Bel Air receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bel Air
Baltimore
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
59 · Top 34%
vs28 · Bottom 15%
Climate
71 · Top 49%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 7%
vs91 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 36%
vs75 · Bottom 40%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 46%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Bel Air | Baltimore | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,585 | 573,243 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,605 | $62,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,446 | $40,604 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,485/sq mi | 7,082/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $318,400 | $229,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,492 | $1,331 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.2% | 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 | 43.0% | 36.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 19.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 60 | 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) | 5900.0% | -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 | 30 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.6 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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: Bel Air, MD · Baltimore, MD · How this is calculated: methodology