Census-designated place · St. Mary's County, Maryland

California, Maryland

California is a census-designated place in St. Mary's County, Maryland, part of the Lexington Park, MD metro area. It has 13,136 residents. California, Maryland has a quality-of-life score of 73 out of 100 (high), ranking #4,221 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Maryland it ranks #141 of 334 cities and towns. It ranks best on child care cost burden (low), average weekly wage (high) and rent as share of income (low). It ranks worst on time spent in the emergency room (high), job growth (low) and primary care physicians (low).

73High

Quality-of-life score: #4,221 of 15,651 cities and towns
Maryland: #141 of 334 in MD
Population: 13,136 (2020-2024)
Land area: 13 mi²
Density: 1,021.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 2412150

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety50#7,802/15,637
Economy90#1,635/15,631
Housing92#1,192/14,977
Health67#5,202/15,609
Healthcare40#9,431/15,650
Environment92#1,200/15,453
Education78#3,465/15,649
Infrastructure70#4,666/15,650
Community27#11,445/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,340/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where California, Maryland ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “St. Mary's County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Child care cost burden · low19.5%
96/100Maryland 26.1%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSt. Mary's County value
Average weekly wage · high$1,684
93/100Maryland $1,568United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSt. Mary's County value
Rent as share of income · low23.8%
91/100Maryland 30.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Median household income · high$119,855
88/100Maryland $102,835United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low2.8%
87/100Maryland 7.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Natural hazard risk · low8.3
86/100Maryland 4.72025Federal Emergency Management AgencySt. Mary's County value

Weaknesses

Time spent in the emergency room · high256 min
2/100Maryland 246 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSt. Mary's County value
Job growth · low-3.0%
7/100Maryland -1.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataSt. Mary's County value
Primary care physicians · low34 /100k
15/100Maryland 86 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSt. Mary's County value
Social associations · low6.5 /10k
16/100Maryland 8.9 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSt. Mary's County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low2.6 /10k
20/100Maryland 5.0 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSt. Mary's County value
Restaurants and bars · low6.2 /10k
21/100Maryland 7.2 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSt. Mary's County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
14,815 (2015-2019) → 13,136 (2020-2024)
−11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
41.9% (2015-2019) → 32.4% (2020-2024)
−9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
15.5% (2015-2019) → 7.2% (2020-2024)
−8.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$84,690 (2015-2019) → $119,855 (2020-2024)
+42%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
37.3% (2015-2019) → 43.8% (2020-2024)
+6.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
90.1% (2015-2019) → 94.9% (2020-2024)
+4.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, California, Maryland improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Bachelor's++6.5 points37.3% → 43.8%
Household income+42%$84,690 → $119,855
Broadband+4.8 points90.1% → 94.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of California, Maryland between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	27.9 min2015-2019	23.7 min2020-2024	−4.2 min	Within the margin of error	86%
Bachelor's degree or higher	37.3%2015-2019	43.8%2020-2024	+6.5 points	Improved	77%
Broadband subscriptions	90.1%2015-2019	94.9%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Improved	31%
Effective property tax rate	0.97%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	57%
High school diploma or higher	92.9%2015-2019	95.1%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	−0.3×	Within the margin of error	89%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3602015-2019	0.3882020-2024	+0.028	Within the margin of error	28%
Median household income	$84,6902015-2019	$119,8552020-2024	+42%	Improved	76%
Poverty rate	10.3%2015-2019	6.9%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Rent as share of income	27.2%2015-2019	23.8%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	41.9%2015-2019	32.4%2020-2024	−9.5 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.4%2015-2019	2.8%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	65%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like California, Maryland five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of California, Maryland in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, California, Maryland itself moved +8.9 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

13,136 residents (±1,056)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

5,294 households (±429)

California, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $25k7.0%†368
$25k–50k6.8%†359
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

5,294 households (±429)

California, Maryland
Maryland share

Own63%3,330
Rent37%1,964

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

7,588 workers (±727)

California, Maryland
Maryland share

Drive alone74%5,610
Carpool5.1%†389
Public transit0.3%†24

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Lexington Park, MD

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of St. Mary's County, the county holding most of California's residents.

