NAS Patuxent River Workforce Study: What It Says on Housing

What did the NAS Patuxent River workforce study say about housing?

BayNet reported on an October 6, 2026 joint meeting in Leonardtown between the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County and Navy officials. A regional workforce study was one topic. In the words of the report: “Recruitment concerns included housing affordability, competition from Northern Virginia and Washington, lengthy hiring and security-clearance processes, and limited dining, entertainment and cultural offerings.”

The presenter also named four priorities. One was “improving housing and community amenities.” The report gives no numbers for housing. It does not say how many homes are needed or what rent should be.

What does the study not say?

It does not give a rent level, a vacancy rate or a forecast. “Housing affordability” in a recruitment list tells you that employers hear this concern. It does not tell you what a home in Lexington Park should rent for.

How solid is the evidence?

Treat it as a signal. BayNet reports that commissioners questioned the study’s focus-group participation. It also reports the presenter’s statement that the four focus groups were small, generally with three or four participants. That is useful color. It is not market data.

Is there anything in the report that touches property owners directly?

Yes, one item. The same meeting covered the 2026 Air Installation Compatible Use Zones study, known as AICUZ. BayNet reports that total noise-contour acreage rose from 3,608 to 3,732 acres, and that this 124-acre increase covers St. Mary’s and Calvert counties combined. County officials discussed sending notification letters to property owners in the newly included areas.

If you get a letter, keep it with your property records. Ask the county what it means for your address. Do not guess.

How should an owner use this?

Use it as a reason to check your numbers, not to change them. Follow these steps.

1. Pull your last lease and your current rent.
2. Look at several current listings for similar homes. Match bedrooms, condition and location.
3. Check the days on market on those listings.
4. Learn the market rent concept. It comes from comparisons, not headlines.
5. If you use HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rent as a reference, remember what it is. It is a federal benchmark used for voucher programs. It is not a prediction of what a specific home will rent for.
6. Ask for a free assessment to get a number for your home.

How do I keep my marketing fair?

Describe the home, its features and its location. Do not write copy aimed at a type of renter, such as a job, a rank or a family. Apply the same screening rules to every applicant. Read our tenant screening guide and the Fair Housing Act entry. Housing vouchers are a lawful source of income in Maryland, so see the housing choice voucher entry too.

Military service members who own homes have other questions. Our military PCS rental management page covers owners who rent out a home on orders. Our St. Mary’s County page lists the towns we serve there.

What other numbers came out of the meeting?

BayNet reports that the study’s projected workforce gaps for 2025 through 2035 included the following. These are job counts, not housing counts.

The study also projected a net decline of 77 jobs through 2035, even as employers face large needs to replace departing workers. BayNet adds that replacing experienced employees may be the bigger challenge.

What else was on the agenda?

The meeting also covered the county’s comprehensive plan update, which a county official described as a process spanning two years, along with transportation improvements and the mission of VX-1, the test and evaluation squadron. Read BayNet’s full report for those items.

What should owners watch next?

BayNet quotes the county’s economic development director, who said of the study, “We don’t want it to be another report that just sits on the shelf.” She named internships, apprenticeships and other career pathways as ways to connect residents with jobs. Watch for three follow-ups.

1. Any county action on the study’s four priorities, including housing.
2. The comprehensive plan update and its public hearings.
3. Letters from the county about the noise-contour update, if your property is in a newly included area.

None of these sets a rent. They are context.

Next step

Want a rent number for a home near Lexington Park or elsewhere in St. Mary’s County? Request a free assessment at /contact-us or call (301) 392-2172.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked official source or talk to a Maryland attorney.