Somerset County vs. Maryland
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Population Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Somerset County vs. Maryland
Somerset County:
2022 Population = 24,546
2022 Percent of State = 0.40%
Maryland:
2022 Population = 6,164,660
2022 Percent of U.S. = 1.85%
Attracting and retaining people to live, work, raise a family, and retire underlies the economic vitality of any region. Population growth is both a cause--and a consequence--of economic growth. Patterns of population growth and change reflect differences among regions to attract and retain people both as producers and consumers in their economy.
The following graphs offer a broad overview of trends in the pattern of population growth and change of Somerset County with comparisons to Maryland and the nation at large. This analysis features alternative approaches toward discussing, diagnosing and comparing Somerset County vs. Maryland's population growth over 1969-2022. The data used are those compiled by the Regional Income and Product Divisions of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 traces Somerset County's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Somerset County's population rose from 19,016 in 1969 to 24,546 in 2022, for a net gain of 5,530, or 29.08%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Maryland's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Maryland's population rose from 3,868,000 in 1969 to 6,164,660 in 2022, for a net gain of 2,296,660, or 59.38%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Population Indices (1969=100): 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows Somerset County's population growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Maryland, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's population in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the populations in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in population growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Somerset County's overall population growth was 29.08% over 1969-2022 trailed Maryland's increase of 59.38%, and fell below the United States' increase of 65.57%.
Population as a Percent of the Maryland Total: 1969-2022
Population as a Percent of the Maryland Total: 1969-2022
Figure 4.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the population growth of Somerset County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Maryland's statewide population over time, as shown in Figure 4. A rising share means a region's population grew faster, or declined less, than Maryland's population, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Somerset County's population comprised 0.49% of Maryland's population, while in 2022 it equated to 0.40% thereby yielding a -0.09% share-shift.
   
 
Population Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
-0.09%
=
0.40%
-
0.49%
 
   
Somerset County Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Somerset County Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Somerset County's population growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Somerset County's population grew at an annual rate of 0.50% over 1970-2022. The county posted its highest growth in 1988 (10.73%) and recorded its lowest growth in 2014 (-1.82%). In 2022, Somerset County's population grew by 0.07%
Somerset County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Somerset County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 6.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again traces the annual percent change in Somerset County's population since 1970, but this time they are displayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Somerset County's annual population growth rate averaged 0.07%. It averaged 2.00% throughout the 1980s, 0.65% throughout the 1990s, 0.65% during the 2000s, -0.62% throughout the 2010s, -0.36% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 7.
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Somerset County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Maryland and the nation. As the chart reveals, Somerset County's average annual population growth posted below Maryland's average during the 1970s (0.07% vs. 0.88%), outperformed Maryland's average throughout the 1980s (2.00% vs. 1.14%), amounted to less than Maryland's average in the 1990s (0.65% vs. 1.06%), lagged Maryland's average throughout the 2000s (0.65% vs. 0.87%), trailed Maryland's average during the 2010s (-0.62% vs. 0.73%), and recorded under Maryland's average over the 3 year period of the current decade, 2020-2022 (-0.36% vs. 0.01%).
Finally, relative to nationwide population growth trends, Somerset County lagged the nation during the 1970s (0.07% vs. 1.10%), topped the nation over the 1980s (2.00% vs. 0.95%), fell below the nation in the 1990s (0.65% vs. 1.23%), fell below the nation over the 2000s (0.65% vs. 0.95%), recorded underneath the nation in the 2010s (-0.62% vs. 0.74%), and fell under the nation over 2020-2022 (-0.36% vs. 0.31%).
   
 
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
0.50
0.07
2.00
0.65
0.65
-0.62
-0.36
0.07
 
0.88
0.88
1.14
1.06
0.87
0.73
0.01
-0.16
 
0.96
1.10
0.95
1.23
0.95
0.74
0.31
0.38
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Somerset County:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
19,016
100.0
N
0.49
1970
 