St. Mary's County has 2,090 employer establishments, 181 for every 10,000 residents (0.73× the US rate of 248; 0.79× Maryland's), with 32,683 paid employees at an average annual pay of $67,830. The Census Bureau also counts 8,431 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,090; 8,431 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 181; US 248 · Maryland 230
Paid employees: 32,683
Average annual pay: $67,830; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of St. Mary's County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	171	14.8	0.81×About typical	3,481	$22,118	38
Specialty trade contractors	171	14.8	0.96×About typical	1,433	$69,003	673
Ambulatory health care services	135	11.7	0.56×Fewer than typical	1,569	$83,487	285
Computer systems design and related services	99	8.6	1.98×More than typical	3,100	$105,186	73
Lessors of real estate	97	8.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	237	$61,084	797
Architectural, engineering and related services	94	8.2	2.34×More than typical	5,481	$109,404	77
Limited-service restaurants	89	7.7	0.96×About typical	1,800	$20,246	14
Construction of buildings	86	7.5	0.99×About typical	390	$73,513	238
Building equipment contractors	82	7.1	1.18×About typical	884	$72,010	153
Services to buildings and dwellings	71	6.2	0.91×About typical	513	$38,310	510
Full-service restaurants	62	5.4	0.70×Fewer than typical	1,433	$24,378	18
Management, scientific and technical consulting	61	5.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	937	$110,200	252

Rank places for an industry Open St. Mary's County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 115,242 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $44.4M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in California, Maryland: $3,377 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $44.4M; −81% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3,377; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 16%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$36.3M82%
Department of the Air Force$5.9M13%
Department of the Army$1.7M3.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$226K0.5%
Federal Acquisition Service$220.6K0.5%
U.S. Geological Survey$115K0.3%
Drug Enforcement Administration$101.7K0.2%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$50.5K0.1%

Top recipients

NATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES ASSOCIATES, INC.$7.9M18%
J.F. TAYLOR, INC.$7M16%
KBR WYLE SERVICES, LLC$5.8M13%
AVIATION SYSTEMS ENGINEERING COMPANY INC$4.1M9.3%
AVIAN, LLC$2.1M4.8%

Spending by fiscal year

106.8MFY2017
61.8MFY2018
78MFY2019
89.5MFY2020
97.5MFY2021
103.5MFY2022
124.8MFY2023
234M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$11.7M26%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$10.5M24%
Support activities for air transportation · 4881$7.9M18%
Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing · 3333$6.2M14%
Technical and trade schools · 6115$2.5M5.7%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in California, Maryland

LABORATORY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND INTEGRATED BATTLESPACE SIMULATION AND TEST (IBST)$74.7M
J.F. TAYLOR, INC.· St. Mary's County, MD· Research & development· Aug 23, 2019 – Oct 15, 2025· N0042119F0971
MH-60R/S TRAINING SYSTEM UPGRADES$26.9M
J.F. TAYLOR, INC.· St. Mary's County, MD· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 24, 2024 – May 11, 2026· N6134025F0001
DELIVERY ORDER 22 FROM IDIQ N0017823D4401$3.3M
J.F. TAYLOR, INC.· St. Mary's County, MD· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 25, 2025 – Apr 10, 2026· N0017825FD423
A-KIT

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in California, Maryland, so they do not add up across cities.

California, Maryland's figures are part of those of St. Mary's County, MD ($2.7B in FY2026), never added to them: 1.6% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: California is mostly in St. Mary's County.

See federal money in St. Mary's County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

California, Maryland is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Steny H. HoyerD-MD-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 2.8%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

St. Mary's County76100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Lexington Park, MD79

Other cities and towns in St. Mary's County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2412150

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends