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Cellphone Location Data in May Shows Big Behavior Changes in Connecticut

June 01, 2020

Your cellphone doesn’t lie. Google’s latest Community Mobility Report, dated May 25, reflects an overwhelming desire by Connecticut residents to get outdoors — and still avoid going into their workplace — as the state economy reopens and the weather brightens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Use of parks, from April 13 through May 25, was up 94 percent compared to the five-week baseline period, Jan. 3 to Feb. 6, according to cellphone location data that track people’s movements.

Here are the rest of the categories, which includes less than a week of Connecticut’s reopening:

  • Residential: up 23 percent.
  • Workplace: down 74 percent.
  • Transit stations: down 50 percent.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 14 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 29 percent.

A breakdown by county:

Hartford County

  • Residential: up 22 percent.
  • Workplace: down 74 percent.
  • Parks: up 248 percent.
  • Transit stations: Insufficient data.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 14 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 14 percent.

Middlesex County

  • Residential: up 23 percent.
  • Workplace: down 77 percent.
  • Parks: up 144 percent (partial data).
  • Transit stations: down 38 percent.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 21 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 21 percent.

New Haven County

  • Residential: up 23 percent.
  • Workplace: down 74 percent.
  • Parks: up 35 percent.
  • Transit stations: down 42 percent.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 15 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 29 percent.

Fairfield County

  • Residential: up 24 percent.
  • Workplace: down 75 percent.
  • Parks: up 119 percent.
  • Transit stations: down 60 percent..
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 17 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 32 percent.

Litchfield County

  • Residential: up 22 percent.
  • Workplace: down 75 percent.
  • Parks: up 248 percent (Partial data).
  • Transit stations: Insufficient data.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 15 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 14 percent.

New London County

  • Residential: up 23 percent.
  • Workplace: down 74 percent.
  • Parks: up 35 percent.
  • Transit stations: down 42 percent.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 15 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 29 percent.

Windham County

  • Residential: up 21 percent.
  • Workplace: down 73 percent.
  • Parks: up 76 percent.
  • Transit stations: down 41 percent.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 3 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 2 percent.

Tolland County

  • Residential: up 24 percent.
  • Workplace: down 73 percent.
  • Parks: up 76 percent.
  • Transit stations: down 29 percent.
  • Grocery and pharmacy: down 7 percent.
  • Retail and recreation (includes restaurants, shopping centers, theme parks, libraries and movie theaters): down 38 percent.

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