About Connecticut

Connecticut is in the New England region of the United States, located in the northeastern part of the country. Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the
east by Rhode Island in terms of per capita income, it is the wealthiest state in the country. Connecticut was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution.

The state of Connecticut can be said to be sub-divided into eight general regions which generally correspond with the eight counties of the state, though there are differences in the boundaries. Each region boasts varied qualities which distinguish it within the state, and at times there are minor cultural frictions between the regions and their major cultural centers as each competes for tourists, new residents, and internal state pride. Fairfield County’s “Gold Coast” and towns west of Waterbury and New Haven, for example, are often derided by residents of the rest of the state as being more similar to New York than to New England. Many of the residents go for years or even decades without ever traveling to other regions of the state, considering themselves more attached to New York City and its suburbs in eastern New York State.

The per capita income for 2005 was $47,819, ranking first among the states.  There is, however, a great disparity in incomes through the state; although New Canaan has one of the highest per capita incomes in America, Hartford is one of the ten cities with the lowest per capita incomes in America. This is due to Fairfield County having become a bedroom community for higher-paid New York City workers seeking a less urban lifestyle, as well as the spread of businesses outwards from New York City having reached into southwestern Connecticut, most notably to Stamford.

Connecticut is well-known as the home of Yale University, which maintains a consistent ranking as one of the world’s greatest and richest universities, and has the most selective undergraduate program of any university in the United States (an 8.6% acceptance rate in 2006). Yale is one of the largest employers in the state, and its research activity has recently spun off dozens of growing biotechnology companies, which have brought in billions of dollars to the economy of New Haven and the State in general.

Connecticut lies in a Humid Continental Climate. Winters are Humid and Cold, with average temperatures of 28°F in the southeast and 21°F  in the northwest in January. Snowfall averages 25-100″ across the state- higher in the northwest. Summer is hot and very humid across the state, with average highs in New London of 81°F and 87°F in Windsor Locks. Thunderstorms are common during the summer months and sometimes reach severe magnitude. Fall months are mild, and bring foliage across the state in October and November.