For the first time, the Bureau of Economic Analysis is measuring the gross domestic product of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States. Prototype GDP statistics for each county will be published on our website Dec. 12.
After receiving feedback on these statistics, BEA will finalize its plan for producing county GDP annually. These statistics show the market value of the goods and services produced in each county. They will join BEA’s other regional data, including personal income by county, to provide a more detailed picture of the economic landscape across the United States.
The prototype county estimates will cover annual data for the years 2012-2015, including current-dollar GDP statistics, inflation-adjusted GDP figures, and real annual growth rates. The data will be further broken down into goods-producing industries, services-producing industries, and government.
The 3,113 areas covered include counties and county equivalents, such as Louisiana’s parishes and Alaska’s boroughs.
You can use these statistics to determine the level of economic activity in your county or to compare the size and growth of your county’s economy to others across the nation. The new data will better inform policymakers, businesses, and residents about counties’ economic health.
An update on the county GDP project will be presented at the BEA Advisory Committee meeting on Nov. 9 at the bureau’s headquarters in Suitland, Md.
The statistics will be published as a news release and Excel tables on Dec. 12 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. BEA will seek feedback and continue to refine its methodology before regularly producing GDP by county, beginning in December 2019.