What is a Distressed Municipality?

At the November 5, 2025, Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Bill Morrison informed the rest of the board and meeting attendees that Stafford has been designated a “distressed municipality” for 2025. Although this isn’t the first time Stafford has received this designation, we believe it would be beneficial to explain its meaning. 

According to the State Department of Economic and Community Development:

“Updated annually, the Distressed Municipalities' lists identify the state’s most fiscally and economically distressed municipalities and are used by state agencies to target funds for needs which may include housing, insurance, open space, brownfield remediation and economic development programs, among others.” 

In other words, as Beth DaDalt, Executive Assistant to the First Selectman, put it during the meeting, “It helps us get grants.” In addition to factors such as income, poverty, and the unemployment rate, the formula also considers the percentage change in population from 2010 to 2020 and the percentage of the housing stock built before 1939 as of 2023. 

The list of 25 distressed municipalities includes cities such as Bridgeport and Hartford, as well as small towns like Sprague, Putnam, and Mansfield. Even Stafford’s neighbor, Willington, made the list. See below for the complete list of Connecticut's distressed municipalities.