{
 "metadata": {
  "purpose": "Rule-based peer sets for Meriden, derived from published state data by a stated formula rather than selected by hand.",
  "built_by": "Data/build_peer_sets.py",
  "recipe": "python Data/fetch_ct_ucoa.py && python Data/build_peer_sets.py",
  "input_file": "src/data/ct_ucoa_town_indicators.json",
  "source": "CT Office of Policy and Management — Municipal Fiscal Indicators (Uniform Chart of Accounts program)",
  "dataset_id": "ej6f-y2wf",
  "source_url": "https://data.ct.gov/resource/ej6f-y2wf.json",
  "pulled": "2026-08-25",
  "dataset_last_updated": "2026-03-03",
  "match_year": "FY 22-23 (OPM fiscal_year_end 2023)",
  "rule": "Standardize each variable across all towns (log-transforming the skewed size and wealth variables), then rank towns by Euclidean distance to Meriden in that standardized space. Variables are equally weighted. Nearest 12 are the peer set.",
  "why_logs": "Population, enrollment, and grand list per resident are heavily right-skewed. On raw values a few outlier towns dominate the variance and flatten real differences among mid-sized towns; on logs, the unit of distance becomes 'twice as big', which is the comparison that makes sense here.",
  "weighting_note": "Equal weights are a stated choice, not a fact. They were not tuned to produce a particular list.",
  "wealth_proxy_note": "Equalized net grand list per resident stands in for community wealth: it is the tax base per person restated to full market value, and it is the quantity that constrains what a mill rate can raise. Median household income would be a useful additional variable but the Census ACS API now requires a key.",
  "relationship_to_existing_sets": "Additional, not a replacement. The hand-built sets (Surrounding towns, DRG H) remain in use everywhere they already appear. Where this set and those sets disagree, the disagreement is itself worth showing.",
  "drg_note": "CT SDE District Reference Groups were created in 1996, last reassigned in 2006 on roughly 2000-census inputs, and have not been updated since. They were designed to compare school districts on family demographics — appropriate for education questions, not for municipal operations, and blind to town size.",
  "excluded": [
   "Groton (city)"
  ],
  "dropped_for_missing_data": [],
  "town_count_ranked": 169
 },
 "target": "Meriden",
 "variable_stats": {
  "population": {
   "label": "Population (CT DPH estimate)",
   "log_transformed": true,
   "mean_of_transformed": 9.392518,
   "stdev_of_transformed": 1.111223,
   "target_raw": 60111
  },
  "enrollment": {
   "label": "Average Daily Membership enrollment",
   "log_transformed": true,
   "mean_of_transformed": 7.309335,
   "stdev_of_transformed": 1.228189,
   "target_raw": 8912.84
  },
  "grand_list_per_capita": {
   "label": "Equalized net grand list per resident",
   "log_transformed": true,
   "mean_of_transformed": 12.211418,
   "stdev_of_transformed": 0.467644,
   "target_raw": 95577.383391
  },
  "school_age_share": {
   "label": "Enrollment as a share of population",
   "log_transformed": false,
   "mean_of_transformed": 0.127697,
   "stdev_of_transformed": 0.027724,
   "target_raw": 0.148273
  },
  "unemployment": {
   "label": "Unemployment rate, annual average",
   "log_transformed": false,
   "mean_of_transformed": 0.030079,
   "stdev_of_transformed": 0.00449,
   "target_raw": 0.038
  }
 },
 "peer_sets": {
  "municipal": {
   "label": "Municipal peers",
   "purpose": "Town-side spending, debt, reserves, and tax comparisons.",
   "variables": [
    {
     "key": "population",
     "label": "Population (CT DPH estimate)",
     "log_transformed": true
    },
    {
     "key": "grand_list_per_capita",
     "label": "Equalized net grand list per resident",
     "log_transformed": true
    },
    {
     "key": "school_age_share",
     "label": "Enrollment as a share of population",
