What Is GDP by County?
GDP by County is a dataset produced by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measures the total economic output generated within every county and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States. Officially known as the GDP by County and Metropolitan Area dataset, it provides both current-dollar and real-dollar (inflation-adjusted) estimates of local Gross Domestic Product, broken out by industry. Covering the years 2001 through 2023, it is the most authoritative source available for understanding how much economic value is being produced at the sub-state level – and which industries are driving it.
Why GDP by County Data Matters
National and state-level GDP figures are useful benchmarks, but they obscure the enormous variation in economic performance that exists at the county and metro level. GDP by county data makes that variation visible – revealing which local economies are expanding, which are contracting, and which industries are responsible for growth or decline in any given region. This makes it an essential tool for a wide range of analysts and decision-makers:
- Economic development professionals – benchmarking a county or MSA against peer regions and identify competitive strengths and gaps
- Site selection and investment – evaluating the productive capacity and industrial mix of target markets before committing capital
- Government and policy analysts – assessing the economic impact of infrastructure spending, tax incentives, and regulatory changes at the local level
- Urban and regional planners – understanding which sectors anchor a regional economy and how to plan for future growth
- Academic researchers – studying spatial patterns of productivity, specialization, and long-run economic convergence across U.S. counties
Access GDP by County Data on Social Explorer
Social Explorer provides BEA GDP by county data from 2001 to 2023, available at the county, MSA, and state levels. Industry-level breakdowns allow users to go beyond total output and examine exactly which sectors – from manufacturing and finance to healthcare and real estate – are contributing most to local economic activity.
Social Explorer integrates BEA GDP by County data with a rich ecosystem of complementary datasets, including Personal Income by County and MSA, Regional Price Parities, Current Employment Statistics, and and U.S. Census data. That means you can move seamlessly from measuring total output to understanding wages, purchasing power, population trends, and more – all within a single platform designed for exploration, mapping, and analysis.
Sign up for a free trial of Social Explorer to access GDP by County data, build interactive maps, compare regional economies, and download the variables that power smarter research and better decisions.