The
Importance of the Washington Region
Loudoun County's location
within the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Statistical Area, and
more specifically, the Northern Virginia region, places it
within one of the most rapidly growing, wealthiest, and most
desirable locations in the country for economic development.
Washington metropolitan area
jurisdictions consistently rank at the top when key population
and economic variables are compared with the 20 largest
metropolitan areas in the U.S. The metro area's population
growth between 1980 and 1990 was nearly 21 percent -- giving
the Washington region a second place ranking growth rate among
all major metropolitan areas in the Eastern United States.
Also indicative of a prosperous economic development
environment is Loudoun County's average household income which
is more than $84,700 -- nearly 40 percent higher than the U.S.
average.
The Washington area's high income is a
result of a number of factors, including a high level of labor
force participation by women, and a considerable percentage of
the adult population with graduate or professional degrees --
which at more than 17 percent ranks Washington first among the
20 metro areas, and is more than double the national metro
average of 8 percent.
Loudoun County's importance in the
Washington region has been increasing. In 1990, Loudoun's
population represented only 5.6 percent of the total metro
area population and 4.6 percent of the area's employment.
According to regional forecasts, by 2020 Loudoun will
represent 10.4 percent of the metro area's population and 10.5
percent of the area's employment.
Loudoun County's location within the
Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Statistical Area, and, more
specifically, the Northern Virginia region, places it within
one of the most rapidly growing, wealthiest, and most
desirable locations in the country for economic development.
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