Economy - Montgomery Planning

New! Agriculture in Montgomery County – Montgomery Planning summarized data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture and other datasets to describe trends in the county’s agricultural industry.

Navigating Income Shifts in Montgomery County: Towards Shared Prosperity – Montgomery County is experiencing a rapid change in its population based on income. This brief describes these changes and suggest that adding housing can help equalize these shifts and welcome more middle-income people into the county.

M ontgomery County Life Sciences Real Estate and Land Use Compatibility Study – Montgomery County’s life sciences hubs—and especially the Life Sciences Center—are mostly single-use and low-density districts. However, they have an opportunity to transition from single-use, low-density employment districts to vibrant, mixed-use districts where people live, work, and play. Making this transition is essential to ease the county’s housing crisis and to ensure that Montgomery County’s life sciences industry remains globally competitive.

Western Montgomery Economic Conference – This powerpoint presentation gives background on the people and economy of the Western part of the Agricultural Reserve (west of I-270 and north of Darnestown). It covers: basic statistics on land use, transportation, population demographics, employment, industry, agriculture, and farm alcohol production.

Studies on the Potential for University Research Center Expansion to Montgomery County – Montgomery County Planning and the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) collaborated to explore the potential for a research university or institute located in the County to spur innovation and strengthen the local economy. The study includes three separate but complementary reports.

Montgomery County Retail Market Study – Recognizing the importance of retail to the County’s economic competitiveness, as well as its role in creating vibrant commercial areas, a countywide Retail Market Study was prepared by Streetsense, a Bethesda-based retail design and strategy firm. The purpose of the study was to assess the strengths, challenges, and competitive position of retail in the County to develop strategies that will foster successful retail centers and keep them poised for the future.

Trendsheets

Briefing on Current Economic Trends to Planning Board – 9/23/21 –

Staff presented a briefing on economic trends in Montgomery County related to its progress in recovering from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key indicators covered include employment levels and labor force participation economy-wide and for key sectors; wages; consumer spending; commuting, auto traffic, and transit ridership; real estate trends; and inflation.

Watch the Planning Board video (Presentation begins at 4:38:10)

Economic Indicators

The Economic Indicators is a fact sheet that tracks changes in key economic indicators including at-place employment, resident labor force, home sales, commercial vacancies and rents, and permit issuance activity.

Retail

The retail trends report details recent trends regarding vacancy rates, rents, and net absorption within the County and region.

Employment

The Employment monitor report is a periodic summary of employment and unemployment trends in Montgomery County.