Enfield Set for Biggest Housing and Population Growth in Decades
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| Open space and existing homes — the balance Enfield must navigate as new housing proposals emerge. |
Enfield is quietly on the verge of its largest housing expansion in decades. Over the past several years, the town has approved or is reviewing projects that together could add nearly 1,400 units — most of them smaller, rental apartments. If built, these developments would bring about 2,300 to 2,600 new residents to town.
The town needs this new housing.
Enfield's population is flat. It's getting older. Young people are declining. Our job market growth is flat. (see appendix)
Young People Are Key
Without young people, Enfield will face a long and persistent decline and soaring taxes. We're surrounded by communities that help underpin our commercial sector that are seeing similar demographic shifts.Enfield Has 5,000 Fewer Residents Than in 1970
In 1970, our population was 46,200. The U.S. includes prisoners in the local population, but our prison population at that time was no more than 400.Today, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Enfield's population at 41,140 (July 2024). That's roughly 5,000 fewer residents than in 1970 — a loss shaped by smaller households, limited new construction, and zoning policies that for years constrained housing growth.
The town's prison population, once counted in those figures, has now disappeared entirely following the 2023 closure of Willard Correctional Institution, removing about 2,300 people from the local count over the past decade.
Here's What's Either Been Approved or Pending
– MassMutual Campus – A proposed redevelopment of the 65-acre former corporate site would add 464 total units. Plans call for adaptive re-use of three connected office buildings into 178 one-and two-bedroom apartments and 12,000 square feet of commercial and office space, construction of a new 129-unit apartment building, and development of 157 townhomes over existing parking areas.– Enfield Square – Up to 450 apartments are envisioned as part of the long-term mall redevelopment plan.
– North River Street – A 156-unit riverfront project including 47 studios, 93 one-bedrooms, and 16 two-bedrooms. The site plan also allows for a possible future phase of 350 additional apartments.
– South Road – 168 units planned across from Freshwater Boulevard, divided into 88 one-bedrooms and 80 two-bedrooms.
– Brainard Road (Liberty Lane) – A 55+ community with 42 single-family homes.
– Former Strand Theater Area – 70 apartments approved for the Thompsonville site.
– Felician Sisters Property (Enfield Street) – 45 senior apartments.
– Enfield Manor – A redevelopment of the existing 80-unit senior complex to add 99 newly built units, producing a net gain of 19 affordable senior apartments.
The population impact estimate is based on the number and type of housing units proposed or approved. Using planning estimates, this works out to 1.2 residents for studios, to 2.3 for townhouses or single-family units. (Note: This list is not comprehensive. Smaller projects aren’t accounted for, and some of the proposals may not fully happen — or happen at all. Still, the overall picture ought to give the PZC something to consider if it concludes that housing growth will deliver strong economic benefits. For example, if the Enfield Square redevelopment has the potential to exceed 450 units, the Commission may want to allow for that possibility.)
Commercial Decline
The MassMutual complex sold for just under $4 million. A 65-acre site that has seen millions in investment.
We lost Lego.
The only non-housing development that may generate significant tax dollars is Amazon's recent purchase of more than 200 acres on Bacon Road for $20 million.
It's not clear yet what Amazon plans to do with this parcel, but if it develops this property and adds some $100 million in value — land, building and equipment — it might generate more than $3 million in taxes.
To give you some idea about the importance of grand list growth: in this year's budget on the town side alone, fixed costs, employee benefits including health insurance, and contractual wage increases increased spending by $1.86 million alone.
Raiding the Fund Balance
Enfield’s unassigned fund balance has declined from $31.8 million in FY2023 to a projected $24.3 million by the end of FY2026 — a 24% drop driven by the use of reserves to fund operations, teacher contracts, and capital projects. That pace is unsustainable. By policy, the town must maintain a minimum balance equal to 9% of its operating budget, or about $15.5 million. The current fund balance is not publicly listed.(The fund balance grows when tax collections exceed expectations, departments underspend, investments outperform, or state and federal aid exceeds expectations.)
The Coming Tax Hike
Next July, Enfield's property taxes will spike — even if town spending stays flat.Here's why: your home's assessed value will jump 30–40% in the 2027 revaluation. Meanwhile, commercial properties like the MassMutual campus (which just sold for $4 million after millions in investment) are stagnant or declining. When residential values soar and commercial values don't, homeowners pick up a larger share of the tax burden.
No matter who wins the election, a fiscal reckoning is coming. Residents can expect a revaluation-induced tax increase even if town spending stays flat.
Neither party has an answer to this problem. If the budget could be significantly cut, it would have been cut already. Instead, the town has been drawing down its fund balance to smooth over its problems.
State Needs to Boost Local Support
The only near-term hope will be state action — either through direct property tax relief or by assuming a larger share of school funding to reduce pressure on local budgets.Without that help, our local debates will keep turning inward. The tone of recent budget fights already shows this frustration.
The disputes over funding the warming center and the Enfield Historical Society aren’t about money — they’re political distractions. They’re embarrassing and draining, and they make our town look smaller than it is.
The council has an obligation to protect Enfield’s reputation. That means leading with respect, not using the podium to berate organizations or residents who voice criticism.
Population = Commercial Growth
Population growth alone won't solve Enfield's fiscal crisis — we need commercial development too, but one can't happen without the other.High-density residential rental development helps by spreading fixed costs over more households while being less demanding on town services than sprawling single-family development. It generates far more revenue per acre while costing less to serve — producing fewer school-aged children, and maintaining much of its own property.
These units attract working people, and smaller apartments mean fewer children in schools. (The town can easily assess service impacts by looking at the North Maple Street apartment complex and Bigelow development.)
Reasons to Be Optimistic
Amazon doesn't buy in dying towns, so its purchase is an endorsement for our future.Our region has a lot of people, well educated by colleges or well skilled in the trades and in areas like advanced manufacturing. We have good infrastructure, a relatively stable climate, and built-in resilience.
The Counter Argument: Enfield Is Big Enough
The people who say "Enfield is big enough" will be the first to complain when their tax bills keep climbing.You can't have low taxes, excellent services, and a shrinking, aging population. Pick two.
Here's the reality:
– Taxes rise and people leave.
– We become less attractive to business.
– Older population spends less, hurting retail.
– Schools decline and families avoid town — something already happening.
No one is arguing Enfield needs to double in size. But right now, we’re too small to sustain what we have.
By Adding 2,300–2,600 Residents
– We create an employer-friendly workforce.– The population — especially those in the mall area — generates retail spending.
– Housing growth signals vitality — perception matters.
– Population helps grow the commercial tax base, taking pressure off residential.
– Young families spend locally, staff businesses, attract other young families.
Aging Enfield will move the town in the opposite direction.
Bottom Line
We really don’t have a choice in the matter — not if we want a stronger local economy.Appendix
The population analysis is mostly from the Enfield's Plan of Conservation and Development
Page 18: "Enfield’s demographics are changing, and the community is contracting; as a result, Enfield’s population is aging. The age pyramid below (Figure 1.) demonstrates the aging population with the contraction of young persons under age 25 and the large cohort age 55 and above (the Baby-Boom Generation). The challenges created by a contracting and aging population include less disposable household income and reduced demand for commercial space, especially commercial retail space—older households spend less on consumer goods and services. This is contributing to, and will continue to contribute to, retail vacancies.
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| Enfield is increasingly relying on its fund balance to close budget gaps. After using no reserves in 2023 or 2024, the town tapped nearly $8 million in FY2025 and plans to draw down another $5.6 million in FY2026. Continued reliance at this scale is likely unsustainable. |