Intersected by two interstate highways, located between two major cities and with its major tourist attraction being a Prime Retail Inc. outlet mall, the county's economy has undergone dramatic changes.

If this sounds familiar, take a closer look.

Located in west-central Maryland, Washington County sits next to the Pennsylvania border and bears uncanny similarities with Mercer County. About 70 miles between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Washington County is crisscrossed by Interstates 70 and 81. Prime Retail's 100-plus outlet stores pack in the crowds on weekends.

Just shy of 132,000 in population, the Maryland county is close to Mercer County's 120,000 population and, amazingly, both areas have exactly 23.4 percent of their population under the age of 18.

But when it comes to economics, there are sharp contrasts.