Montgomery County Planning Area Profiles

2003 Census Update Survey

Introduction

The following profiles present key demographic data from the 2003 Census Update Survey describing planning areas in Montgomery County, Maryland. Survey data are reported for four housing structure types: single-family detached, townhouse, garden apartment, and high-rise apartment in each planning area where they exist. Groups of rural planning areas around Damascus and Poolesville are combined to yield adequate survey results for reliable estimates. A schematic map outlining the planning area boundaries is included.

The tables for each area and the County detail population, employment, housing, and income data collected in the summer of 2003. At the top of each profile is the estimated land area in square miles for each planning area*. The population sections include: estimated residential population, age distribution, race, Hispanic origin, educational attainment, employment, and commuting data. The household data cover: structure type, tenure, mobility, household type, household size, income, and housing costs. Definitions of the data items listed in the tables are found in "Definition of Data Items (pdf)".

The 2003 Planning Area profiles have been expanded from earlier profiles to include additional data items and increased detail within categories. It should be noted that data describing some small subpopulations are not reported in instances where there are insufficient survey returns for a reliable estimate. For such occurrences, suppressed data items are reported as asterisks within the tables. For example, in a planning area with a low percentage of women with children under age 6 there may be very few returned surveys answering the question whether the mother is employed. Usually, responses from at least ten households are needed for reporting survey results.

The population and housing data reported in the tables are compiled from the 2003 Census Update Survey conducted by the Montgomery County Planning Board. The Census Update Survey updates the decennial U.S. Census figures and measures the demographic changes occurring during the decade. The 2003 Census Update Survey is the eighth in a historical series of household surveys conducted since 1974. During the summer of 2003, approximately 16,000 survey forms were mailed to a stratified, random sample of Montgomery County households. About 63 percent of the sampled households returned the form.

NOTE: Parts of the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers fall within Montgomery County’s borders but are not included in these estimates. The County's western boundary is the Virginia shoreline.