RANK #695 / 1001 NAT · #9 / 18 MD · POP 959,754
1YR FORECAST: -1.1%
5YR OUTLOOK: +26%
Greenbelt, a historic planned community, offers a glimpse into Prince George's County's distinctive character. Located just east of Washington, D.C., the county provides various commute options, including 15 Metrorail stations, MARC train service, and numerous bus routes, making it accessible for those working in the capital or Baltimore. The county features a mix of urban, suburban, and rural landscapes, with parks like Watkins Regional Park and Patuxent Research Refuge providing extensive opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, and boating. This blend of accessibility and natural scenery contributes to the community's appeal.
Life in the county often involves families and individuals seeking proximity to Washington, D.C., without the higher housing costs of the city. Prince George's County Public Schools operates a large district with numerous elementary, middle, and high schools. The economy is experiencing growth, driven by investments in commercial and residential developments, data centers, and infrastructure projects like the Purple Line light rail. Federal government operations, healthcare, and technology sectors also contribute to the economic landscape, with institutions like the University of Maryland, College Park, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center located within the county.
Prince George's County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices -0.4% YoY, population +0.4%, wages +3.7%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Below-average climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 16.4x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Purple Line Light Rail Transit System
Maryland Transit Administration
|
$9,600M | Under Construction |
|
Brightseat Tech Park Data Center Campus
Brightseat Associates LLC (Lerner Enterprises)
|
$5,000M | Planned |
|
Carillon Mixed-Use Development
Kite Realty Group Trust
|
$1,000M | Planned |
|
PSEG Keys Energy Center
PSEG
|
$831M | Operating |
|
New Carrollton Mixed-Use Development
Urban Atlantic and Brookfield Properties
|
$500M | Under Construction |
|
Chalk Point Reliability Storage LLC Battery Energy Storage System
Chalk Point Reliability Storage LLC
|
$400M | Proposed |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 30/100, Prince George's County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $101,798 combined with job growth of -0.2% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Prince George's County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $426,000 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.24 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,799/month on average.
Population and employment in Prince George's County are both close to flat — population +0.4% YoY and jobs -0.2%. Home values shifted -0.4% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 2.24% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Prince George's County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.