percent.

“These sharp tuition increases have accelerated longer-term trends of college becoming less affordable and costs shifting from states to students,” the report, “Unkept Promises:  State Cuts to Higher Education Threaten Access and Equity,” stated.

The largest tuition increases, comparing public, four-year colleges in 2008 and 2018, were in Arizona, Louisiana, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Virginia, Colorado, Alabama, California, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Tennessee, Connecticut and Massachusetts.  Connecticut was fourth highest among the six New England states.  Maine had the smallest tuition increase.

Indications are that the trend has slowed during the past year.  Published tuition — the “sticker price” — at public four-year institutions rose by less than 1 percent nationally between the 2017 and 2018 school years, the report indicated.  Rhode Island increased average tuition across its four-year institutions on a dollar basis more than any other state, by $559, or roughly 4.8 percent. Connecticut - along with Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, and Oregon - raised average tuition by more than $300, according to data compiled for the report, published last month.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a nonpartisan research and policy institute which pursues federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways, according to the organization’s website.  The Center is based in Washington, D.C.

Failures in Federal Housing Policy Focus of Media Investigation, Hartford Concerns Highlighted

An NBC News investigation of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has found that more than 1,000 out of HUD’s nearly 28,000 federally subsidized multifamily properties failed their most recent inspection — a failure rate that is more than 30 percent higher than in 2016, according to an analysis of HUD records. When NBC broke the story last week of the agency’s dismal record of responding to conditions that at times have been described a “life-threatening,” the example cited most prominently was in Hartford.

The news report stated that “A federal housing inspection in February confirmed living conditions were abysmal … throughout the 52-unit Section 8 development known as the Infill apartments. The property scored only 27 points out of 100, far below the 60 points needed to pass the mandatory health and safety inspection.”  Infill is located in Hartford’s North End. 

“More than nine months after the inspection, federally mandated deadlines for action have come and gone, and residents say little has changed,” NBC’s Stephanie Gosk reported, despite “citations for exposed wiring, missing smoke detectors and bug infestations,” noted that “the Infill units racked up 113 health and safety violations — including 24 that HUD deemed ‘life-threatening.’”

“In one of Hartford’s poorest neighborhoods, a three-month investigation by NBC News found that HUD failed to comply with federal laws requiring prompt action against the owner of a property that authorities knew was unsafe, unhealthy and in disrepair, according to documents released through the Freedom of Information Act,” Gosk reported.

While the agency pointed out that 96 percent nationwide passed inspections, NBC reported that “HUD’s enforcement office, tasked with going after the worst landlords, now has the lowest staff levels since 1999, according to a federal watchdog.”

“In the case of Infill, though, HUD acknowledged that the landlord failed to deliver,” NBC News reported. “The owner provided certain assurances to our field folks that, in the end, did not happen,” HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan said in an email to NBC News. “That hasn't stopped the federal subsidies,” NBC News reported.

"It's a flow of money that continues to come," AJ Johnson, a local pastor who has helped the tenants organize, told NBC News.  “Whether it’s indifference or incompetence, the Trump administration’s failures in Connecticut and around the country cannot be excused. Someone must be held accountable,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who led previous efforts to strengthen the HUD inspection process, NBC News reported. “Secretary [Ben] Carson owes it to these families to present a concrete plan for how he will make this better, and how he’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Infill’s owner, meanwhile, is “set for years to come,” the NBC News report concluded.  “In July 2017, just seven months before the failed inspection, HUD renewed its contract with Isaacson for 20 years — a deal worth over $14 million.”

The NBC News investigation was reported, in addition to Gosk, by Suzy Khimm, Laura Strickler and Hanna Rappleye, and included interviews with numerous tenants of the property and other individuals in Hartford and Washington.

