Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Maryland a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Maryland.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Old Line State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Maryland, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 24 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Maryland For 2026
Calvert County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Maryland. And you should avoid Baltimore City if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Maryland. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Maryland and the cheapest places to live in Maryland.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Maryland For 2026
1. Calvert County
Biggest Place: Chesapeake Ranch Estates
Population: 94,313
Median Income: $133,922 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $483,000 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (best)
More on Calvert County: Data
2. Howard County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 336,328
Median Income: $149,763 (best)
Median Home Price: $636,617 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (5th best)
More on Howard County: Data
3. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Eldersburg
Population: 175,321
Median Income: $118,211 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $490,460 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (4th best)
More on Carroll County: Data
4. Anne Arundel County
Biggest Place: Glen Burnie
Population: 598,166
Median Income: $124,911 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $505,791 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (7th best)
More on Anne Arundel County: Data
5. Frederick County
Biggest Place: Frederick
Population: 287,048
Median Income: $122,002 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $503,055 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (3rd best)
More on Frederick County: Data
6. Harford County
Biggest Place: Bel Air South
Population: 263,757
Median Income: $112,265 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $416,735 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (8th best)
More on Harford County: Data
7. Charles County
Biggest Place: Waldorf
Population: 170,527
Median Income: $122,816 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $450,316 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (13th best)
More on Charles County: Data
8. Queen Anne’s County
Biggest Place: Stevensville
Population: 51,825
Median Income: $112,826 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $473,504 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (9th best)
More on Queen Anne’s County: Data
9. St. Mary’s County
Biggest Place: Lexington Park
Population: 115,126
Median Income: $119,446 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $417,117 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (6th best)
More on St. Mary’s County: Data
10. Talbot County
Biggest Place: Easton
Population: 37,917
Median Income: $84,811 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $493,297 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (11th best)
More on Talbot County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Maryland county is the best?
To give you the best county in Maryland, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Maryland across each of the criteria from one to 24, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Maryland.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Old Line State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Maryland.
Read on to see why Calvert County is the best county, while Baltimore City is probably in contention for being the worst county in Maryland.
Summary: The Best Counties In Maryland To Call Home For 2026
Living in Maryland can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Maryland are Calvert County, Howard County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, Frederick County, Harford County, Charles County, Queen Anne’s County, St. Mary’s County, and Talbot County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Maryland according to the data:
- Baltimore City
- Dorchester County
- Caroline County
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Maryland
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland
- Best Places To Retire In Maryland
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maryland
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Maryland
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calvert County | 94,313 | $133,922 | $483,000 |
| 2 | Howard County | 336,328 | $149,763 | $636,617 |
| 3 | Carroll County | 175,321 | $118,211 | $490,460 |
| 4 | Anne Arundel County | 598,166 | $124,911 | $505,791 |
| 5 | Frederick County | 287,048 | $122,002 | $503,055 |
| 6 | Harford County | 263,757 | $112,265 | $416,735 |
| 7 | Charles County | 170,527 | $122,816 | $450,316 |
| 8 | Queen Anne’s County | 51,825 | $112,826 | $473,504 |
| 9 | St. Mary’s County | 115,126 | $119,446 | $417,117 |
| 10 | Talbot County | 37,917 | $84,811 | $493,297 |
| 11 | Montgomery County | 1,065,949 | $132,450 | $622,526 |
| 12 | Kent County | 19,346 | $80,147 | $382,204 |
| 13 | Worcester County | 53,700 | $81,745 | $422,343 |
| 14 | Cecil County | 104,960 | $92,007 | $379,572 |
| 15 | Baltimore County | 850,796 | $91,768 | $360,187 |
| 16 | Garrett County | 28,615 | $67,688 | $333,182 |
| 17 | Prince George’s County | 959,754 | $101,798 | $435,947 |
| 18 | Washington County | 155,709 | $77,747 | $327,978 |
| 19 | Allegany County | 67,452 | $59,603 | $151,211 |
| 20 | Somerset County | 24,822 | $64,943 | $204,514 |
| 21 | Wicomico County | 104,914 | $76,210 | $273,211 |
| 22 | Caroline County | 33,669 | $68,457 | $328,465 |
| 23 | Dorchester County | 32,754 | $61,839 | $274,400 |
| 24 | Baltimore City | 573,243 | $62,177 | $234,961 |