These data stories provide public data aggregated by the DMHAS regions. The following data topics are covered in these stories: demographics; income; select educational indicators; substance use; and mental health. The stories are intended to give a broad overview of the makeup of our communities in Connecticut and information to assist with the regional prioritization process.
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Eastern CT
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DMHAS Eastern CT (Region 3) comprises 39 towns that can be grouped into 4 community types.
- Rural (32)
- Ashford
- Bozrah
- Brooklyn
- Canterbury
- Chaplin
- Coventry
- Eastford
- East Lyme
- Franklin
- Griswold
- Hampton
- Killingly
- Lebanon
- Ledyard
- Lisbon
- Mansfield
- Montville
- North Stonington
- Plainfield
- Pomfret
- Preston
- Putnam
- Scotland
- Sprague
- Sterling
- Stonington
- Thompson
- Union
- Voluntown
- Waterford
- Willington
- Woodstock
- Suburban (3)
- Colchester
- Columbia
- Salem
- Urban Periphery (3)
- Groton
- Norwich
- Windham
- Urban Core (1)
- New London
Who Lives Here?
Population by Age
426,026 people live in Eastern CT region. Of those, 18.9% are the youth aged 0–17, and 17.2% are the elderly (aged 65+).
Towns with the highest share of young people are Ledyard (25.8%), Sterling (25.4%), Lisbon (24.4%), and Franklin (23.6%).
Stonington (25.7%), North Stonington (24.7%), East Lyme (23.8%), and Union (23%) have the highest proportion of the elderly (those aged 65 and above) in Eastern CT.
Source: 2021 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates
Age Composition by Town
Sort towns , by percent ,,,, or .
Source: 2021 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates
Population by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity
In Eastern CT, 76.5% of the population self-identify as White non-Hispanic, 4.1% as Black non-Hispanic, and 3.8% as Asian non-Hispanic. 47,468 people, or 11.1%, self-identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Other category in the bar charts includes American Indian / Alaska Native population (1,340 people), Native Hawaiian population (36 people), those identifying as 'Other Race Alone' (1,638 people) and 'Two or More Races' (16,167 people), all four are non-Hispanic.
Source: 2021 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates
Racial Composition by Town
Towns with the highest proportion of Hispanic population are Windham (40.5%), New London (33.8%), Norwich (18.8%), Groton (13.1%), and Chaplin (9.5%).
The share of Black non-Hispanic population is highest in New London (13.1), Norwich (10.2), Montville (7.1), and Groton (5.9); Asian non-Hispanic— in Mansfield (11.4%), East Lyme (7.7%), Willington (7.1%), and Groton (7%).
Sort towns , by percent ,,, or .
Source: 2021 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates
Median Household Income
Median household income in Eastern CT varies from $45,388 in Mansfield to $113,983 in Columbia.
Of 39 towns in the region, 14 have median household income lower than Connecticut's median ($83,572), 25—higher.
Some of the richest towns are Salem ($108,953), Colchester ($104,527), East Lyme ($98,987), and Eastford ($98,000). Towns with the lowest median household income are Mansfield ($45,388), Windham ($49,528), and New London ($50,819).
Source: 2021 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates
Schools
Below we will look at chronic absenteeism and disengaged youth, which are known school based factors that are associated with substance use in youth.
Chronic Absenteeism
Chronically absent students are those who miss 10% or more of the total number of days enrolled in the school year, for any reason. Pre-K students are excluded from the count.
The maps below show the percentage of students considered chronically absent by school district within Region 3. Data is broken down by race and Hispanic ethnicity, and is not available for all districts.
By school district
By regional school district
Source: CT Department of Education, 2021-2022
Disengaged Youth
Young people who are not enrolled in school and are not employed are considered disengaged. In Eastern CT, 3.6% of female youth (or 489 people) and 4.7% of male youth (674 people) are considered disengaged.
The bar chart shows total number (x-axis) and percentage (labels) of disengaged youth by town for both genders. Only the 6 towns with the highest number of disengaged youth are shown. Hover over bars to see margins of error, which can be high for some (especially smaller) towns.
Source: 2021 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates
Incidents Involving Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
When school incidents get reported, they are classified as one or two of 100+ incident types. The maps below show counts of what is broadly classified as Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco incidents by the CT Department of Education.
By school district
By regional school district
Source: CT Department of Education, 2021-2022
Substance Use
The four maps below show the percentage of population who used an indicated substance in the past month, by age group. Data is at region level, and is not available for individual towns.
Use radio buttons in each map to switch between age groups. Note that switching age groups in one map does not affect age groups in the other maps. Legends are scaled differently for each map to better represent variability among regions.
