Change log

All notable changes to the ERC Tool will be documented on this page.

Economic Development Tool data refresh — June 2026

Updated data All data source vintages reviewed against the CORI Data Release Calendar (June 8, 2026) and updated in params.yml.
- acs.latest_year: [2023] → [2024]; paired comparison year shifts from 2018 to 2019 (n_year_change_basis = 5). Previously postponed in the December 2025 release.
- gen_bea table years extended to include 2024 (CAINC1 population, CAGDP1 real GDP; full range now 2010–2024). Note: load_bea.R is non-functional (requires BEA_API_KEY and doctR package); 2024 row copied from proj_erc snapshot.
- fcc.nbm_release: nbm_block-J25 → nbm_block-D25 (FCC NBM Version 8, December 2025)
- pep.latest_year: [2024] → [2025]; county totals released March 26, 2026; sourced via cori.data.pep S3 package
- qcew.latest_year: [2024] → [2025]; Q4 2025 + Preliminary Annual 2025 released June 2, 2026; direct BLS download via qcew_utils.R
- bps.latest_year: [2024] → [2025]; vintage 2025 captured June 3, 2026; sourced via cori.data.bps S3 package
- formd.base_year: [2020] → [2021]; formd.latest_year: [2024] → [2025]; 5-year window now covers 2021–2025
- bfs.latest_year: [2024] → [2025]; held pending schema review in prior release; BFS 2022 NAICS compatibility with existing pipeline confirmed
- bds.latest_year: held at [2023]; 2024 BDS vintage not expected until approximately September 2026

Pipeline fully migrated from proj_erc to proj_econ_dev_tool PostgreSQL schema.

assemble_data.R Google Sheets dependencies replaced with local CSV reads: data/codebook.csv, data/metrics.csv, data/research_language.csv, data/key_stats.csv
PatentsView S3 path returns 403 Forbidden; patents_tidy copied from proj_erc snapshot pending investigation of the PatentsView data access policy change
Pitchbook source table venture_capital.pitchbook_company_geocoded_addresses absent from database; pitchbook_tidy copied from proj_erc snapshot
load_bea.R requires BEA_API_KEY environment variable (not present in current environment); bea_tidy copied from proj_erc snapshot

Updated data
- Source population stats from Population Estimates Program (formerly sourced from BEA)
- Source employment stats from QCEW (formerly source from BEA)
- Connecticut now includes planning regions and historic counties
- All other data updated to latest releases (except for ACS/FormD; postponed)

New Quality of Life category including:
- Quality of Life percentile over time metric
- Housing-related indicators
New Entrepreneurship metric: Number of startups in each county or region (sourced from PitchBook)
Introduction section enhancements:
- Nonmetro status for each county
- Population data for each county
Update to broadband metrics: FCC NBM data release update

Average compensation per worker and Employment metrics have been updated due to the discontinuation of regional data tables from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (result of federal budget cuts)
- These metrics are now sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)
- Using Average annual pay and Average annual employment data
Refined the language, metrics, and ETL processes associated with the Form D dataset following insights from the report Rural America’s Struggle to Access Private Capital
Reorganized the grouping and order of metrics within the tool based on feedback from Research Director Dr. Amanda Weinstein
Revised the names of urbanization level categories for improved clarity and consistency
Broadband service data updated with the December 2024 release of the FCC National Broadband Map
- FCC NBM data now includes satellite service coverage, affecting BSL calculations and rural broadband metrics
  - Integration of satellite service availability has significant impact on total Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs)
- Updated data reflects biannual NBM release cycle with improved coverage metrics