Move Outside the Predictable

Where innovative businesses, stunning vistas and historic downtowns converge. Where the Appalachian Mountains rise over green valleys, but are still only two hours from Washington D.C., Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Maybe it's time to make the move outside to Allegany County, Maryland.

Make Allegany County Home

Improve Your Quality of Life

Find an abundance of outdoor recreation, live entertainment and walkable urban cores.

Affordability and livability are the hallmarks of Allegany County, situated in the heart of the Western Maryland Panhandle. Conveniently equidistant between Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Allegany County attracts visitors and new residents with its lower cost of living and higher quality of life. Employers are also impressed by our dynamic market and robust workforce options. From craft breweries to live music festivals, from fine dining to a burgeoning food truck scene, Allegany County offers what you would expect from larger markets, all framed by stunning mountain views and the Potomac River. Learn how to make Allegany County home for your family, business expansion, or both.

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Invest Here

Learn more about some of the key industries in Allegany County. Find qualifying incentives and search for available commercial and industrial properties.

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Work Here

Find your next career with our dedicated Job Portal, while learning more about employers and workforce development opportunities in our region.

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Live Here

Discover local neighborhoods and find out about life in Allegany County, including healthcare, education and other community resources.

“We are here for the long haul and we are creating local jobs."

"We are very bullish on everything we see here.”

- Jim Abdo, president and CEO of Abdo Development, based in Washington D.C., on his company's recent multimillion dollar investment in redeveloping property in Cumberland, Maryland.

Latest Economic News and Events

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The Acceleration Trail Business Incubator Opens in Downtown Frostburg

A new business incubator designed to support early-stage companies opened in Frostburg this month. The Acceleration Trail, developed by Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD), will provide startups with targeted resources to grow their businesses and contribute to the region’s innovation economy. Members of the public and entrepreneurs interested in learning more about The Acceleration Trail are invited to attend the Entrepreneurial Open House: Connect, Explore & Grow on Thursday, April 24 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. 

Located on Main Street in the heart of Frostburg, The Acceleration Trail offers flexible office space, onsite business support services, and proximity to retail, dining, and recreational amenities. Entrepreneurs accepted into the incubator will have access to mentorship, training, and professional development resources provided in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Western Region.

“We want to give young companies the best chances for success,” stated Adam Strott, ACECD’s Economic Development Specialist. “Offering dedicated incubation support and a growth plan for two to three years lays the foundation for companies to prosper.”

Already home to top firms that are pioneering new technologies within the circular economy, Allegany County has become a hub for innovation, making the incubator a natural fit. In Frostburg, Clym Environmental Services, a leader in medical waste management, is completing construction on its state-of-the-art facility. In Cumberland, Geocycle offers an environmentally sound waste removal solution to local and regional manufacturing businesses. Partnerships with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Appalachian Laboratory, the Allegany College of Maryland Makerspace, and Frostburg State University offer additional collaboration opportunities for resident companies. 

While creating a business incubator was a longtime aspiration for Allegany County, funding the project became a reality three years ago. Funding for the incubator was made possible by the Rural Maryland Economic Development Fund, which was announced by former Governor Larry Hogan in 2022. Of the $50 million designated for the state’s five rural regional councils, Tri-County Council for Western Maryland received $10 million and allocated $100,000 to ACECD to establish the incubator in Allegany County.

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Madison Paige Boutique Creates Momentum in Downtown Cumberland

Thanks to the entrepreneurial vision of small business owners like Abby Lindner, The Rosenbaum is revitalizing Downtown Cumberland in a powerful way. This Women’s History Month, Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD) is spotlighting Madison Paige Boutique—a women-owned business contributing to that momentum. 

As the owner of Frostburg-based Madison Paige Boutique, Lindner was not initially seeking a new commercial space, but after stepping into The Rosenbaum building, she saw an opportunity to grow her business and reach new customers.

“Once I set foot in the building,” Lindner recalls, “I knew this was where I was meant to be.”

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Reimagining Wills Creek as a Community Connector

Students from West Virginia University (WVU) are bringing fresh ideas to community revitalization efforts in Allegany County. Through a partnership with the WVU Landscape Architecture Program, the City of Cumberland, and Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD), the Wills Creek corridor in Cumberland, Maryland, has been the focus of a student-led design project to consider its potential as a central connector for the city and a catalyst for economic prosperity.

Wills Creek, a 38.6-mile-long tributary of the North Branch Potomac River, has long been both an asset and a challenge for the city of Cumberland. Concrete walls added in the 1950s to mitigate flooding have effectively protected the area but also created a physical barrier between the east and west sides.

Supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project focuses on improving Wills Creek’s role in the community, examining how environmental and social design could create new opportunities for businesses, residents, and visitors.

The initiative, led by Dr. Stefania Staniscia, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture in WVU’s School of Design and Community Development, gave senior students in the landscape architecture program an opportunity to apply their expertise to real-world challenges while encouraging fresh perspectives on how the creek might be used in the future. This valuable offering from WVU allows landscape architecture students to apply their skills to real-world community design challenges.

One of those students, Erik Moses, saw the project as an exciting opportunity to put his skills to use. “At first glance, Wills Creek is almost like a scar through the city, but if you look at it in a new way, it could be the new central vein that flows life into Cumberland,” he notes about the corridor. His team proposed a multipurpose, mixed-use green corridor emphasizing accessibility, livability, and tourism. Their design also considered ways to connect existing and proposed urban green spaces along the creek. Moses and his team emphasized strengthening the connection between both sides of the creek and downtown Cumberland to the east, as well as between the creek and the GAP Trail to the west. 

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