Photo: Devin Morris · CC BY-SA 4.0Unemployment in National Harbor (8.9%) is higher than in 92% of U.S. towns
Only 5% work in National Harbor itself; outside it, Washington draws the most (27%, 8 miles). Household incomes here are higher than in 83% of U.S. towns. Home is the office for 27% of workers, where Maryland as a whole has 19%.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
National Harbor at work: what stands out
National Harbor fills up on a workday
National Harbor has 7,390 jobs, 3.7 for every working resident. On a workday afternoon about 9,900 people are in town, more than double the 4,500 who live here. Day and night ↓
Many National Harbor workers cross into Washington, D.C.
40% of National Harbor workers work outside Maryland, the Census survey finds. In the commute data, Washington (27%), Arlington (5%) and Alexandria (3%) are among the top workplaces. The commute map ↓
National Harbor has added jobs fast
Jobs based in National Harbor went from 3,789 in 2014 to 7,390 in 2024, +95%. The jobs ↓
Nearly all the work in National Harbor is services
98% of the jobs based here are in services, such as health care, schools and offices. Only 0% are in factories, building or farms. The jobs ↓
National Harbor draws workers from far and wide
The 7,390 jobs in National Harbor are filled from a wide area. The ten biggest home towns of its workers supply 31%; the other 68% come from many towns beyond those. The commute map ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; a jump in jobs can partly be a big employer changing how it reports its locations.
The four measures behind National Harbor’s grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, National Harbor is better than 59% of U.S. towns, #199 of 261 in Maryland. Job access by car holds National Harbor’s grade up (ahead of 97% of U.S. towns); unemployment pulls it down. It also does well on household income.
A rough placement. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, National Harbor could be anywhere from C+ to A+.
National Harbor on a workday afternoon
On a workday 1,878 residents head out to work, 97 work right here, and 7,293 people come in from elsewhere.
About 9,900 people are in National Harbor on a workday afternoon, 122% more than live here.
3.7 jobs for every working resident, so more people commute in than out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
Where National Harbor’s workers come from
Where National Harbor clocks in
27% of workers
3% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Services make up most of the work in National Harbor
7,390 jobs are based in National Harbor.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in National Harbor, 2014 → 2024: 3,789 → 7,390. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2024.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs National Harbor’s own residents hold wherever they work.
A commute of about 35 minutes in National Harbor
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 11.2 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of National Harbor workers work from home, vs 19% across Maryland. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 2,001 commuters (the 27% who work from home are left out). Across Maryland: 80% drive alone, 5% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
National Harbor’s commute, mile by mile
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2024.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
National Harbor is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 2,739 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). Nearly all residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 53% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 16.9 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 97% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 5.0% of National Harbor households have no vehicle (Maryland 8.8%, U.S. 8.4%). 10% of National Harbor’s commuters take a bus or train.
Out of 4,000 U.S. towns of 3,100 to 6,000, National Harbor comes 1,746th on jobs and income
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverwoods IL | 3,766 | $249K | 0.7% | 0.7% | 3% | A+ |
| 2 | Mission Hills KS | 3,522 | $250K | 1.2% | 0.3% | 2% | A+ |
| 3 | Ho-Ho-Kus NJ | 4,313 | $250K | 0.0% | 1.7% | 6% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 12 | Fulton MD | 5,677 | $222K | 0.7% | 1.7% | 12% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 19 | Riva MD | 4,976 | $176K | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 25 | Brown Station MD | 3,451 | $169K | 3.3% | 1.2% | <1% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 1,744 | Jefferson Township IN | 5,689 | $71K | 9.2% | 2.3% | 14% | B |
| 1,745 | Holden Heights FL | 3,286 | $49K | 12.3% | 2.3% | 1% | B |
| 1,746 | National Harbor MD | 4,454 | $110K | 13.4% | 8.9% | 5% | B |
| 1,747 | Basalt CO | 4,009 | $106K | 7.3% | 3.4% | 12% | B |
| 1,748 | Brillion WI | 3,327 | $58K | 12.8% | 0.0% | 18% | B |
| … | |||||||
| 4,000 | Lake Isabella CA | 4,059 | $27K | 40.7% | 8.6% | 19% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of National Harbor, the top three, the last and three more from Maryland.
National Harbor and its neighbors
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | National Harbor workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Harbor | – | B | A+ | 35 min | $109,707 |
| Forest Heights | under 2% | B+ | A− | 33 min | $98,734 |
| Fort Washington | under 2% | A− | A | 38 min | $143,333 |
| Oxon Hill | under 2% | A− | A | 39 min | $93,252 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of National Harbor’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in National Harbor: questions
What is the median household income in National Harbor?
$109,707 (±$19,937) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $103,678 across Maryland and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in National Harbor?
13.4%, against 9.4% across Maryland and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from National Harbor?
35 minutes each way on average, against 31 across Maryland and 26 nationally. 27% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in National Harbor work?
5% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Washington (27%, 8 mi), Arlington (5%, 8 mi), Baltimore (3%, 42 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Is National Harbor walkable?
National Harbor is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 12.7 out of 20, and 10% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around National Harbor without a car?
10% of commuters take transit and 5% of households have no car. 53% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from National Harbor, from the people who make the trip.
More of National Harbor
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2024, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.