Population 13,783 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fort Meade
Household size in Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.16 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.28 | 2.65 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.04 | 2.65 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.97 | 2.59 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Fort Meade are large by national standards, averaging 2.97 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has dropped from 3.16 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0 | 38.7 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 22.1 | 39.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 26.8 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 27.2 | 40.3 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Fort Meade is young: half of its residents are under 27.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 24.0, in line with the national trend. No other Maryland city with 5,000+ people is younger.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 12.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.9 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Fort Meade (9.6%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 7.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Fort Meade
Renters in Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 99.5% | 32.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 98.1% | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 91.0% | 33.5% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 79.1% | 33.1% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −20.4 pts | +1.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Fort Meade rent: 79.1% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. The renter share has fallen 20.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Fort Meade has the highest share of renters of any Maryland city with 5,000+ people.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 9.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 9.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 7.2% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Fort Meade as nationally: 8.6%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 6.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Fort Meade has a higher vacancy rate than the great majority of Maryland cities.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1971 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1992 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2004 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +36 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Fort Meade has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2004, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the east has the oldest housing. Of the 245 Maryland cities with 5,000+ people, only eight have newer homes.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,698 | $1,179 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,963 | $1,293 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,211 | $1,477 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,586 | $1,778 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$888 | +$599 | +$620 | +$606 |
Rent in Fort Meade runs $2,586 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $888 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the east.
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 Fort Meade
Bachelor's degrees in Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.5% | 35.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 37.3% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.1% | 40.8% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.3% | 44.1% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +20.8 pts | +8.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Fort Meade: 54.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 20.8 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.7% | 87.8% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.8% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.9% | 91.1% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.8% | 92.1% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Fort Meade: 96.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is down 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Fort Meade has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Maryland cities.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 8.3% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Fort Meade than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 7.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Fort Meade compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Meade | 2.97 | 27.2 | 9.6% | 79.1% | 8.6% | 2004 | $2,586 | 54.3% | 96.8% | 4.1% |
| Annapolis Junction | 2.64 | 30.5 | 13.5% | 49.3% | 3.0% | 2003 | $2,202 | 49.2% | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Severn | 2.83 | 39.4 | 11.5% | 22.3% | 5.1% | 1991 | $2,270 | 41.9% | 93.7% | 4.7% |
| Hanover | 2.59 | 38.5 | 7.5% | 33.1% | 3.9% | 2002 | $2,255 | 55.0% | 95.4% | 4.5% |
| Jessup | 2.80 | 36.9 | 12.2% | 34.2% | 4.2% | 1997 | $2,127 | 39.8% | 89.4% | 5.5% |
| Maryland City | 2.65 | 35.9 | 13.8% | 39.9% | 4.7% | 1985 | $2,358 | 41.5% | 91.4% | 4.7% |
| Odenton | 2.55 | 39.0 | 12.6% | 38.1% | 4.4% | 2001 | $2,356 | 56.7% | 97.1% | 3.9% |
| Harmans | 2.65 | 43.5 | 6.2% | 5.6% | 1.4% | 1987 | $2,396 | 48.6% | 96.7% | 2.8% |
| Savage | 2.39 | 33.1 | 3.1% | 59.8% | 2.8% | 1970 | $2,029 | 47.2% | 87.5% | 6.6% |
| Elkridge | 2.83 | 33.8 | 14.5% | 40.2% | 4.7% | 2004 | $2,253 | 58.3% | 94.3% | 5.3% |
| Patuxent | 4.03 | 30.2 | 17.1% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 2004 | $1,787 | 74.1% | 98.6% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mims, FL · Maynard, MA · Maysville, KY · Mcdonald, PA · McGregor, TX · Metropolis, IL · Middletown, MD · Middleville, MI · Midland, WA · Milan, TN
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 Fort Meade. 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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