Jobs & Economy in Manchester
Manchester's economy runs on two real, genuinely distinct pillars: the current Buckland Hills retail corridor and a historic 'Silk City' manufacturing legacy.
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Learn moreThe real, current Buckland Hills retail corridor
Buckland Hills, at the real merge of I-84 and I-291, hosts over 3.7 million square feet of retail space -- one of the largest such concentrations in New England, anchored by the Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall plus Walmart, Home Depot, BJ's, and Best Buy.
Manchester's largest named employers
Per the town's own 2024 list: Manchester Public Schools (400+ employees), Walmart Supercenter (360), Paradigm Precision (350), Stop & Shop (300), and Target (300) -- a genuinely retail/logistics/education-weighted employer base.
A real, historic 'Silk City' manufacturing legacy
The Cheney Brothers Historic District, a real National Historic Landmark since 1978, documents Manchester's genuine 19th-century identity as home to the Cheney Brothers Mills, once the world's largest silk factory complex.
Key takeaways
- The Buckland Hills corridor (3.7M+ sq ft retail) anchors Manchester's current economy at the I-84/I-291 interchange.
- Manchester Public Schools, Walmart, Paradigm Precision, Stop & Shop, and Target are the town's largest named employers.
- Manchester's real 'Silk City' heritage is documented by the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark district.
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