Farmington combines a strong business environment with the exceptional quality of life today’s companies and workforce are looking for.
Here’s why organizations continue to choose Farmington.
Business Climate
Farmington’s diverse grand list supports one of the lower commercial mill rates in the Hartford region, helping create a competitive business environment for companies of all sizes. The Town also offers incentives for green energy improvements, as well as Bioscience Enterprise Corridor Zone benefits for qualifying bioscience businesses.
With a highly educated workforce, top-rated schools, proximity to major regional highways, and exceptional quality of life amenities, Farmington offers businesses an ideal location to grow, innovate, and succeed.
Colleges
Farmington is home to both the University of Connecticut Medical and Dental School and Tunxis Community College.
University of Connecticut Health Center offers a range of doctoral and master programs, including biomedical science and public health. Faculty expertise includes neuroscience, molecular biology, molecular pharmacology, biochemistry, cell physiology, toxicology, stem cells, and endocrinology, among other fields.
Tunxis Community College serves nearly 7,000 full and part-time students each semester enrolled in credit and continuing education classes. Technical (two-year) degrees from Tunxis include Accounting, Computer Programming, Engineering, Graphic Design Industrial Art and Illustration, and Information Systems & Business Data.
As a state, Connecticut enjoys one of the highest densities of higher education in the nation. Farmington is less than an hour’s drive from many four-year schools including Yale University, the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University, Trinity College, Charter Oak State College, and Central & Southern Connecticut State Universities.
Connecticut also enjoys a strong network of two-year, community and technical trades colleges. Naugatuck Valley,Middlesex, Gateway, Capital and Manchester Community Colleges are all within a 40-mile radius of Farmington.
Government
Farmington is administered under the Council-Manager form of government. The Town Manager serves as full-time Chief Executive and is aided by an Assistant Town Manager. Finances are under the control of Town Manager, the Town Council, and the Finance Director. The seven-member council, the Town's legislative body, is elected biennially for a term of two years and serves without compensation. The Town Charter, which is the primary organizational document, was first adopted in 1947 and last was revised December 4, 2003. The Strategic Plan and the Plan of Conservation and Development are up to date and guide land use and business development in Farmington.
Housing
Farmington offers a diverse housing stock that includes apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and a broad range of single-family homes. The community provides housing opportunities that appeal to a variety of lifestyles, household sizes, and income levels.
According to recent U.S. Census estimates, the median home value in Farmington is approximately $475,000, with single-family homes comprising the majority of the Town’s housing inventory. Farmington’s highly rated schools, walkable neighborhoods, recreational amenities, and convenient regional access continue to make it one of Connecticut’s most desirable communities to live and work.
Major Employers
Farmington prides itself on a strong and vibrant business community, boasting more than 2,000 registered businesses. From corporate headquarters, to industry, to sole proprietorship, the Town enjoys a diverse collection of commercial enterprises. Farmington has one of the largest Class A office space inventories in the greater Hartford region, as well as a large inventory of industrial commercial space.
Farmington's five largest employers represent insurance, healthcare, bioscience, research, and manufacturing.
The University of Connecticut Health Center is the Town’s largest employer and a leading academic research institution in CT. In 2011 Governor Malloy made an $864 million dollar investment in Bioscience CT, an economic development initiative aimed at making CT one of the leaders in bioscience research and discovery. Bioscience CT will make University of Connecticut Health Center a hub of research and clinical work in bioscience arena.
ConnectiCare has been a leading health plan in the state of Connecticut for 40 years. ConnectiCare is recognized for its extraordinary commitment to customer services, its collaboration with doctors and hospitals, and its range of health plans and services for individuals, families, businesses, and municipalities.
Otis Elevator Company: The world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service are headquartered at 1 Carrier Place in Farmington, CT.
The Jackson Laboratory: The Jackson Laboratory, an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution was founded in 1929 in Bar Harbor, Maine. Their Farmington campus is home to The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. Researchers in Farmington focus on human genomics, complementing their long history of mammalian genetics expertise.
Schools
Farmington is known for its strong tradition of educational excellence. Farmington Public Schools are consistently recognized among the top 10 school districts in Connecticut, offering rigorous academics, innovative programs, and exceptional opportunities for student achievement. Farmington High School continues to earn recognition for academic performance, college readiness, and Advanced Placement participation.
Farmington is also home to the prestigious Miss Porter’s School, an internationally recognized independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 9–12. Founded in 1843, the school has educated generations of influential leaders, including former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.