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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

West Laurel, MD

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score77out of 100
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93
51
87
79
100

Population

4,428

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+7.7% YoY

93

$65.2B

Output changed +7.7% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

51

5.0%

Unemployment is 5.0% for Latest available.

Vintage date unknown

State avg4.3%
U.S. avg5.2%

Population

+6.2% 5-year

87

4,428

Population moved +6.2% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population6,206,011
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

79

15.1%

Median rent consumes 15.1% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.7K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$10.5K per resident

100

$10.2B

$10.2B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$105.7B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$10.2B

$10.5K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$3.4B
2. Department of Defense$1.4B
3. National Aeronautics and Space Administration$1.2B

Top recipients

Dollars
1. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK$406.4M
2. KBR WYLE SERVICES, LLC$195.9M
3. ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC$155.9M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

15.1%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,698
2BR estimate$2,237
Median income$164,688
Median home value$541,000

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

4,428

Median age

41.2

Bachelor's degree+

46.8%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Labor force participation

74.9%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

Latest available

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-31

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.2%

GDP CAGR

+6.5%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20204,171
20214,627
20224,332
20234,231
20244,428
GDP (5 years)
2020$47.6B
2021$51.6B
2022$56.6B
2023$60.5B
2024$65.2B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20244,428
20254,393 *
20264,405 *

R² = 1.1% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$65.2B
2025$69.5B *
2026$73.9B *

R² = 99.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$164,688/yr
Median rent$2,071/mo
Rent share of income15.1%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$32,827/yr
Mortgage share of income19.9%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate5.0%
State avg4.3%
U.S. avg5.2%
Labor force participation74.9%
Poverty rate2.6%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. Latest available.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$541,000
Median monthly rent$2,071
Price-to-rent ratio21.8x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score77/100
Economic growth93/100
Labor market51/100
Population momentum87/100
Overall stability77/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

West Laurel CDP, Maryland

City/Town

Part of

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Nearby locations

Scaggsville, MDLaurel, MDBurtonsville, MDKonterra, MDNorth Laurel, MD