Relocate: Maryland

WELCOME TO ST. MARY’S COUNTY, ST. MARY’S COUNTY St. Mary’s County Department of Economic and Community Development 23115 Leonard Hall Dr. – Governmental Center PO Box 653 Leonardtown, MD 20650 301-475-4200 ext.1400 www.stmarysmd.com POPULATION 2005 Estimate: 96,350 2010 Projection: 107,700 TRANSPORTATION Highways: Maryland arteries in the county connect with U.S. 301, I-95, and I-495. CLIMATE Yearly Precipitation (inches): 47.5 Yearly Snowfall (inches): 17.8 Summer Temperature (degrees F): 74.4 Winter Temperature (degrees F): 37.4 Duration of Freeze-Free Period: 199 days HOUSING Median Selling Price: All owner-occupied properties (2007): $315,000 All multiple-listed properties (2006): $318,500 RECREATION AND CULTURE PERSONAL INCOME www.tour.co.saint-marys.md.us/www.MarylandLife.com Per-Capita Personal Income (2005): $34,004 LABOR AVAILABILITY (by place of residence, 2006) Civilian Labor Force: Total civilian labor force: 50,459 Employment: 48,748 Unemployment: 1,711 Unemployment rate: 3.4% Employment in selected occupations: Management, professional and related: 20,020 (40.2%) Service: 7,933 (15.9%) Sales and office: 10,960 (22.0%) (Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Workforce Information and Performance; U.S. Bureau of the Census) Residents commuting outside the county to work: 12,399 (24.9%) Production, transportation and material moving: 3,947 (7.9%) TOP FIVE EMPLOYERS Employer Naval Air Station Patuxent River DynCorp International St. Mary’s Hospital BAE Systems Wyle Laboratories Product/Service Military installation Professional and tech. services Medical services Tech. products and service Tech., science research services Employment 10,500 1,050 1,050 918 760 EDUCATION Educational Attainment- age 25 and over (2006) High School Graduate or Higher: 86.5% Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 24.4% Public Schools: www.smcps.k12.md.us Number: 16 Elementary, 4 Middle, 44 High Enrollment: 16,665 (Sept. 2006) Cost per Pupil: $9,263 (2005-2006) Private Schools Number: 32 Enrollment: 3,362 (Sept. 2006) Students per Teacher: 16.3 (Oct. 2006) High School Career/Tech Enrollment: 1,903 (2007) High School Graduates: 982 (June 2006) Higher Education (2006) Name 2-Year Institution Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education 4-Year Institution St. Mary’s College of Maryland Enrollment 135 1,957 Degrees 3 416 where Maryland began. Maryland Day 2009 will be the county’s 375th anniversary; many residents proudly trace their heritage back to those original settlers who arrived on St. Clement’s Island aboard the Ark and Dove on March 25, 1634. The economy of St. Mary’s County has evolved over the years. After steady growth in the first 150 years, the county’s population actually declined from the late 1700s through 1940, as agriculture, mostly in tobacco and oysters, formed the basis of our economy. With the onset of World War II, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River was built and commissioned. Population grew again and has continued since, bolstered in the 1990s by the first rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions. In 2007, the county’s population surpassed 100,000. Today’s economy is an interesting blend of a vibrant high-technology sector alongside rural tradition. One of the things that make St. Mary’s County unique is our geography. We’re a peninsula—surrounded on three sides by the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Patuxent River—and blessed with approximately 500 miles of shoreline. Until 30 years ago, there was really only one way in and out of the county. Today, access is much easier. The northern part of the county is only 25 miles from the Capital Beltway and 60 miles from the Baltimore Beltway. The MTA Commuter Bus service serving St. Mary’s County is among the busiest in the state. The key economic driver for the county continues to be the region’s largest employer, NAS Patuxent River and its major tenants, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). With more than 200 high-tech defense contractors locally supporting NAS Pax River, St. Mary’s County has emerged as a worldclass center for maritime-aviation research, development, acquisition, testing, and evaluation. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of the local economy is tied to NAS Pax River. Education is vital to developing a capable workforce. The county’s public-school system ranks among the best in the state and has developed key partnerships with the Navy and local industry. A large number of private and parochial schools enhances local K-12 options. Higher education is available through the College of Southern Maryland, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, and a number of extended campuses of private and public institutions. Growth in housing, shopping, restaurants, hotels, community services, arts, and entertainment both attracts new residents and supports our many historical sites. Please visit St. Mary’s County and be inspired by the rich history, undeniable progress, and enduring quality of life that surround you. 42 RELOCATE MARYLAND 2008 http://www.stmarysmd.com http://www.tour.co.saint-marys.md.us http://www.MarylandLife.com http://www.smcps.k12.md.us

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Relocate: Maryland

Relocate: Maryland Contents Maryland Map Welcome! Real Estate: Its Contribution to the MD Economy Why Use a REALTOR® What does BRAC Mean to Maryland? Allegany Anne Arundel/Annapolis Resources Baltimore County Baltimore City Calvert Caroline Carroll Cecil Charles Dorchester Frederick Garrett Harford Howard Kent Montgomery Prince George’s Queen Anne’s Somerset St. Mary’s Talbot Washington Wicomico Worcester/Ocean City

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