NPS Releases Data on Economic Impact of National Parks in Maryland

The National Parks Service recently released data breaking down the national and per-state economic impact of the National Parks System.

Recently the National Parks Service released a report breaking down the economic impact of national parks on a national and per-state basis. The data looks at five categories; visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value-added, and economic output. While Maryland did not rank within the top 15 for any of the five categories, neighboring Washington D.C., and Virginia were ranked four out of five and five out of five respectively.

Impact on Maryland:

Visitor Spending: $247 Million
Jobs: 2,940
Labor Income: $130 Million
Value-Added: $215 Million
Economic Output: $334 Million

In 2021, visitor spending in communities near national parks resulted in a $42.5 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 322,600 jobs.
Learn more at https://t.co/NTu3mlP4Xu #NationalParks

— National Park Service (@NatlParkService) June 23, 2022

County-run parks can have just as significant economic impact. In the MACo Summer Conference session, “The Path to Economic Revival: Leveraging Trails & Nature” an expert panel will discuss funding, challenges, and opportunities related to county-led trail development.

The 2022 MACo Summer Conference, “Taking Care of Business” will be held on August 17-20, 2022, at the Ocean City Convention Center, Ocean City, Maryland.

Read the full report.

Check out Maryland specific data.

Check out the visual data.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: