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Maryland

#44 of 50 states · 🫤 Rough

#44of 50
Maryland among U.S. states
D−47
🫤 Rough
🏆 Educationtop 34%
🚽 Crimebottom 18%
Rolled up from 44 ranked cities · 1,391,802 residents
Taxes
6.00% sales · US 7.00%up to 6.50% income · US 4.63%

City heat map

Every ranked city — bubble size = population, color = how it ranks within Maryland. Tap a bubble for its card.

Best-ranked in MarylandWorst-ranked

Color is each city's rank within Maryland — not its national score. Hover or open a bubble for that, or see every city on one scale on the national map.

The breakdown — worst first

Violent crime rate18

Population-weighted average across 39 Maryland cities

Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Property crime rate19

Population-weighted average across 39 Maryland cities

Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Commute time22

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Homeownership25

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Income inequality33

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Property-tax burden37

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Population growth (5yr)37

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Adult obesity37

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poverty rate39

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access41

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Rent42

Population-weighted average across 29 Maryland cities

Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Natural disaster risk45

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more.

Housing cost45

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Uninsured adults45

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Physical inactivity47

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Poor mental health49

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult smoking51

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of adults who currently smoke.

Unhealthy air days51

Population-weighted average across 37 Maryland cities

Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100).

Median household income51

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Unemployment rate57

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of the labor force out of work.

Air quality (AQI)61

Population-weighted average across 37 Maryland cities

Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air.

Bachelor's degree or higher66

Population-weighted average across 44 Maryland cities

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

See all Maryland cities →

Maryland's headline score is the population-weighted average of its cities' scores, placed on a curve relative to the other states — a bird's-eye, states-vs-states ranking. The breakdown bars above are the absolute, per-metric rollup across its cities of 5,000+ residents. The heat map colors each city by its rank within Maryland(greenest = best here); the city lists below show each city's national score.