Baltimore vs Eldersburg

Which is the better fit for you?

Baltimore, MD
54
Area Score
Bottom 34% nationally
Eldersburg, MD
75
Area Score
Top 4% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Eldersburg receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Baltimore to Eldersburg

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 103.2 against 103.2 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,857 in Eldersburg against $1,857 in Baltimore.
The median home
115% more
$494,300 in Eldersburg against $229,600 in Baltimore.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 30°F in Eldersburg against 30°F in Baltimore; July highs are 90°F against 90°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Baltimore
Eldersburg
Opportunity: Eldersburg is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs
75 · Top 15%
Growth: Eldersburg is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
23 · Bottom 7%
vs
41 · Bottom 30%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs
71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience: Baltimore is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
91 · Top 10%
vs
90 · Top 10%
Housing affordability: Eldersburg is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
69 · Top 44%
vs
78 · Top 18%
Schools: Eldersburg is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
20 · Bottom 12%
vs
85 · Top 6%
Access: Baltimore is the more favorable of the two.
Access
99 · Top 16%
vs
91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability: Eldersburg is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 12%
vs
76 · Top 10%

Measured values

MetricBaltimoreEldersburgSource period
Population573,24331,6952024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$62,177$142,954 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$40,604$58,115 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density7,082/sq mi796/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$229,600$494,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,331 — more favorable$1,7052024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,857$1,857FY2026
Cost of living index103.2103.22023
Homeownership rate47.5%88.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.7%3.3% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.3% — more favorable−0.4%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher36.1%52.9% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate19.3%4.6% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)88518312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.5 — more favorable1.012 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−29.8%+4.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high90°F90°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low30°F30°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation43.7"43.7"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport9 mi — more favorable22 miNASR current cycle
Average commute31.0 min — more favorable36.3 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.239.02024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools151142024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.9 — more favorable17.02024-25 school year
Math proficiency19.0%71.3% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency25.4%75.4% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility71.5%16.7%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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Baltimore
—
Baltimore: Your Score
54
Area Score
Eldersburg
—
Eldersburg: Your Score
75
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Baltimore, MD · Eldersburg, MD · How this is calculated: methodology