Marijuana Sales Begin Tuesday in MA; CT Expected to Consider Legalization in 2019

Massachusetts begins the sale of recreational marijuana on Tuesday, in Northampton and Leicester, as Connecticut looks ahead to a new Governor and new legislature, taking office in six weeks, with the addition of recreational sales on the agenda to complement a thriving medical marijuana program. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have passed laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form.  The District of Columbia and 10 states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington -- have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use, according to Governing magazine.  The Massachusetts law was approved two years ago, but retail sales have not begun - until this week.

Governor-elect Ned Lamont told Connecticut Public Radio listeners, just a few days prior to his election, that “I think legalizing marijuana is an idea whose time has come…and I’m gonna push it in the first year” of the new administration.  He added that “maybe we should tax this, regulate it in a serious way, put some of that money toward opioid treatment.”

Most recently, Michigan voters approved a ballot measure permitting adults age 21 and over to purchase and possess recreational-use marijuana. Vermont became the first state earlier this year to legalize marijuana for recreational use through the legislative process, rather than via a ballot measure. Vermont's law allows for adults age 21 and over to grow and possess small amounts of cannabis. However, it does not permit the sale of nonmedical cannabis. Some other state laws similarly decriminalized marijuana, but did not initially legalize retail sales.

The Connecticut General Assembly's Regulations Review Committee agreed last week that chronic neuropathic pain associated with degenerative spinal disorders is eligible for treatment with the drug, adding that to the list of approved conditions.  There are now 31 conditions that have been approved for adults and eight for patients under 18 that can be treated with medical marijuana. Minors can be treated for eight conditions.

There are currently 29,543 patients in Connecticut's medical marijuana program and 1,000 certifying physicians, according to published reports. In recent months, DCP has launched a database listing medical marijuana brands registered with the state and added eight new conditions to the program. The eight new conditions for adults added this summer include: Spasticity, or neuropathic pain associated with fibromyalgia; Severe rheumatoid arthritis; Postherpetic neuralgia; Hydrocephalus with intractable headache;  Intractable headache syndromes; Neuropathic facial pain; Muscular dystrophy; and Osteogenesis imperfecta.

Connecticut’s nine dispensaries and four growers are reportedly discussing adding more storefronts and growers in light of an increasing patient count.

Last month, Rhode Island’s Department of Health this week approved medical marijuana use for people who suffer from some severe manifestations of autism, most of whom are children.  But before doctors can recommend marijuana, the health department has implemented several safeguards "to ensure that patients are being treated safely." Seven other states have made autism a qualifying condition for medical marijuana, according to advocacy group #cannabis4autism: Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

At the University of Connecticut, Professor Gerald Berkowitz will teach students about marijuana growing, a burgeoning industry as more states legalize cannabis use for medical and/or recreational purposes. The UConn class — called "Horticulture of Cannabis: from seed to harvest" — is a lecture course, and it's attracted about 270 students who will begin studies in January, Hartford Business Journal reported this month.

In Colorado, the adult-use marijuana market continues to surge nearly five years after the launch of recreational sales in the state, according to a recent news report.  Through August 2018 – the most recent data available from the Colorado Department of Revenue – recreational marijuana sales topped $800 million and the state is on pace to surpass $1.2 billion by the end of the year. That would represent a 12 percent increase over total sales in 2017. As of August 2017, 498 recreational stores were licensed throughout the state; that number grew to 541 by September 1, 2018 – a 9 percent increase

Hartford, New Haven As “Suburbs” of Boston and New York Raises Possibilities - and Pushback

The objective was to provide evidence that Connecticut is on the cusp of a transit renaissance.  But a “thought leader” article by a prominent faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Business – an acknowledged expert in transportation and its impact on residential property values – has drawn a range of reactions from municipal, business and transportation officials in Connecticut, including some pushback. The article, by UConn associate professor of real estate and finance Jeffrey Cohen, stated that “with high speed, inter-state transportation, it would be much easier for Greater Hartford and New Haven to thrive as suburbs of Boston and New York City.  Imagine how great it would be to hop on a fast train to Logan Airport, JFK or LaGuardia.  The world would be at our doorsteps, and our doorsteps would be there for the world to explore.”