     "log_transformed": false
    },
    {
     "key": "unemployment",
     "label": "Unemployment rate, annual average",
     "log_transformed": false
    }
   ],
   "peers": [
    "East Hartford",
    "Norwich",
    "New Britain",
    "Naugatuck",
    "West Haven",
    "Bristol",
    "Bridgeport",
    "New Haven",
    "Ansonia",
    "Windham",
    "New London",
    "Stratford"
   ],
   "ranked": [
    {
     "town": "East Hartford",
     "distance": 0.5086
    },
    {
     "town": "Norwich",
     "distance": 0.959
    },
    {
     "town": "New Britain",
     "distance": 0.9869
    },
    {
     "town": "Naugatuck",
     "distance": 0.9991
    },
    {
     "town": "West Haven",
     "distance": 1.0719
    },
    {
     "town": "Bristol",
     "distance": 1.1333
    },
    {
     "town": "Bridgeport",
     "distance": 1.2103
    },
    {
     "town": "New Haven",
     "distance": 1.3118
    },
    {
     "town": "Ansonia",
     "distance": 1.3509
    },
    {
     "town": "Windham",
     "distance": 1.3798
    },
    {
     "town": "New London",
     "distance": 1.4967
    },
    {
     "town": "Stratford",
     "distance": 1.5125
    },
    {
     "town": "Torrington",
     "distance": 1.5432
    },
    {
     "town": "Manchester",
     "distance": 1.559
    },
    {
     "town": "Killingly",
     "distance": 1.7588
    },
    {
     "town": "Seymour",
     "distance": 1.803
    },
    {
     "town": "Plymouth",
     "distance": 1.8041
    },
    {
     "town": "East Haven",
     "distance": 1.8386
    },
    {
     "town": "Enfield",
     "distance": 1.863
    },
    {
     "town": "Plainfield",
     "distance": 1.864
    },
    {
     "town": "Wolcott",
     "distance": 1.8924
    },
    {
     "town": "Griswold",
     "distance": 1.9293
    },
    {
     "town": "Derby",
     "distance": 1.9445
    },
    {
     "town": "Plainville",
     "distance": 2.0368
    },
    {
     "town": "Vernon",
     "distance": 2.1313
    },
    {
     "town": "Stafford",
     "distance": 2.1348
    },
    {
     "town": "Hartford",
     "distance": 2.2158
    },
    {
     "town": "Brooklyn",
     "distance": 2.2299
    },
    {
     "town": "Hamden",
     "distance": 2.2808
    },
    {
     "town": "Shelton",
     "distance": 2.3085
    },
    {
     "town": "Watertown",
     "distance": 2.3092
    },
    {
     "town": "Putnam",
     "distance": 2.3201
    },
    {
     "town": "Windsor",
     "distance": 2.4117
    },
    {
     "town": "Waterbury",
     "distance": 2.4128
    },
    {
     "town": "Winchester",
     "distance": 2.4341
    },
    {
     "town": "Thomaston",
     "distance": 2.4354
    },
    {
     "town": "Coventry",
     "distance": 2.4378
    },
    {
     "town": "Trumbull",
     "distance": 2.4575
    },
    {
     "town": "Ellington",
     "distance": 2.4872
    },
    {
     "town": "Colchester",
     "distance": 2.4883
    },
    {
     "town": "Bloomfield",
     "distance": 2.5124
    },
    {
     "town": "Prospect",
     "distance": 2.561
    },
    {
     "town": "Wethersfield",
     "distance": 2.565
    },
    {
     "town": "Portland",
     "distance": 2.5772
    },
    {
     "town": "Danbury",
     "distance": 2.5921
    },
    {
     "town": "Cromwell",
     "distance": 2.5949
    },
    {
     "town": "Windsor Locks",
     "distance": 2.5975
    },
    {
     "town": "Southington",
     "distance": 2.6087
    },
    {
     "town": "Montville",
     "distance": 2.6347
    },
    {
     "town": "Middletown",
     "distance": 2.6819
    },
    {
     "town": "Lisbon",
     "distance": 2.6844
    },
    {
     "town": "Wallingford",
     "distance": 2.7704
    },
    {
     "town": "New Milford",
     "distance": 2.7724
    },
    {
     "town": "Brookfield",
     "distance": 2.8049
    },
    {
     "town": "Woodstock",
     "distance": 2.8051
    },
    {
     "town": "Preston",