Substate estimates for 2018-2020 are not available due to COVID-19. Data were collected online in 2020 and analysis has shown that the different collection cause a mode effect and therefore data cannot be averaged across the years.
Alcohol
Marijuana
Tobacco
Cigarette
Source: 2018* National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder
This bar chart shows the percentage of individuals aged 12 and older who met the criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse (yellow), or met the criteria for illicit drug or alcohol dependence or abuse (green) in the past year, as reported in the 2018* NSDUH survey.
The values are annual averages based on 2016, 2017, and 2018 NSDUHs. Hover over bars to see exact percentages. Click legend items to hide or show the series.
Source: 2018* National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Substance Misuse / Addiction Priorities
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | Region 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Alcohol | 1 Heroin/Fentanyl | 1/2 Alcohol | 1/2 Alcohol | 1 Alcohol |
| 2 Marijuana | 2 Prescription Drugs | 1/2 Heroin/Fentanyl | 1/2 Heroin/Fentanyl | 2 Heroin/Fentanyl |
| 3/4 Tobacco | 3 ENDS | 3/4 Prescription Drugs | 3 Marijuana | 3 ENDS |
| 3/4 ENDS | 4 Alcohol | 3/4 ENDS | 4 Prescription Drugs | 4/5 Marijuana |
| 5 Prescription Drugs | 5 Marijuana | 5 Marijuana | 5 ENDS | 4/5 Prescription Drugs |
| 6 Heroin | 6 Tobacco | 6/7 Tobacco | 6/7 Tobacco | 6 Tobacco |
| 7 Problem Gambling | 7/8 Cocaine | 6/7 Problem Gambling | 6/7 Cocaine | 7 Cocaine |
| 8 Cocaine | 7/8 Problem Gambling | 8 Cocaine | 8 Problem Gambling | 8 Problem Gambling |
Source: DMHAS Regional Prioritization and Reports: Process and Selected Results, 2021
DUI-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes
Percentage of car crashes that involved a driver under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication (DUI) in Eastern CT in 2020 ranged from 0.0% (0 of 12 crashes) in Eastford to 16.7% (4 of 24) in Sterling, compared to 3% overall in Connecticut.
In 5 of 39 towns in the region, DUI crashes are less frequent than in the state on average, and in 33 towns such crashes are more frequent.
Towns with the highest share of DUI crashes in Eastern CT are Sterling (16.7%), Lebanon (12.5%), and Thompson (11.9%).
Hover over towns to see total number of crashes, and number and percentage of DUI-related crashes.
Source: Connecticut Crash Data Repository, 2021
Drug-Related Deaths
Connecticut's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner keeps track of drug-related deaths in the state. The map shows drug-related deaths by town in 2021, by drug type. Deaths are aggregated by town of injury of the decedent, which can be different from the residence place.
In Eastern CT, the highest death rates per 100,000 residents from any opioid are recorded in New London (141.1), Sprague (67.8), and Eastford (60.2).
Xylazine, a large animal veterinary tranquilizer, was present in 71 accidental drug deaths in 2019 statewide, and rose to 140 in 2020 and 301 in 2021.
When sorting by drug type, it should be noted that deaths may not be exclusive of other substances. Values are normalized per 100,000 residents for a fairer comparison. Note that towns with few drug-related deaths may have surprisingly high death rates per capita due to small town populations. Hover over towns to see number and population-adjusted death rates.
*Prescription opioids include oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and tramadol.
Source: CT OCME, 2021; population data by DPH (2021)
Drug-Related Deaths in Eastern CT by Month, 2020-2021
The line chart below shows recorded drug-related deaths by months in (based on injury town) for the four types of drugs: heroin or fentanyl, cocaine, benzodiaz, and prescription opioids (which include oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and tramadol.)
Source: CT OCME, 2020-2021
Needing But Not Receiving Treatment
The bar chart shows the percentage of individuals aged 12 and older who needed but did not receive treatment at a special facility for alcohol use, illicit drug use, and substance use in the past year, as reported in the 2018* NSDUH survey.
In all regions, roughly between 2% to 3% of people in need do not receive treatment for illicit drugs, between 5% to 6% for alcohol abuse, and between 7% to 8% for substance abuse.
The values are annual averages based on 2016, 2017, and 2018 NSDUHs. Hover over bars to see exact percentages. Click legend items to hide or show series.
Source: 2018* National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Perception of Great Risk
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health asks questions about risk perception for the following substances:
- Marijuana (smoking once a month)
- Cocaine (using once a month)
- Heroin (trying once or twice)
- Alcohol (five or more drinks once or twice a week)
- Cigarette (smoking one or more packs per day)
The bars indicate the percentage of respondents with great risk perception by age group and substance type in Eastern CT region. Red bars indicate state values.