The characterization of two of the state’s largest cities as potential “suburbs” of New York and Boston, seemingly overlooking Bradley International Airport and Tweed-New Haven in the process, has raised questions from officials.

“As the second-largest airport in New England and the recently ranked third-best airport in the country, Bradley Airport offers convenience and efficiency that the airports in Boston and New York cannot match. Enhanced rail connectivity to the airport would be a major win for passengers throughout Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, and we would encourage UConn to consider maximizing the airport in its own state rather than promoting the outsourcing of Connecticut’s economy to its neighbors,” Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin A. Dillon, A.A.E, told CT by the Numbers.

“While the Connecticut Airport Authority is supportive of high-speed rail connectivity in Connecticut, it is unfortunate that UConn would not recognize the benefit of promoting and utilizing Bradley International Airport as the primary airport for travelers in the region,” Dillon added.

“With regard to Bradley, Aer Lingus’ commitment to another four years of service between Hartford and Dublin is a huge boon to our economic development efforts and we hope other airlines will take note and pursue additional domestic and international routes,” said MetroHartford Alliance’s Brian Boyer, Vice President of Communications, Marketing, and Media and Public Relations.  “It’s time to continue showing loyalty to our hometown airport as we position ourselves as a global region attracting international companies. With the ease of use at Bradley, brief 90-minute layovers in Dublin en route to destinations throughout Europe, pre-screening on return flights to clear customs before arrival in Hartford and the prospect of attracting new airlines, this flight is a win-win for our community.”

While some officials saw possibilities, as did Cohen, in the potential impact of continued enhancements to the state’s transportation system, they also acknowledged that those changes were not immediate and current assets should be maximized.

“Fast-growing healthcare, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors of the New Haven economy would be well-served with easier access to major markets in New York and Boston, and the international transportation options in those cities as well,” pointed out New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp. “We know one-hour train service between New Haven and New York is technologically feasible: what we need to complete the project is the collective will to make it so.”

“High speed rail offers tremendous opportunities for New Haven.  Our proximity to New York City is already a great selling point for the region, if the commute time became significantly shorter, then we are that much more attractive as a location.  We should strive for this type of transportation improvement,” said Garrett Sheehan, president of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.

Sheehan went on to emphasize that “planning for the future of transportation should not take away from the present.  This type of high speed rail is years away.  In New Haven, we have an incredible transportation asset in Tweed-New Haven airport.  It is already located within the city limits and just short drive from anywhere in this region.  The Chamber supports expanding the airport’s runway and investing in Tweed to bring back more flights and destinations.  Even a handful of more flights would be beneficial to the economic growth of our region.”

Cohen, who has received national recognition in his field, praised the CTrail Hartford line - which connects New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, MA - and CTfasttrak bus line – which links Hartford and New Britain - noting that “we are starting to see residential and business development near the stations, and this is one of the big benefits of transit.”

He added that “Some people in New York are starting to discover the hidden treasure of relatively low-priced real estate, along with the good schools, beautiful parks, and savory restaurants in central Connecticut.”

“An ideal location with easy access to major cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, we are proud to be at a point where talent and businesses from these markets should consider Hartford as an opportunity for economic growth and development,” the MetroHartford Alliance’s Boyer noted. “Transportation plays an integral role in this growth and with the new Hartford Rail Line and the continued growth at Bradley International Airport as one of the nation’s top mid-sized airports, we look forward to working with our community and prospective businesses to ensure long-term economic growth for generations.”

Danbury Leads CT in 5-Year Job Growth; 41st in Ranking of 50 States’ Leaders

When job growth is measured over the past five years, Danbury leads the way in Connecticut. An analysis of changes in employment figures between 2013 and 2018 from the 381 metropolitan areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau focused on the leading city in each state, and ranked them. The analysis, by the website howmuch.net, found that Danbury - which saw job growth of 6.6 percent - outpaced Connecticut’s largest cities, but that the leading city in 40 of the 50 states had a stronger track-record.

