Study: Most Prince George's residents work outside county

On a typical weekday, it takes Jane Young about an hour to commute from her Croom home to her job at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Young, who travels by car and Metro, is among the more than 60 percent of Prince George's residents who travel out of the county for work, according to a new analysis of statewide commuting patterns between 2000 and 2008 that the Maryland Department of Planning released this month. The data highlights the county's struggle during the past decade to attract employers -- especially federal agencies -- and jobs that appeal to the county's professional work force.

Young said she is willing to make the two-hour round trip each day to and from work so that she can continue to live in the quiet, rural community south of Upper Marlboro.