     "distance": 2.8096
    },
    {
     "town": "Newington",
     "distance": 2.8109
    },
    {
     "town": "Groton",
     "distance": 2.8154
    },
    {
     "town": "Somers",
     "distance": 2.8216
    },
    {
     "town": "Ashford",
     "distance": 2.857
    },
    {
     "town": "Ledyard",
     "distance": 2.8731
    },
    {
     "town": "Cheshire",
     "distance": 2.9086
    },
    {
     "town": "North Branford",
     "distance": 2.9188
    },
    {
     "town": "Monroe",
     "distance": 2.9307
    },
    {
     "town": "New Fairfield",
     "distance": 2.9559
    },
    {
     "town": "Berlin",
     "distance": 2.9671
    },
    {
     "town": "Canton",
     "distance": 2.9809
    },
    {
     "town": "Bethel",
     "distance": 2.9995
    },
    {
     "town": "Newtown",
     "distance": 3.0094
    },
    {
     "town": "Thompson",
     "distance": 3.0173
    },
    {
     "town": "Norwalk",
     "distance": 3.0337
    },
    {
     "town": "East Hampton",
     "distance": 3.0473
    },
    {
     "town": "Lebanon",
     "distance": 3.0544
    },
    {
     "town": "Sprague",
     "distance": 3.0574
    },
    {
     "town": "Beacon Falls",
     "distance": 3.0648
    },
    {
     "town": "North Haven",
     "distance": 3.0655
    },
    {
     "town": "Sterling",
     "distance": 3.0731
    },
    {
     "town": "Suffield",
     "distance": 3.0863
    },
    {
     "town": "Fairfield",
     "distance": 3.0904
    },
    {
     "town": "Simsbury",
     "distance": 3.0905
    },
    {
     "town": "East Windsor",
     "distance": 3.0923
    },
    {
     "town": "Canterbury",
     "distance": 3.0967
    },
    {
     "town": "Rocky Hill",
     "distance": 3.1288
    },
    {
     "town": "West Hartford",
     "distance": 3.1426
    },
    {
     "town": "Granby",
     "distance": 3.1731
    },
    {
     "town": "Hebron",
     "distance": 3.1771
    },
    {
     "town": "East Haddam",
     "distance": 3.1786
    },
    {
     "town": "Southbury",
     "distance": 3.1808
    },
    {
     "town": "East Lyme",
     "distance": 3.2021
    },
    {
     "town": "Middlebury",
     "distance": 3.2082
    },
    {
     "town": "Willington",
     "distance": 3.217
    },
    {
     "town": "Mansfield",
     "distance": 3.2179
    },
    {
     "town": "Milford",
     "distance": 3.2225
    },
    {
     "town": "Tolland",
     "distance": 3.2611
    },
    {
     "town": "Salem",
     "distance": 3.2856
    },
    {
     "town": "Columbia",
     "distance": 3.3074
    },
    {
     "town": "Oxford",
     "distance": 3.3087
    },
    {
     "town": "Waterford",
     "distance": 3.3277
    },
    {
     "town": "North Canaan",
     "distance": 3.3425
    },
    {
     "town": "Marlborough",
     "distance": 3.3503
    },
    {
     "town": "South Windsor",
     "distance": 3.3595
    },
    {
     "town": "Burlington",
     "distance": 3.3808
    },
    {
     "town": "Avon",
     "distance": 3.4117
    },
    {
     "town": "Bolton",
     "distance": 3.4683
    },
    {
     "town": "Guilford",
     "distance": 3.5005
    },
    {
     "town": "Middlefield",
     "distance": 3.5515
    },
    {
     "town": "Stamford",
     "distance": 3.5571
    },
    {
     "town": "East Granby",
     "distance": 3.5619
    },
    {
     "town": "Andover",
     "distance": 3.5673
    },
    {
     "town": "Branford",
     "distance": 3.5897
    },
    {
     "town": "Woodbury",
     "distance": 3.5994
    },
    {
     "town": "North Stonington",
     "distance": 3.6021
    },
    {
     "town": "Haddam",
     "distance": 3.6117
    },
    {
     "town": "Easton",
     "distance": 3.6438
    },
    {
     "town": "Glastonbury",
     "distance": 3.6524
    },
    {
     "town": "Farmington",
     "distance": 3.67
    },
    {
     "town": "Killingworth",
     "distance": 3.6724
    },
    {
     "town": "Bethlehem",
