Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – Property values in Frederick County are increasing higher and faster than all the surrounding counties, except Montgomery, and working families are feeling the pinch according to President of the Frederick County United Way Ken Oldham.
A recent report released by the United Way about working families and their ability or inability to afford the basic cost of living in Frederick County found 39 percent of residents can’t afford to live in the county. That number increased 30 percent between 2010 and 2016. Single parent households run by women are hurting the most according to the report.
One reason it’s so unaffordable is that costs are rising and wages are not.
“We’re seeing because it’s such a beautiful community and because it’s a well-structured community it’s a desirable place to live, and that’s driving demand, and that’s driving prices,” said Oldham.
The cost to afford the basics in the county is $35,000 for a single person and $84,000 for a family with two adults and two children. Oldham said when county residents don’t earn those amounts they have to make sacrifices to stay including incurring debt.
Families who move to places with a lower cost of living like West Virginia, Washington County, Carroll County and Pennsylvania find what they’re saving on housing costs, they’re paying in increased commuting costs said Oldham.
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