18,928
99.5
-0.46
0.48
1971
 
19,029
100.1
0.53
0.47
1972
 
18,930
99.5
-0.52
0.46
1973
 
18,868
99.2
-0.33
0.46
1974
 
19,099
100.4
1.22
0.46
1975
 
19,381
101.9
1.48
0.47
1976
 
19,665
103.4
1.47
0.47
1977
 
19,726
103.7
0.31
0.47
1978
 
19,374
101.9
-1.78
0.46
1979
 
19,143
100.7
-1.19
0.45
1980
 
19,131
100.6
-0.06
0.45
1981
 
18,866
99.2
-1.39
0.44
1982
 
18,874
99.3
0.04
0.44
1983
 
19,084
100.4
1.11
0.44
1984
 
19,435
102.2
1.84
0.45
1985
 
19,710
103.6
1.41
0.45
1986
 
19,991
105.1
1.43
0.45
1987
 
20,157
106.0
0.83
0.44
1988
 
22,319
117.4
10.73
0.48
1989
 
23,216
122.1
4.02
0.49
1990
 
23,469
123.4
1.09
0.49
1991
 
23,303
122.5
-0.71
0.48
1992
 
23,522
123.7
0.94
0.48
1993
 
23,860
125.5
1.44
0.48
1994
 
24,426
128.4
2.37
0.49
1995
 
24,455
128.6
0.12
0.48
1996
 
24,748
130.1
1.20
0.48
1997
 
24,745
130.1
-0.01
0.48
1998
 
24,647
129.6
-0.40
0.47
1999
 
24,766
130.2
0.48
0.47
2000
 
24,710
129.9
-0.23
0.47
2001
 
25,157
132.3
1.81
0.47
2002
 
25,445
133.8
1.14
0.47
2003
 
25,541
134.3
0.38
0.46
2004
 
25,807
135.7
1.04
0.47
2005
 
25,793
135.6
-0.05
0.46
2006
 
26,139
137.5
1.34
0.46
2007
 
26,534
139.5
1.51
0.47
2008
 
26,474
139.2
-0.23
0.47
2009
 
26,425
139.0
-0.19
0.46
2010
 
26,442
139.1
0.06
0.46
2011
 
26,158
137.6
-1.07
0.45
2012
 
25,848
135.9
-1.19
0.44
2013
 
25,685
135.1
-0.63
0.43
2014
 
25,217
132.6
-1.82
0.42
2015
 
25,253
132.8
0.14
0.42
2016
 
25,332
133.2
0.31
0.42
2017
 
25,294
133.0
-0.15
0.41
2018
 
24,930
131.1
-1.44
0.41
2019
 
24,817
130.5
-0.45
0.40
2020
 
24,564
129.2
-1.02
0.40
2021
 
24,528
129.0
-0.15
0.40
2022
 
24,546
129.1
0.07
0.40
Source: Calculations by the Maryland Regional Economic Analysis Project (MD-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Maryland:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
3,868,000
100.0
N
1.92
1970
 
