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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Old Line State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Maryland For 2022
Calvert County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Maryland. And you might want to avoid Somerset County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Maryland, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Maryland and the cheapest places to live in Maryland.
The Best Counties To Live In Maryland For 2022
1. Calvert County
Biggest Place: Chesapeake Ranch Estates
Population: 92,094
Median Income: $112,696.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $364,800.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (6th best)
More on Calvert County: Photos | Data
2. Howard County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 322,407
Median Income: $124,042.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $464,500.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (7th best)
More on Howard County: Data
3. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Eldersburg
Population: 168,233
Median Income: $99,569.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $343,400.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (4th best)
More on Carroll County: Photos | Data
4. Queen Anne’s County
Biggest Place: Stevensville
Population: 50,163
Median Income: $96,467.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $363,300.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (2nd best)
More on Queen Anne’s County:
5. Anne Arundel County
Biggest Place: Glen Burnie
Population: 575,421
Median Income: $103,225.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $370,100.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (11th best)
More on Anne Arundel County: Photos | Data
6. Charles County
Biggest Place: Waldorf
Population: 161,448
Median Income: $103,678.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $326,800.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (12th best)
More on Charles County: Photos | Data
7. Frederick County
Biggest Place: Frederick
Population: 255,955
Median Income: $100,685.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $341,800.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (8th best)
More on Frederick County: Photos | Data
8. Montgomery County
Biggest Place: Germantown
Population: 1,047,661
Median Income: $111,812.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $491,700.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (13th best)
More on Montgomery County: Photos | Data
9. Talbot County
Biggest Place: Easton
Population: 37,087
Median Income: $73,102.0 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $334,000.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (best)
More on Talbot County: Photos | Data
10. Harford County
Biggest Place: Bel Air South
Population: 253,736
Median Income: $94,003.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $302,900.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (10th best)
More on Harford County: Photos | 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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Old Line State.
Read on to see why Calvert County is the best county, while Somerset County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Maryland.
Summary: The Best Counties In Maryland To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Maryland can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Maryland according to the data:
- Somerset County
- Baltimore City
- Wicomico County
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Retire In Maryland
- Best Places To Buy A House In Maryland
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maryland
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Maryland
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Calvert County | 1 |
| Howard County | 2 |
| Carroll County | 3 |
| Queen Anne’s County | 4 |
| Anne Arundel County | 5 |
| Charles County | 6 |
| Frederick County | 7 |
| Montgomery County | 8 |
| Talbot County | 9 |
| Harford County | 10 |
| St. Mary’s County | 11 |
| Worcester County | 12 |
| Prince George’s County | 13 |
| Kent County | 14 |
| Cecil County | 15 |
| Baltimore County | 16 |
| Garrett County | 17 |
| Washington County | 18 |
| Caroline County | 19 |
| Allegany County | 20 |
| Dorchester County | 21 |
| Wicomico County | 22 |
| Baltimore City | 23 |
| Somerset County | 24 |
