Living in Baltimore, MD
Big city in Maryland
Baltimore is a big city in Maryland, home to about 577,000 people, with 3.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Baltimore a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Lots of culture: museums, zoos and attractions nearby
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $203k and rents for $2,360 a month
👎 Cons
- Higher crime: violent crime is 4.9× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Higher taxes: about $1,897 state income tax per resident, 1.48% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Baltimore ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Baltimore: common questions
What is the cost of living in Baltimore?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $203k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,360 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Baltimore?
Maryland collects about $1,897 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.48% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Baltimore safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (4.9× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Baltimore?
Baltimore has cool winters: winter days average around 46°F and summer days around 88°F, with roughly 19″ of snow a year.
Does Baltimore get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.82 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Baltimore?
The nearest major airport is BWI, about 9 mi away.
How Baltimore scores
Each bar compares Baltimore with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Baltimore
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Nearby
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Is Baltimore right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.