Economic Development Newsletter
August 2025
DURHAM, CONNECTICUT
Settled in 1699 and incorporated in 1708, Durham has a rich agricultural heritage. Since 1916, it has hosted the Durham Fair, one of the largest agricultural fairs in New England. The town has seen many industries over the years, including sawmills, taverns, feed stores, blacksmiths, quarries, lime companies, a shade and blind company, metal manufacturing, coal mining, model making, drilling companies, and a telephone company, among others.
Durham, the birthplace of one of the earliest libraries in the United States, also takes pride in Moses Austin, the father of Stephen Austin, a founder of Texas and the namesake of the capital. Other notable Durham residents include James Wadsworth, a Connecticut delegate to the Continental Congress, and Vin Baker, a star basketball player for the University of Hartford and in the NBA.
Durham is a Bronze-Certified Community recognized by SustainableCT.
TOWN STATS
General
Current Population: 7,182
Median Age: 46
Median Household Income: $151,875
Economy
Top Industries
1. Admin and Support
2. Manufacturing
3. Wholesale Trade
4. Healthcare and Social Assistance
5. Construction
Housing
Median Home Value: $405,100
Median Rent: $1,520
Housing Units: 3,080
From 2025 Town Profiles courtesy of AdvanceCT and CT Data Collaborative.
Economic Development Highlights
Situated on the campus of the former Francis E. Korn Elementary School, next to the town’s public safety and resident state trooper office, the multi-generational Durham Community Center has been established to offer space for special events, the Durham Farmers’ Market, board and commission meetings, the Durham Food Pantry, and a senior center.
Vibrant Main Street economic zones require pedestrian accessibility and safety. Grants and ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funds have been used to construct sidewalks and safe business driveway crossings for pedestrians on Main Street. The project is ongoing and aims to be completed in summer 2026. The most recent section completed runs from Main Street, along Pickett Lane, to the High School athletic fields.
Through the Complete Streets program, a designated, striped bike lane has been added on the east and west sides of Main Street from Haddam Quarter Road to Route 79 to create a safe route for recreational and commuter cyclists.
Economic Development Commission
The Economic Development Commission in Durham is responsible for promoting economic growth and revitalizing existing businesses, while also attracting new retail, industrial, and cultural investments that align with the community's character. The aim is to create a diverse economic base that provides jobs and a high quality of life for everyone who lives, works, or visits Durham.
The Durham EDC partnered with AdvanceCT to create, distribute, and analyze a community survey in 2020, providing the Commission with a clearer understanding of how to prioritize initiatives. This led to a strategic business attraction campaign aimed at bringing requested businesses to town, including a hardware store, a bakery, new restaurants, and diverse professional services.
The Durham Economic Development Commission is a seven-member volunteer, bipartisan group with current members Michael Fusco, Sarah Murphy, Leah Gastler, Carol Kleeman, Ryan Chabot, Adam Jones, and Peter Lynch.
Business Attraction Campaign
As an outcome of the community survey in 2020, Durham’s Economic Development Commission developed a business attraction campaign with the slogan, “We Can’t Spell Durham without ‘U’!”
Building on the town’s strong agricultural history, business-friendly approach, and charming and vibrant community, the campaign featured a billboard on Route 91 N/S, shopping bags given out at the Memorial Day Parade, and a video to welcome and engage visitors to shop in Town, and business owners to consider Durham to locate and grow businesses.
The Importance of Community in Economic Development
Community development is essential to economic growth because it creates resilient, engaged, and well-resourced communities that form the basis for sustainable progress. Community development attracts talent, boosts local businesses, and fosters a stable environment where businesses and residents can thrive by emphasizing citizen well-being, infrastructure, education, and social cohesion.
Builds a Strong Foundation
A vibrant community offers the essential social and physical infrastructure—such as quality schools, healthcare, housing, and public safety—that attract talent and investment, both crucial for economic success.
Fosters Local Talent and Entrepreneurship
Initiatives that enhance quality of life, education, and financial literacy empower residents, building a more skilled workforce and a stronger culture of entrepreneurship.
Strengthens Local Economies
Supporting small businesses, promoting local sourcing, and encouraging community investment generate a strong economic multiplier effect, helping money stay circulating locally.
Boosts Resilience
Focusing on community resilience, inclusivity, and diversification makes a town less reliant on external factors, helping it withstand economic shocks and recover faster.
Attracts Investment
Robust community development shows outside investors that a location is stable, desirable, and has a healthy, engaged population and workforce, which boosts interest in local investments.
Drives Sustainable Growth
By combining economic, social, and environmental goals, community economic development fosters a more comprehensive and lasting route to prosperity.
Enriching Durham’s Main Street (and beyond) with the Connecticut Main Street Center
In 2024, the Economic Development Commission joined the Connecticut Main Street Center to assess Main Street's condition and learn strategies for managing its retail, cultural, historical, and business assets while attracting new businesses that complement the existing mix. Two main priorities arose from this assessment. The first, a beautification project, established a partnership with the Durham Garden Club to install and maintain planters along Main Street and the Town green. The second involves creating a map and database of all Main Street assets—commercial, industrial, residential, historical, and cultural—accessible on the Town’s website for the public and shared with prospective businesses interested in Durham.
As a Connecticut Main Street Center member, Durham benefits from ongoing access to educational programs and technical assistance. These resources help foster a vibrant Main Street, supported by policies and regulations encouraging mixed-use development and walkable, connected commercial corridors.
Future plans include public art installation on the Town Green and wayfinding signage to help visitors navigate to and from the various places of interest.