The values are annual averages based on 2016, 2017, and 2018 NSDUHs. Hover over bars to see exact percentages.
Source: 2016-2018* National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Substances of Greatest Concern
Below is a bar chart showing substances of greatest concern by age group, according to Connecticut's 2020 Community Readiness Survey.
Toggle between Eastern CT and the state to see the differences. Hover over bars to see exact percentages. Click legend items to add or remove individual substances from the chart.
Mental Health
The two maps below show the percentage of population who suffered from a mental illness in the past year, by age group, in 5 regions.
Use radio buttons in each map to switch between age groups. Note that switching age groups in one map does not affect age groups in the other map. Legends are scaled differently for each map to better represent variability between regions.
*Substate estimates for 2018-2020 are not available due to COVID-19. Data were collected online in 2020 and analysis has shown that the different collection cause a mode effect and therefore data cannot be averaged across the years.
Any Mental Illness (past year)
Serious Mental Illness (past year)
Source: 2018* National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Poor Mental Health
The bar chart shows the proportion of adults who reported 14 or more days of poor mental health during the past 30 days in Connecticut, as reported by the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey.
The highest value for each breakdown is highlighted. According to the survey, younger people, people on lower incomes, people with a disability, and those with only a high school diploma (or less) were more likely to report poor mental health.
Hover over bars to see 95% confidence intervals, which can be wide for some demographic groups. Source: 2019 Connecticut Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Explore other summary tables.
Total
Age
Sex
Race/Ethnicity
Income
Insurance
Disability
Education
Depressive Disorder
The bar chart shows the proportion of adults in Connecticut who reported ever being told by a doctor that they had a depressive disorder including major or minor depression, or dysthymia, according to the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey.
The highest value for each breakdown is highlighted. According to the survey, younger people, females, people on lower incomes, and people with a disability were told they had a depressive disorder more often.
Hover over bars to see 95% confidence intervals, which can be wide for some demographic groups. Source: 2019 Connecticut Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Explore other summary tables.
Total
Age
Sex
Race/Ethnicity
Income
Insurance
Disability
Education
Received Mental Health Services
The bar chart shows the percentage of adults (aged 18 and older) who received mental health services in the past year, according to the 2018 NSDUH* survey.
The values are annual averages based on 2016, 2017, and 2018 NSDUHs. Hover over bars to see exact percentages.
Source: 2018* National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Serious Thoughts of Suicide
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health asks respondents if they had serious thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months. The bars indicate the percentage of respondents who had serious suicidal thoughts in Eastern CT region and the state, by age group.
The values are annual averages based on 2016, 2017, and 2018 NSDUHs.
Source: 2016-2018* National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Suicide Rates
The bar chart shows number of suicides and suicide rates (per 100,000 residents) for each DMHAS region in Connecticut, between 2015-2019.
- 74% were male and 26% were female;
- 92.0% were white, 5.2% were Black, and 1.8% were Asian;
- 94% were non-Hispnaic; and 6% were Hispanic.
Counts and rates are based on the city of residence; 104 cases had a missing residence city. Note two different scales for y-axes. Hover over bars to see exact values.
Source: DPH VDRS, 2015-2019
DMHAS Treatment Admissions
This map shows the number of treatment admissions in DMHAS funded or operated programs by town in Eastern CT in the 2020 fiscal year. Admissions are reported as episode counts (as many clients have multiple episodes), and are grouped into mental health-related or substance abuse-related, or both.
In Eastern CT, Windham (297.2), Norwich (263.7), Killingly (249.7), and New London (234.1) have the highest mental health treatment admission rates per 10,000 residents.
Values are normalized per 10,000 residents for a fairer comparison. Note that towns with few admissions may have surprisingly high rates per capita due to small town population. Hover over towns to see number and population-adjusted admission rates.
Episode counts represent an episode of care to a client – entailing admission, all services received, and discharge. Thus, an episode count is all activity that occurs within the context of an episode of care for a client at a particular program.
Learn more about DMHAS treatment admissions in the 2021 Annual Statistical Report.
Source: DMHAS, SFY 2021; population data by DPH (2021)
Mental Health Issues of Greatest Concern
Below is a bar chart showing mental health issues of greatest concern by age group in Eastern CT region and Connecticut, according to the state's 2020 Community Readiness Survey.
Toggle between Eastern CT and the state to see the differences. Hover over bars to see exact percentages. Click legend items to add or remove individual substances from the chart.