The leading cities in five-year job growth were Lake Charles, LA: 28.3%; Bend-Redmond, OR: 26.6%; Elkhart, IN: 24.0%: St. George, UT: 23.4%; Greeley, CO: 21.1%; Gainesville, GA: 20.9%; Fayetteville, AR: 20%; Boise City, ID: 18.6%; Austin, TX: 18.4%; and Reno, NV: 18.0%.  The analysis notes that the top cities “are truly remarkable job markets at the center of the recovery, perhaps because they were hardest hit by the recession.”

The standing of Austin, Charlottesville and Nashville are noted for “a reputation as fun destinations with music and tech scenes. They are mid-sized cities with universities, hospitals, and large well-known employers. These are the ingredients for long-term economic growth and positive employment numbers.”

“In many ways, Danbury is the forgotten city in Fairfield County up north here,” P.J. Prunty, executive director of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce, told the Danbury News-Times earlier this year. “These statistics show that people are attracted to a city that has opportunity and good employment. It’s growing, and that’s a good thing. People are voting with their feet by moving here.”  Back in April, the Danbury Labor Market Area had the lowest unemployment rate of the nine LMAs in the state. The Danbury LMA outpaced the state and national unemployment rates, the News-Times reported.

Leading the way in the five-year analysis, released this month, are Barnstable in Massachusetts, at 13.7 percent employment growth; in New Hampshire it is Portsmouth at 10.1 percent, in Rhode Island, Providence/Warwick at 7.7 percent; Maine the greatest job growth has been in Portland/South Portland at 7.1 percent.  Vermont is the only New England state with a leading city growing jobs at lower rate than Connecticut’s – Burlington/South Burlington at .8 percent.  Only Alaska and Wyoming are lower, rounding out the 50 states.

Also noted:  “Some places are factory towns with unsustainable growth rates. Others are truly remarkable places to live with thriving, growth-oriented economies, and still others are barely seeing any benefits from the economic recovery.”

Westport Earns Top 20 Ranking Among Nation's Small Cities; Shelton Reaches Top 100

For those looking to identify the best small cities in the nation - with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 – the search may not need to go further than Connecticut, according to a new analysis. Westport was the lone Connecticut community to reach the top 20 nationally, at number 19, with Shelton also earning a place in the top 100, at number 85, and Norwalk (#146), Trumbull (#157) and West Hartford (#159) also reaching the top 200.

The analysis, by the financial services website WalletHub, was based on 40 key indicators of livability, ranging from housing costs to school-system quality to restaurants per capita.  The indicators were grouped into five categories – affordability, economic health, education & health, safety, and quality of life.

On those scales, Westport was ranked 20^th in education & health, 65^th in safety, 82^nd in economic health, 258 in affordability and 595 in quality of life.  Other than Westport, no Connecticut community reached the top 30 in any overall category.

"Of the 22 Connecticut cities analyzed, 18 ranked in the top half. This is an indication that many Connecticut communities are able to offer high quality of life at low living costs," said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.  "Westport in particular made it to the top of our ranking due to several factors. The city has a very healthy economy, demonstrated by the fact that its residents have one of the highest median household incomes, and had absolutely no personal bankruptcies filed in the past year. It also has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."

Westport tied for fourth in the U.S. for the highest percentage of the population with a high school diploma or higher.  Trumbull had the second lowest percentage of population in poverty in the U.S., just behind Plainfield, lllinois.

Just outside the top 200 communities, were Stratford, Milford, Middletown, Danbury, Newington, Torrington, Bristol, Manchester, and Naugatuck.

Nationwide, among the 1,200 communities included in the analysis, leading the way were Leawood, KS; Carmel, IN; Princeton, NJ; Brentwood, TN; Milton, MA; Needham, MA; Los Altos, CA; Littleton, CO; Newton, MA; and West Fargo, ND.  Massachusetts placed three communities in the top 10 and a total of six in the top 20.  Also reaching the top 20 from the Bay State were Arlington, Melrose and Wellesley.