Qwynwyn continues to find nifty sites, this time it is Prizm’s market segmentation research tools, which would have been a boon for my marketing classes during the MBA. The top five market segments are:

God’s Country - When city dwellers and suburbanites began moving to the country in the 1970s, God’s Country emerged as the most affluent of the nation’s exurban lifestyles. Today, wealthier communities exist in the hinterlands, but God’s Country remains a haven for upper-income couples in spacious homes. Typically college-educated Baby Boomers, these Americans try to maintain a balanced lifestyle between high-power jobs and laid-back leisure.

Big Fish, Small Pond - Older, upper-class, college-educated professionals, the members of Big Fish, Small Pond are often among the leading citizens of their small-town communities. These upscale, empty-nesting couples enjoy the trappings of success, belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios and spending freely on computer technology.

Country Squires - The wealthiest residents in exurban America live in Country Squires, an oasis for affluent Baby Boomers who’ve fled the city for the charms of small-town living. In their bucolic communities noted for their recently built homes on sprawling properties, the families of executives live in six-figure comfort. Country Squires enjoy country club sports like golf, tennis and swimming as well as skiing, boating and biking.

Greenbelt Sports - A segment of middle-class exurban couples, Greenbelt Sports is known for its active lifestyle. Most of these middle-aged residents are married, college-educated and own new homes; about a third have children. And few segments have higher rates for pursuing outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing, backpacking, boating and mountain biking.

Pools & Patios - Formed during the postwar Baby Boom, Pools & Patios has evolved from a segment of young suburban families to one for mature, empty-nesting couples. In these stable neighborhoods graced with backyard pools and patios-the highest proportion of homes were built in the 1960s-residents work as white-collar managers and professionals, and are now at the top of their careers.

My hometown comes off way stuffier than it really is or maybe it is just the neighborhood that we live in but lets see what kind of data is out there about Windsor. Sperling’s Best Places has some demographics, though I cannot attest to the accuracy of them but for the most part it feels on target.

Population - 28,237
Population Density - 953.0 per square mile
Median Income - $71,181

Race
White - 67.07%
Black - 26.46%
Asian - 3.08%
American Indian - 0.31%
Other - 3.08%
Hispanic - 5.48%

Cost of Living
Overall - 118.1
Food - 116
Housing - 129.8
Utilities - 122.1
Health - 110.5
Transportation - 108.6
Miscellaneous - 106.1

Housing
Apartment Rent - $979 (We paid about this for a two-bedroom with utilities a couple of years ago)
Property Tax Rate - $19.14 (per $1,000)
Median Home Age - 32.6
Median Home Cost - $270,700
Home Appreciation - 11.81%
Homes Owned - 77.45%
Homes Rented - 19.65%
Housing Vacant - 2.90%

Hmmm, it really is White-Breadville. I find it interesting as my “on foot perspective” is quite a bit different but then again we live in a neighborhood of modest homes, most built at the end of WWII, with a very diverse racial makeup. However, the town is very large and as one travels north the demographics begin to fit as the town becomes more homogeneous and affluent. It would be interesting to take a look at the segmentation of the town itself to see how it tracks against the state and the nation.

What’s the breakdown of your town?