RANK #825 / 1001 NAT · #15 / 18 MD · POP 115,126
1YR FORECAST: +0.5%
5YR OUTLOOK: +22%
Maryland's first county, St. Mary's County, holds the distinction of being the birthplace of religious freedom in North America, established by English Catholics in 1634. Leonardtown, the county seat and only incorporated town, offers waterfront access and an Arts and Entertainment District. Located in Southern Maryland, the county is a peninsula bordered by the Chesapeake Bay, the Patuxent River, and the Potomac River, providing over 500 miles of shoreline. This geography lends itself to extensive outdoor recreation, including fishing, kayaking, and exploring numerous state parks like Point Lookout State Park and Greenwell State Park. Commute options include local transit services and Maryland Transit Administration commuter bus routes to Washington, D.C.
Life in St. Mary's County blends a traditional, water-oriented lifestyle with a growing technology sector. The community is often described as close-knit, particularly for families. St. Mary's County Public Schools serve over 17,000 students across 32 schools, including high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, and a vocational technical school. The local economy is significantly influenced by the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, a major employer, and a concentration of aerospace and defense contractors. This has fostered growth in aviation, advanced manufacturing, and autonomous systems industries. Educational institutions like St. Mary's College of Maryland and the College of Southern Maryland also contribute to the area's economic and community landscape.
St. Mary'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 +3.1% YoY, population +0.7%, wages +2.5%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 11.2x — 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 →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Southern Maryland Autonomous Research and Technology (SMART) Building
University Systems of Maryland at Southern Maryland
|
$87M | Operating |
|
The Meadows Townhouse Community
Turner Development and Map Properties
|
$50M | Planned |
|
County Capital Improvement Program (Schools, Roads, Public Facilities)
St. Mary's County Government
|
$50M | Planned/Under Construction |
|
Broadband Infrastructure Expansion
Various (Breezeline, Comcast, ThinkBig, Verizon FIOS)
|
$50M | Under Construction/Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
The data is not encouraging — St. Mary's County scores just 17/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #825 of 1001 counties. Job growth at -2.4% and median household income of $119,446 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
Housing in St. Mary's County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $407,600 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.29, with rents averaging $1,747/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
St. Mary's County is attracting residents (population +0.7% YoY) even as the job market softens with employment at -2.4%. Housing values changed +3.1% over the past 12 months. People may be moving here for affordability or lifestyle reasons rather than job opportunities.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 2.7% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests St. Mary's County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.