New! The Cost of Slow Growth
Maryland’s performance, the costs facing households and employers and future economic implications.
Coming Soon: Housing & Affordability
What happens when people can find work in Maryland but struggle to find a home they can honestly afford?
Coming Soon: Taxes & the Economy
How do tax choices affect the services Maryland supports and the households and businesses that fund them?
Coming Soon: Jobs & Population
Who is finding opportunity in Maryland, who is leaving and what will shape the workforce ahead?
Maryland’s future is bigger than a ranking.
It’s whether you can find a good job, afford a home, grow a business or keep building a life here. We follow the numbers behind those choices — and make sense of what they mean for Maryland.
A clearer picture of Maryland’s economy.
Maryland has extraordinary strengths. Understanding how those strengths translate into jobs, investment and opportunity takes a closer look. The Maryland Competitiveness Institute is a new, nonpartisan research initiative of the Maryland Chamber Foundation, created to give Marylanders a clearer understanding of the economy we share.
Building on years of the Maryland Competitiveness Index, we investigate the forces shaping our state’s economic future. We bring together economic data, research and plain-language analysis to explain what the evidence means for people and communities.
Our work helps policymakers, journalists, business and community leaders, and Maryland residents understand where the state stands and what it means for their future.
Maryland’s Economy at a Glance
Economic Growth
Cumulative Real GDP Growth (2016-2025)
One decade. Different trajectories.
11.6%
Maryland
25.1%
Virginia
25.1%
U.S. Overall
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; Chained 2017 dollars; Sept. 30, 2026 release
The Gap
~$53B
larger economy in 2025 if Maryland had matched national growth since 2016
Illustrative output comparison, not lost tax revenue; Institute calculation
Jobs
9 of 10 years
Maryland job growth trailed the nation
2016–2025
Source: BLS Payroll Employment
Growth
2.4% vs. 5.5%
growth in private-sector workplaces: MD vs. U.S.
2018–2023
Source: Census BDS; Institute calculation
Cost of Living
7th
highest price level among all 50 states
2024
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities
Featured Research
Report: Cost of Slow Growth
Maryland’s economy has grown at less than half the national pace over the past decade. That matters for the jobs people can find, the businesses they can build and the resources available for schools, infrastructure and other public services.
Our The Cost of Slow Growth report brings together the evidence on Maryland’s economic performance, the costs facing households and employers, and the implications for the state’s future. Read the eight-page Institute brief for the key findings, or explore the full version of the report.
What's Next
More we’re exploring
- Coming in December: Housing & Affordability — What happens when people can find work in Maryland but struggle to find a home they can afford?
- Coming in January: Taxes & the Economy — How do tax choices affect the services Maryland supports and the households and businesses that fund them?
- Coming in Early 2027: Jobs & Population — Who is finding opportunity in Maryland, who is leaving and what will shape the workforce ahead?
Our Annual Publication
Maryland Competitiveness Index
See where Maryland ranks—and where other states stand. The Maryland Competitiveness Index brings together state rankings across dozens of charts covering the economy, business costs, workforce, infrastructure and other measures of competitiveness.
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General Inquiries: Whitney Harmel, Executive Director, Maryland Chamber Foundation, wharmel@mdchamber.org
Press & Media: Abbi Ludwig, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, aludwig@mdchamber.org
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