Despite economic strains, Prince George’s residents feel change is possible, according to survey

As Prince George’s County voters are mulling their options ahead of Election Day, they are doing so with some of the harshest feelings of economic anxiety across the capital region, according to a report released last month by the Greater Washington Community Foundation and Gallup.

Just 47% of Prince George’s residents in the survey reported that they felt like they were “thriving,” which was the lowest among local jurisdictions that included Montgomery, Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, among others. The county also had the highest total percentage, 54%, of those who believe they are struggling or suffering.

The survey found that, at the same time, these residents maintain a firm belief that they can affect change.

The Greater Washington Community Foundation — a public charity that manages and invests funds throughout communities in D.C., Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties — first published the VoicesDMV survey in 2017 and has continued with a report every three years since.

VoicesDMV tries to capture residents’ feelings on several economic well-being indicators, including cost of living, social services and the job market, according to Tonia Wellons, the foundation’s CEO. The largest strain on well-being were federal policies and related job cuts and losses.

“This is probably one of the first times in, I would say, recent history where our region has not been protected from economic shock,” Wellons said in a phone call with The Banner. “Most of the time there is a shock somewhere in the country, we have been able to hover above it because of the strength of the federal sector, and that’s just not our circumstance right now.”

Forty-five percent of the 435 Prince George’s residents who responded (the total sample of the survey was 2,801 people throughout the DMV) said they feared they wouldn’t be able to pay their rent or mortgage. This was the highest mark across the region and the only jurisdiction where this particular anxiety has not eased since 2023’s survey.

Access to food has been a concern for residents and county officials in recent years, too. Twenty-eight percent of residents in the survey reported that they were unable to afford food this year — that’s 11 points higher than the regional average, according the survey of Prince George’s County residents. First-time users of social services, such as food banks or pantries, in Prince George’s jumped to 23%, the highest mark in the region.

Prince George’s County residents face the highest rate of food insecurity in the capital region, at 56%, according to a September report from the Capital Area Food Bank.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.”

Last week, Prince George’s County Council members were briefed on the feasibility of opening a county-owned grocery store to supplement existing programs such as free food pantries at county libraries.

As Election Day nears, 28% of Prince George’s respondents believe they have no influence over local government decision-making, which was the lowest rate among respondents across the region; 17% said they have “moderate” or “great” influence.

“There’s still this belief, generally, of people born and raised here and people who came here, in the ability to change circumstances,” said Wellons, an Upper Marlboro resident, who has lived in the county for nearly 30 years.

“You can’t have such proximity to the seat of power, no matter who’s in the White House, or come here for policy jobs or work in federal government and not have a fundamental core belief that you can make a difference,” she added.

Wellons attributed some of this feeling to the continued relative affordability of the county and data that doesn’t show any considerable exodus to other parts of the country or region.

Wellons and her team pointed toward specific goals that respondents have for local leaders: more investment in youth programs, healthcare and job training.

But she acknowledges that in the month since the survey was released, feelings toward county leadership have deteriorated.

Reporting from news organizations, including The Banner, has resulted in increased scrutiny, including calls for audits and investigations, on the Prince George’s County Council’s grant-funding process.

June’s primary election is typically decisive in the deeply Democratic county. But voters will have a couple of issues on their ballot that could transform the county’s government, such as Question B, which proposes to eliminate the two at-large council seats.

Council members Sydney Harrison and Jolene Ivey are likely to be elected to these seats. The pair has been among the most vocal critics of their colleagues, Chair Krystal Oriadha and Edward Burroughs, who represents District 8. Both have come under the microscope for their efforts to direct millions in grant funds to their preferred organizations.

“I think it’s useful to say that there is a dip in confidence right now,” Wellons said. “And I think it’s going to be incumbent upon our local leadership to shift that, to rebuild our confidence and trust to reestablish a vision for the future.”

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