31. Somerset County, Maryland
County median household income, 2009-2013: $38,447
State median household income, 2009-2013: $73,538
Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 23.4%
Unemployment, 2013: 9.9%
Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 23.4%
Unemployment, 2013: 9.9%
During the five years through 2013, Maryland households had a median annual income of $73,538, the highest of any state. While wealthy states tend to have wealthier localities across the board, Somserset County, the poorest in Maryland was still relatively poor. A typical household earned less than $38,500 between 2009 and 2013, more than $35,000 less than the comparable state figure. Poor educational attainment among county residents may be partially the reason for the low incomes — 14.2% of area adults had at least a bachelor’s degree during the five years through 2013, less than half the comparable national rate of 28.8%.
The threat of industrial wind turbines in Somerset neighborhoods will increase the economic blight. Because people with money to invest will look outside the county and current residents will be unable to afford to sell their properties for the reduced value living near wind turbines creates.
ReplyDeleteSomerset leadership should be promoting our excellent quality of life instead of trying to destroy it with industrial wind installations in residential areas. Industrial development belongs in industrial zones.
ReplyDeleteThat state median income is high for this side of the bay. They need to separate east and west when they report and this side of the bay would be way lower.
ReplyDeleteSomerset and Garrett were swapping last place back and forth then Garrett got a wind farm. Now Somerset is firmly on the bottom. Could you cite a reputable study that shows property values are hurt by turbines? Lawerence Berkeley National Lab (known worldwide for quality research) has done several studies that show no loss of property values. It's latest study in 2013 analyzed more than 50,000 home sales near 67 wind facilities in 27 counties across nine states and did not find any statistically identifiable impacts of wind facilities to nearby home property values.
ReplyDeleteWind turbines are no more industrial than the large poultry farms already in the area. If you compare them they look much better! Turbines (at required setbacks) have far less noise, don't stink, don't produce molds and allergens, don't require daily truck traffic and don't deplete are aquifers.
ReplyDeleteNo leadership in Somerset county only good ole boys.
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