The Baltimore metro area: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County and Queen Anne's County · Population 2,849,436 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in the Baltimore area
Household size in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.65 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in the Baltimore area average 2.59 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is smaller than in Maryland overall, where it has 2.68 people. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.3 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
At 40.3, the median age in the Baltimore area is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.7, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in the Baltimore area as they are nationally: 11.5%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Baltimore area
Renters in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.1% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in the Baltimore area rent their homes (33.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. About three in ten owners (30.8%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.1 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Baltimore area: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Maryland comes in at about the same level. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.1 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in the Baltimore area run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,179 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,293 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,477 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,778 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$599 | +$620 | +$606 |
The median renter in the Baltimore area pays $1,778 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $599 a month from 2006–10, a 51% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Baltimore area
Bachelor's degrees in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.3% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.8% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.1% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in the Baltimore area than nationally: 44.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 8.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.8% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.5% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.1% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.1% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Baltimore area is a bit above the national rate: 92.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The figure for Maryland is much the same. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Baltimore area
| Period | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Baltimore area is close to the national rate: 4.8% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Baltimore area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area (all) | 2.59 | 40.3 | 11.5% | 33.1% | 7.2% | 1975 | $1,778 | 44.1% | 92.1% | 4.8% |
| Columbia | 2.56 | 40.2 | 11.6% | 35.5% | 6.7% | 1983 | $2,028 | 62.2% | 95.2% | 4.2% |
| Ellicott City | 2.87 | 43.9 | 7.8% | 27.6% | 3.7% | 1990 | $2,345 | 68.6% | 95.5% | 3.0% |
| Glen Burnie | 2.53 | 37.6 | 14.4% | 35.6% | 4.7% | 1975 | $1,683 | 29.9% | 89.1% | 4.6% |
| Dundalk | 2.75 | 36.9 | 16.7% | 35.1% | 7.0% | 1957 | $1,590 | 16.2% | 82.4% | 6.7% |
| Towson | 2.27 | 37.0 | 6.7% | 42.4% | 9.1% | 1969 | $1,747 | 64.9% | 95.7% | 5.1% |
| Westminster | 2.58 | 42.2 | 8.6% | 22.4% | 5.1% | 1978 | $1,543 | 36.9% | 93.9% | 4.4% |
| Owings Mills | 2.48 | 38.8 | 13.3% | 45.2% | 6.9% | 1990 | $1,893 | 49.5% | 95.0% | 4.9% |
| Annapolis | 2.45 | 43.6 | 9.6% | 30.7% | 8.1% | 1975 | $2,015 | 55.1% | 91.7% | 4.0% |
| Bel Air South | 2.63 | 39.2 | 9.4% | 20.2% | 3.4% | 1990 | $1,791 | 48.7% | 96.2% | 3.7% |
| Pikesville | 2.60 | 44.0 | 7.9% | 36.0% | 5.0% | 1976 | $1,697 | 56.3% | 95.2% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Pittsburgh area · San Antonio area · Charlotte area · Orlando area · St. Louis area · Denver area · Portland area · Tampa area · San Diego area · Minneapolis area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Baltimore area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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