Marlborough is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the census-designated place (CDP) of Terramuggus. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The town’s population was 6,133 at the 2020 census. Marlborough is a suburban and rural community. The local high school is RHAM High School. In 2013, Marlborough ranked third (of 24) in Connecticut Magazine’s biannual ranking of Connecticut small towns. Educationally, RHAM High School, which serves Marlborough, Hebron, and Andover students, is one of the top-ranked regional high schools in the state on the SAT in 2017, and 11th highest-performing school in the state on the test. The town is home to Elmer Theines-Mary Hall elementary school which serves Pre-K through 6th grade. The school scores above state average on standardized testing and student progress.

History

The earliest inhabitants of present-day Marlborough, prior to the arrival of the English settlers, were the Podunk people, an indigenous people who spoke an Algonquian language. The town’s origins can be traced back to 1648, when (John) Sadler’s Ordinary, a rest stop from the colonical era, was established. This establishment, the second of its kind in Connecticut Colony after Hartford, served as a crossroads during colonial times. Travelers would stop to rest at the Buell House (now the Marlborough Tavern) located at the heart of what is now Marlborough center. Although the original Sadler’s Ordinary (Inn) eventually went out of business, a new Sadler’s Ordinary was built in a new location in 1970 and continues to operate today.

In 1747, William Buell and Joel Foote petitioned the colonial General Court for permission to form an Ecclesiastical Society and establish the town of Marlborough. In 1749, they began constructing the First Congregational Church which was not completed until 1803. On October 13, 1803, Marlborough was officially incorporated, encompassing land from portions of three neighboring towns: Glastonbury, Colchester (New London County) and Hebron (Tolland County). The town took its name from Marlborough, Massachusetts, which was named after Marlborough, Wiltshire in England.

By 1907 the town had a population of fewer than 305 residents. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Marlborough was rediscovered as a bedroom community for
white-collar professionals working in Hartford. A comprehensive history of the town titled Reflections Into Marlborough’s History was published in 2007.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,404 people, 2,292 households, and 1,820 families residing in the town. As of the 2000 census, the population density was 245.2 inhabitants per square mile (94.7/km²). There were 2,057 housing units at an average density of 88.4 per square mile (34.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 65.3% White, 1.3% African American, 30.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.

There were 2,292 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 20 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $139,255 and the median income for a family was $159,376. Males had a median income of $98,789 versus $64,959 for females. The per capita income for the town was $58,805. About 0.3% of families and 1.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 0.5% of those age 65 or over.