Charts summarizing the national and regional economies and housing markets

Indicators tracking the performance of the Washington area economy

A snapshot of the current state of the national economy

Featured Research
CRA Working Paper Series (recent releases)

CRA Working Paper Series (recent releases)

CRA Working Paper 2013-03: Generational Perspectives on Residential Mobility: Implications for Housing Demand
CRA Working Paper 2013-02: New Trends in the Distribution and Characteristics of the Federal Workforce in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area 1998-2011

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Impact of Local Regulatory Processes and Fees on Ability to Deliver New Housing In Montgomery County, MD

Impact of Local Regulatory Processes and Fees on Ability to Deliver New Housing In Montgomery County, MD

June 2012 – Approval of new residential projects in Montgomery County—and in local jurisdictions around the region—has become cumbersome, expensive and risky. This study finds that regulatory processes in Montgomery County can add $30-$50K to the cost of a new single-family or townhouse unit and $10-$20K to cost of a multi-family unit.

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Impact of Local Regulatory Processes and Fees on Ability to Deliver New Housing In Fairfax County, VA

Impact of Local Regulatory Processes and Fees on Ability to Deliver New Housing In Fairfax County, VA

September 2012 – Complementing recent research on the residential development process in Montgomery County, this study finds that regulatory process in Fairfax County can add $30-$60K to the cost of a new single-family or townhouse unit and $15-$20K to cost of a multi-family unit.

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Housing the Richmond Region’s Future Workforce

Housing the Richmond Region's Future Workforce

March 2013 - This research forecasts the future housing demand associated with net new job growth in the Richmond, VA region between 2012 and 2032. Because it is a jobs-driven forecast of housing demand, it explicitly links the potential economic growth in the region to the availability and affordability of housing.

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Recent Publications and Reports

Recent Presentations

CRA Census Series

In the News
” The federal government is a major contributor to the local economy. It isn’t free money though, and the real story here is that the Washington area workforce works very hard. We have more wage-earners per household than any metropolitan area” – Dr. Fuller on the impact of the federal government on the region’s affluence

FULL STORY

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Regional Indicators

GreenUp Wash Metro Unemployment Rate*
5.0% (Apr-13), down 0.1 from Apr-12
Green arrow up #3 Wash Metro Jobs*
3.07M (Apr-13), up 41.5K from Apr-12
Green arrow up #3 Wash Metro Median Home Price**
400.0K (Apr-13), up 7.7% from Apr-12

Notes:
* Not Seasonally Adjusted
** Eight-jurisdiction region as defined by RBI

Housing Corner

Housing Market Updates

These reports produced by CRA and RBI RealEstate Business Intelligence provide a snapshot of area housing market trends

Washington Post Real Estate Blog

CRA’s Dr. Lisa Sturtevant is a regular contributor to the Washington Post “Where We Live” Real Estate Blog, providing unique insights into market trends and behavior.

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