Aberdeen receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Aberdeen
Baltimore
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
54 · Top 43%
vs28 · Bottom 15%
Climate
71 · Top 49%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 7%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 41%
vs75 · Bottom 40%
Schools
36 · Bottom 30%
vs31 · Bottom 23%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 46%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Aberdeen | Baltimore | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,298 | 573,243 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,826 | $62,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,079 | $40,604 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,485/sq mi | 7,082/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $261,400 | $229,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,363 | $1,331 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.1% | 47.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.6% | 36.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 19.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 99 | 885 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 1.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -44.4% | -29.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.1" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 35 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 151 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.02 | 14.79 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 6.2% | 9.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 16.8% | 12.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.6% | 71.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Aberdeen, MD · Baltimore, MD · How this is calculated: methodology