     "distance": 3.6741
    },
    {
     "town": "New Hartford",
     "distance": 3.6848
    },
    {
     "town": "Redding",
     "distance": 3.712
    },
    {
     "town": "Pomfret",
     "distance": 3.7203
    },
    {
     "town": "Harwinton",
     "distance": 3.8071
    },
    {
     "town": "Chaplin",
     "distance": 3.8154
    },
    {
     "town": "Stonington",
     "distance": 3.8487
    },
    {
     "town": "Clinton",
     "distance": 3.9034
    },
    {
     "town": "Litchfield",
     "distance": 3.9076
    },
    {
     "town": "Ridgefield",
     "distance": 3.9301
    },
    {
     "town": "Voluntown",
     "distance": 3.9689
    },
    {
     "town": "Madison",
     "distance": 3.9704
    },
    {
     "town": "Orange",
     "distance": 3.9757
    },
    {
     "town": "Woodbridge",
     "distance": 4.0215
    },
    {
     "town": "Barkhamsted",
     "distance": 4.0271
    },
    {
     "town": "Chester",
     "distance": 4.0581
    },
    {
     "town": "Bethany",
     "distance": 4.0712
    },
    {
     "town": "Deep River",
     "distance": 4.1642
    },
    {
     "town": "Franklin",
     "distance": 4.2155
    },
    {
     "town": "Durham",
     "distance": 4.2972
    },
    {
     "town": "Old Lyme",
     "distance": 4.3086
    },
    {
     "town": "Westbrook",
     "distance": 4.3484
    },
    {
     "town": "Eastford",
     "distance": 4.3531
    },
    {
     "town": "Colebrook",
     "distance": 4.4101
    },
    {
     "town": "Scotland",
     "distance": 4.4337
    },
    {
     "town": "Hartland",
     "distance": 4.6474
    },
    {
     "town": "Bozrah",
     "distance": 4.6944
    },
    {
     "town": "Old Saybrook",
     "distance": 4.7631
    },
    {
     "town": "Morris",
     "distance": 4.7864
    },
    {
     "town": "Hampton",
     "distance": 4.811
    },
    {
     "town": "Wilton",
     "distance": 4.831
    },
    {
     "town": "Sherman",
     "distance": 4.8989
    },
    {
     "town": "Weston",
     "distance": 4.9277
    },
    {
     "town": "Essex",
     "distance": 4.9674
    },
    {
     "town": "Canaan",
     "distance": 5.0055
    },
    {
     "town": "New Canaan",
     "distance": 5.1523
    },
    {
     "town": "Union",
     "distance": 5.1923
    },
    {
     "town": "Greenwich",
     "distance": 5.2039
    },
    {
     "town": "Westport",
     "distance": 5.2204
    },
    {
     "town": "Goshen",
     "distance": 5.329
    },
    {
     "town": "Norfolk",
     "distance": 5.4778
    },
    {
     "town": "Lyme",
     "distance": 5.5225
    },
    {
     "town": "Kent",
     "distance": 5.5577
    },
    {
     "town": "Darien",
     "distance": 5.5761
    },
    {
     "town": "Warren",
     "distance": 5.8526
    },
    {
     "town": "Salisbury",
     "distance": 5.8966
    },
    {
     "town": "Bridgewater",
     "distance": 6.1424
    },
    {
     "town": "Cornwall",
     "distance": 6.3054
    },
    {
     "town": "Washington",
     "distance": 6.5196
    },
    {
     "town": "Roxbury",
     "distance": 6.7942
    },
    {
     "town": "Sharon",
     "distance": 7.0442
    }
   ]
  },
  "school": {
   "label": "School peers",
   "purpose": "Education spending comparisons.",
   "variables": [
    {
     "key": "enrollment",
     "label": "Average Daily Membership enrollment",
     "log_transformed": true
    },
    {
     "key": "grand_list_per_capita",
     "label": "Equalized net grand list per resident",
     "log_transformed": true
    },
    {
     "key": "school_age_share",
     "label": "Enrollment as a share of population",
     "log_transformed": false
    }
   ],
   "peers": [
    "East Hartford",
    "New Britain",
    "Naugatuck",
    "Waterbury",
    "Manchester",
    "West Haven",
    "New Haven",
    "Bridgeport",
    "Norwich",
    "Bristol",
    "Windham",
    "Enfield"
   ],
   "ranked": [
    {