3,938,051
101.8
1.81
1.93
1971
 
4,022,507
104.0
2.14
1.94
1972
 
4,081,121
105.5
1.46
1.95
1973
 
4,109,038
106.2
0.68
1.94
1974
 
4,133,341
106.9
0.59
1.94
1975
 
4,157,208
107.5
0.58
1.93
1976
 
4,172,132
107.9
0.36
1.92
1977
 
4,194,639
108.4
0.54
1.91
1978
 
4,211,641
108.9
0.41
1.90
1979
 
4,223,398
109.2
0.28
1.88
1980
 
4,227,643
109.3
0.10
1.86
1981
 
4,261,905
110.2
0.81
1.86
1982
 
4,282,923
110.7
0.49
1.85
1983
 
4,313,329
111.5
0.71
1.84
1984
 
4,365,246
112.9
1.20
1.85
1985
 
4,413,072
114.1
1.10
1.85
1986
 
4,486,956
116.0
1.67
1.87
1987
 
4,565,558
118.0
1.75
1.88
1988
 
4,657,903
120.4
2.02
1.91
1989
 
4,727,303
122.2
1.49
1.92
1990
 
4,799,770
124.1
1.53
1.92
1991
 
4,867,641
125.8
1.41
1.92
1992
 
4,923,368
127.3
1.14
1.92
1993
 
4,971,889
128.5
0.99
1.91
1994
 
5,023,060
129.9
1.03
1.91
1995
 
5,070,033
131.1
0.94
1.90
1996
 
5,111,986
132.2
0.83
1.90
1997
 
5,157,328
133.3
0.89
1.89
1998
 
5,204,464
134.6
0.91
1.89
1999
 
5,254,509
135.8
0.96
1.88
2000
 
5,311,034
137.3
1.08
1.88
2001
 
5,374,691
139.0
1.20
1.89
2002
 
5,440,389
140.7
1.22
1.89
2003
 
5,496,269
142.1
1.03
1.89
2004
 
5,546,935
143.4
0.92
1.89
2005
 
5,592,379
144.6
0.82
1.89
2006
 
5,627,367
145.5
0.63
1.89
2007
 
5,653,408
146.2
0.46
1.88
2008
 
5,684,965
147.0
0.56
1.87
2009
 
5,730,388
148.1
0.80
1.87
2010
 
5,791,559
149.7
1.07
1.87
2011
 
5,854,282
151.4
1.08
1.88
2012
 
5,913,919
152.9
1.02
1.88
2013
 
5,962,350
154.1
0.82
1.88
2014
 
6,008,975
155.4
0.78
1.88
2015
 
6,049,289
156.4
0.67
1.88
2016
 
6,079,669
157.2
0.50
1.87
2017
 
6,112,835
158.0
0.55
1.87
2018
 
6,138,786
158.7
0.42
1.87
2019
 
6,163,628
159.3
0.40
1.87
2020
 
6,173,205
159.6
0.16
1.86
2021
 
6,174,610
159.6
0.02
1.86
2022
 
6,164,660
159.4
-0.16
1.85
Source: Calculations by the Maryland Regional Economic Analysis Project (MD-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
201,298,000
100.0
N
1970
 
203,798,722
101.2
1.24
1971
 
206,817,509
102.7
1.48
1972
 
209,274,882
104.0
1.19
1973
 
211,349,205
105.0
0.99
1974
 
213,333,635
106.0
0.94
1975
 
215,456,585
107.0
1.00
1976
 
217,553,859
108.1
0.97
1977
 
219,760,875
109.2
1.01
1978
 
222,098,244
110.3
1.06
1979
 
224,568,579
111.6
1.11
1980
 
227,224,719
112.9
1.18
1981
 
229,465,744
114.0
0.99
1982
 
231,664,432
115.1
0.96
1983
 
233,792,014
116.1
0.92
1984
 
235,824,907
117.2
0.87
1985
 
237,923,734
118.2
0.89
1986
 
240,132,831
119.3
0.93
1987
 
242,288,936
120.4
0.90
1988
 
244,499,004
121.5
0.91
1989
 
246,819,222
122.6
0.95
1990
 
249,622,814
124.0
1.14
1991
 
252,980,941
125.7
1.35
1992
 
256,514,224
127.4
1.40
1993
 
259,918,588
129.1
1.33
1994
 
263,125,821
130.7
1.23
1995
 
266,278,393
132.3
1.20
1996
 
269,394,284
133.8
1.17
1997
 
272,646,925
135.4
1.21
1998
 
275,854,104
137.0
1.18
1999
 
279,040,168
138.6
1.15
2000
 
282,162,411
140.2
1.12
2001
 
284,968,955
141.6
0.99
2002
 
287,625,193
142.9
0.93
2003
 
290,107,933
144.1
0.86
2004
 
292,805,298
145.5
0.93
2005
 
295,516,599
146.8
0.93
2006
 
298,379,912
148.2
0.97
2007
 
301,231,207
149.6
0.96
2008
 
304,093,966
151.1
0.95
2009
 
306,771,529
152.4
0.88
2010
 
309,378,433
153.7
0.85
2011
 
311,841,632
154.9
0.80
2012
 
314,344,331
156.2
0.80
2013
 
316,735,375
157.3
0.76
2014
 
319,270,047
158.6
0.80
2015
 
321,829,327
159.9
0.80
2016
 
324,367,742
161.1
0.79
2017
 
326,623,063
162.3
0.70
2018
 
328,542,157
163.2
0.59
2019
 
330,233,102
164.1
0.51
2020
 
331,511,512
164.7
0.39
2021
 
332,031,554
164.9
0.16
2022
 
333,287,557
165.6
0.38
Source: Calculations by the Maryland Regional Economic Analysis Project (MD-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PN
 
   
Copyright © 2023. Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project (PNREAP). All Rights Reserved.

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