The Population & Steets of New Marlborough City is a baffling question. The City has been growing and redeveloping for over 50 years. Without a plan to preserve the working landscape, New Marlborough would become a suburban town. To preserve the open space, new developments must create jobs. These jobs create more road frontage and leverage developers to create mixed-income clusters.
Although this data is used to determine the number of people living in a particular town, it's not an accurate reflection of the actual growth. The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs works with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to project future growth in New Marlborough City. Berkshire County's zoning ordinance encourages large country homes, which would look different if everyone lived on a one-acre lot. Developing along existing roads would fragment large open spaces.
The town was a hub of industry in the late 1800s, when paper mills brought an influx of new residents from the East Coast. The paper mills provided work for the community, and the town's population grew rapidly. While there was an initial population boom, there was a significant decline over the next few decades as industries and jobs were moved to the cities. Eventually, New Marlborough's population dwindled from 2,045 in 1876 to 989 in 1950.
There are large tracts of undeveloped land within the city, but only seven are operated by residents. In addition to the small number of permanent residents, many people own second homes or vacation homes. Many local businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may only operate during high season. As a result, the population of New Marlborough dramatically decreases after the vacation season ends. Consequently, the Town's population will be quieter than usual, even for year-round residents.