     "town": "East Hartford",
     "distance": 0.3412
    },
    {
     "town": "New Britain",
     "distance": 0.4192
    },
    {
     "town": "Naugatuck",
     "distance": 0.6633
    },
    {
     "town": "Waterbury",
     "distance": 0.7549
    },
    {
     "town": "Manchester",
     "distance": 0.9158
    },
    {
     "town": "West Haven",
     "distance": 0.9244
    },
    {
     "town": "New Haven",
     "distance": 0.9338
    },
    {
     "town": "Bridgeport",
     "distance": 0.9518
    },
    {
     "town": "Norwich",
     "distance": 0.9853
    },
    {
     "town": "Bristol",
     "distance": 1.0032
    },
    {
     "town": "Windham",
     "distance": 1.0368
    },
    {
     "town": "Enfield",
     "distance": 1.1534
    },
    {
     "town": "Hartford",
     "distance": 1.2762
    },
    {
     "town": "Wolcott",
     "distance": 1.3069
    },
    {
     "town": "Wethersfield",
     "distance": 1.3286
    },
    {
     "town": "Torrington",
     "distance": 1.3351
    },
    {
     "town": "Ansonia",
     "distance": 1.3412
    },
    {
     "town": "Danbury",
     "distance": 1.4163
    },
    {
     "town": "Ledyard",
     "distance": 1.4242
    },
    {
     "town": "Colchester",
     "distance": 1.4396
    },
    {
     "town": "Plainville",
     "distance": 1.4479
    },
    {
     "town": "West Hartford",
     "distance": 1.4578
    },
    {
     "town": "Stratford",
     "distance": 1.493
    },
    {
     "town": "Southington",
     "distance": 1.497
    },
    {
     "town": "Griswold",
     "distance": 1.5079
    },
    {
     "town": "Ellington",
     "distance": 1.5255
    },
    {
     "town": "New London",
     "distance": 1.541
    },
    {
     "town": "Newington",
     "distance": 1.5498
    },
    {
     "town": "Seymour",
     "distance": 1.6015
    },
    {
     "town": "Montville",
     "distance": 1.6052
    },
    {
     "town": "Plainfield",
     "distance": 1.6084
    },
    {
     "town": "Tolland",
     "distance": 1.6406
    },
    {
     "town": "Vernon",
     "distance": 1.6501
    },
    {
     "town": "Cheshire",
     "distance": 1.6572
    },
    {
     "town": "East Haven",
     "distance": 1.6875
    },
    {
     "town": "Wallingford",
     "distance": 1.7311
    },
    {
     "town": "Killingly",
     "distance": 1.7585
    },
    {
     "town": "Hamden",
     "distance": 1.7676
    },
    {
     "town": "Plymouth",
     "distance": 1.8073
    },
    {
     "town": "Groton",
     "distance": 1.8204
    },
    {
     "town": "Watertown",
     "distance": 1.8216
    },
    {
     "town": "Hebron",
     "distance": 1.8474
    },
    {
     "town": "Brooklyn",
     "distance": 1.8479
    },
    {
     "town": "Windsor",
     "distance": 1.8498
    },
    {
     "town": "Simsbury",
     "distance": 1.8504
    },
    {
     "town": "Bethel",
     "distance": 1.876
    },
    {
     "town": "East Hampton",
     "distance": 1.8769
    },
    {
     "town": "Coventry",
     "distance": 1.8794
    },
    {
     "town": "Granby",
     "distance": 1.904
    },
    {
     "town": "Stafford",
     "distance": 1.9293
    },
    {
     "town": "New Milford",
     "distance": 1.9319
    },
    {
     "town": "Portland",
     "distance": 1.9346
    },
    {
     "town": "Derby",
     "distance": 1.9555
    },
    {
     "town": "Woodstock",
     "distance": 1.978
    },
    {
     "town": "Glastonbury",
     "distance": 1.9826
    },
    {
     "town": "Suffield",
     "distance": 1.994
    },
    {
     "town": "Rocky Hill",
     "distance": 2.0106
    },
    {
     "town": "Berlin",
     "distance": 2.0119
    },
    {
     "town": "Trumbull",
     "distance": 2.0147
    },
    {
     "town": "Newtown",
     "distance": 2.0556
    },
    {
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 },
 "target_statewide_percentiles": {
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 }
}