Following its inaugural release last year, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has once again released economic activity data for every county in the nation.

The gross domestic product (GDP) data represents the years 2015-2018 and measures the market value of goods and services produced in each county. The Bureau has previously compiled data for states and major metropolitan areas and is now diving deeper to examine regional economic conditions, including the leading industries throughout Maryland.

When researching average sector annual growth, the top five leading industries in the state included Information, Durable Goods Manufacturing, Management of Companies and Enterprises, Nondurable Goods Manufacturing, and Utilities. With two manufacturing sectors helping lead Maryland’s growth in GDP, the industries totaled 13.3 percent of the state’s increase in 2015-2018.

When measuring Maryland by GDP, five counties were named among the Mid Atlantic’s top growers including Anne Arundel and Prince George’s in the ‘large county’ category, and Cecil, Howard, and St. Mary’s in the ‘medium’ category. Cecil County had the largest GDP increase among the 20 counties in those categories – an increase of more than 11 percent from 2017-2018 alone – with the Bureau crediting Utilities as the leading economic growth contributor.

Looking at the state as a whole, Montgomery County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City lead the rankings, making up nearly 50 percent of the state’s GDP, totaling $202.3 billion.

For additional data on Maryland counties, check out this report compiled by the Maryland Department of Commerce. Another release of county GDP data is slated to be released in December 2020.

For even more economic facts and figures, visit the Maryland Data Explorer.