Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

2.85M

US Senator

Chris Van Hollen

Democratic Party

US Senator

Angela Alsobrooks

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.257% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.76%

1.19% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$99,470

2.23% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$391,300

4.82% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

1.44M

0.534% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.2% of the residents in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD are Johns Hopkins University (12,703 degrees awarded in 2024), Towson University (5,311 degrees), and University of Maryland-Baltimore County (4,057 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was $391,300, and the homeownership rate was 66.9%.

Most people in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was 2 cars per household.

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD borders Dover, DE, Easton, MD, Gettysburg, PA, Lancaster, PA, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and York-Hanover, PA.

About the photo: View from North Charles Street

Photo by Elvert Barnes

United States Maryland

Population & Diversity

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is home to a population of 2.85M people, from which 95.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.5% of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD residents were born outside of the country (327k people).

In 2024, there were 1.83 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.49M people) in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 811k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 169k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.2%

2024 Citizenship

95.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.2% of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was 95.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.49M ± 2.4k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
811k ± 3.06k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
169k ± 2.46k

8.14%

Hispanic Population

232k people

8.14% of the people in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD are hispanic (232k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Maryland.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
133,677 ± 8,879 people
India
61,989 ± 6,082 people
Nigeria
50,832 ± 5,513 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Maryland was El Salvador, the natal country of 133,677 Maryland residents, followed by India with 61,989 and Nigeria with 50,832.

Foreign-Born Population

11.5%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

327k people

11.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

316k people

As of 2024, 11.5% of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD residents (327k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was 11.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
46,228 ± 1,938
Vietnam
40,837 ± 1,577
Gulf War (1990s)
24,401 ± 1,450

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.13 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.

Health

95.1% of the population of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD has health coverage, with 52.9% on employee plans, 15.7% on Medicaid, 11.8% on Medicare, 13.1% on non-group plans, and 1.65% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Maryland see 1,179 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,179 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1238 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 273 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

1,179 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Maryland

Primary care physicians in Maryland see an average of 1,179 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,179 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Maryland in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 20.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.93%

Uninsured

52.9%

Employer Coverage

15.7%

Medicaid

11.8%

Medicare

13.1%

Non-Group

1.65%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD grew by 1.26% from 4.86% to 4.93%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD employs 1.44M people. In 2024, the largest industries in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD were Health Care & Social Assistance (213,286 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (166,998 people), and Educational Services (163,157 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($110,536), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($102,680), and Public Administration ($102,673).

Employment

Occupations

1.44M

2024 Value

± 10,119

0.534%

1 Year growth

± 0.988%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD grew at a rate of 0.534%, from 1.43M employees to 1.44M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, are Management Occupations (189,279 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (148,750 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (113,259 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Maryland (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.44M

2024 Value

± 10,119

0.534%

1 Year growth

± 0.988%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD grew at a rate of 0.534%, from 1.43M employees to 1.44M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (213,286 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (166,998 people), and Educational Services (163,157 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, though some of these residents may live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$71,688

Median earning men ± $599

$54,089

Median earning women ± $626

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($112,554), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($102,504), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($97,849).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($92,050), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,162), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($69,142).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Y-Axis

0.617%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.69M people employed in Maryland. This represents a 0.617% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Maryland.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

6,740
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
4,134
Construction
4,099
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$15.2M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$12.6M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.07M
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maryland went to Kamala Harris with 62.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.1%), followed by Jill Stein (1.09%).

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing the state of Maryland. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Maryland is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. Showing the available data for Maryland.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (62.6%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.1%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (1.09%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maryland went to Kamala Harris with 62.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.1%), followed by Jill Stein (1.09%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Maryland for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Maryland

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Angela Alsobrooks

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing Maryland.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Maryland over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD awarded 44,635 degrees. The student population of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 68,464 male students and 96,150 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD are White (17,740 and 46.5%), Black or African American (9,392 and 24.6%), Asian (4,247 and 11.1%), and Hispanic or Latino (3,688 and 9.67%).

The largest universities in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD by number of degrees awarded are Johns Hopkins University (12,703 and 28.5%), Towson University (5,311 and 11.9%), and University of Maryland-Baltimore County (4,057 and 9.09%).

The most popular majors in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD are Registered Nursing (2,319 and 5.2%), General Business Administration & Management (1,434 and 3.21%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,234 and 2.76%).

The median tuition costs are $41,850 for private four year colleges, and $7,560 and $23,602 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, the percentage of applicants admitted was 49.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 164,614 (41.6% men and 58.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 164,614 students enrolled in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, 41.6% men and 58.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 57,474 records, of which 56.2% were women and 43.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

International Relations & Affairs
662 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
633 degrees awarded
General Biomedical Sciences
578 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was International Relations & Affairs with 662 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Johns Hopkins University
12,703 degrees awarded
Towson University
5,311 degrees awarded
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
4,057 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Johns Hopkins University with 12,703 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 18,173 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, which is 0.687 times less than the 26,462 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 17,740 degrees mean that there were 1.89 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 9,392 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($41,850) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,073) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was $391,300 in 2024, which is 1.18 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $373,300 to $391,300, a 4.82% increase. The homeownership rate in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is 66.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD have an average commute time of 29.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$391,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$1,904

$749,584

Median Property Taxes

±$6,115

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.9%

Homeownership

2024

65.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 66.9% of the housing units in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$99,470

Median Household Income

± $889

1.12M

Number of Households

± 8,659

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.12M households in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD grew to $99,470 from the previous year's value of $97,300.

The following chart displays the households in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is from Maryland.

0.448

2024 Wage GINI in Maryland

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Maryland

In 2024, the income inequality in Maryland was 0.448 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.523% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Maryland was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Maryland in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Maryland across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (67.3%)
Worked At Home (18.2%)
Carpooled (6.99%)

In 2024, 67.3% of workers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.2%) and those who carpooled to work (6.99%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

29.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD have a longer commute time (29.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.14% of the workforce in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

9.76% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (272k out of 2.79M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.