Economic growth in Maryland is about average

US Bur. of Economic Analysis

The US Department of Commerce has released state-by-state data for gross domestic product in 2012. Maryland's GDP grew 2.4 percent for the year, ranking 15th among the states, and posting the fastest growth in Maryland's region. The US average was 2.5 percent - essentially equal to Maryland's growth rate. (For those keeping track of bragging rights, Maryland's growth rate exceeded Delaware's, D.C.'s, Pennsylvania's, and Virginia's).

Although it is good to record an increase, these rates are well below the GDP increases that accompany a normal economic recovery.

The sectors that contributed most to Maryland's GDP growth were real estate, and finance and insurance, followed by government.

GDP is the broadest of the traditional economic indicators. It measures the final value of all goods and services produced. GDP is criticized because it measures only outputs that can be measured in the market.It does not factor in costs and benefits related to things like environmental quality, crime, and social cohesion. Maryland is on of a growing number of states and countries using a "genuine progress indicator" to supplement GDP as a more comprehensive measure of overall well-being.