Connecticut gets boost as more see state’s advantages during pandemic
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more than twice the number of people moved to Connecticut compared to the year before.
According to Gov. Ned Lamont and some of the state’s business leaders, that influx has provided a much needed economic shot-inthe-arm.
“Who would have thought it?” Lamont said Tuesday during a press conference at the headquarters of Aquiline Drones in Hartford. “Last year was one of our biggest years in terms of starting up businesses and one of our great years in terms of real estate. And it’s not just in certain parts of the state, it’s all over the state.”
A total of 16,501 people moved to the state last year, compared to 7,520 in 2019, according state officials who cited United States Postal Service data. The number of businesses registered in Connecticut rose by 9 percent in 2020 compared to the prior year.
Carol Christiansen, president of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, said 2020 was the best real estate market in the state in a decade. And as we head into the spring selling season, which is always traditionally a hot time for real estate sales, Christiansen said the demand for home shows no signs of abating.
“We have more buyers now than we have homes that are available,” she said. “We’re down to about a two month supply in terms of inventory. Selling a home right now usually produces multiple offers.”
Lamont predicted Connecticut’s economy “will grow incredibly more confident” as spring arrives and more of the state’s residents get vaccinated.
Aquiline Drones is an example of a small business that is succeeding in Connecticut, he said
The six-year-old company has 55 of its 130 employees working out of its headquarters in the Stark Building. Aquiline is preparing to hire another 25 workers in a few weeks, said chief executive officer Barry Alexander.
“You know the saying about how it takes a community to raise a child?.” Alexander said. “Well, small businesses need communities to be supportive, in order to thrive.”