How do you get your hands on a sweet neighborhood in “The Greatest City in America?” You take a look at HomeSnacks’ list of the best neighborhoods in Baltimore for 2026. Whether you’re looking to buy a home or rent, when you’re ready for more, “Balti-More” has you covered. So, grab yourself a basket of Jimmy’s famous crab cakes, find a sunny spot next to the Chesapeake Bay, and read on as we tell you how we determined the best neighborhoods in Baltimore.
First, we looked at the latest census data for all 54 Baltimore neighborhoods for median household income levels and median home prices. And while the crime rate in Baltimore is quite a bit above the national average, the neighborhoods that made Baltimore’s top ten don’t seem to be affected. Matter of fact, after we looked at income and home prices, we ran each one through our SnackAbility algorithm, and all ten high marks for safety. They also scored off the charts in other snack worthy criteria like affordability and amenities.
And since it’s all about preference at this point, if you’re looking for a little number close to water the Inner Harbor neighborhood has seen a sort of waterfront restoration being named “the model for waterfront redevelopment around the world.” And if $250,000 for a home is at the top end of your budget, you’re in luck because you can pick one up for around $170,414 in Locust Point and Canton.
More importantly, if you want to be part of the “in crowd” that’s reaping the benefits of Baltimore’s best neighborhoods, you should keep reading because you’re about to find out.
$87,578 median income · $360,767 median home value
$120,970 median income · $367,771 median home value
$92,413 median income · $366,214 median home value
$89,525 median income · $248,514 median home value
$84,167 median income · $314,367 median home value
$65,849 median income · $234,920 median home value
$53,222 median income · $327,750 median home value
$152,420 median income · $374,150 median home value
$112,407 median income · $334,486 median home value
$115,681 median income · $393,129 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Maryland’s statewide median.
Maryland statewide median: $103,678
Maryland statewide median: $429,705
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Baltimore, MD neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Baltimore, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 54 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Baltimore.” We’re lookin’ at you, Fells Point.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Baltimore, Maryland has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Baltimore.
The full plate
Table: Best Baltimore neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fells Point | 4,037 | $360,767 | $87,578 |
| 2 | Riverside | 4,709 | $367,771 | $120,970 |
| 3 | Inner Harbor | 3,706 | $366,214 | $92,413 |
| 4 | Highlandtown | 2,936 | $248,514 | $89,525 |
| 5 | Roland Parl-Homewood-Guilford | 16,535 | $314,367 | $84,167 |
| 6 | Cheswolde Area | 12,433 | $234,920 | $65,849 |
| 7 | Downtown | 4,294 | $327,750 | $53,222 |
| 8 | Locust Point | 298 | $374,150 | $152,420 |
| 9 | Canton | 10,589 | $334,486 | $112,407 |
| 10 | Federal Hill | 2,098 | $393,129 | $115,681 |
| 11 | Charles Village | 7,663 | $230,143 | $48,928 |
| 12 | Chinquapin Park-Belvedere | 2,222 | $187,267 | $70,719 |
| 13 | Franklintown | 1,125 | $240,400 | $62,936 |
| 14 | Jonestown | 1,079 | $362,900 | $36,438 |
| 15 | Greater Mount Washington | 5,164 | $219,100 | $73,832 |
| 16 | Hamilton Area | 44,527 | $161,706 | $60,103 |
| 17 | Upper Northwood | 20,729 | $140,371 | $50,794 |
| 18 | Howard Park | 7,017 | $204,160 | $69,374 |
| 19 | Hunting Ridge | 1,050 | $225,950 | $70,294 |
| 20 | Lower Northwood | 13,686 | $159,675 | $59,910 |
| 21 | Reservoir Hill-Bolton Hill Area | 21,594 | $210,163 | $37,368 |
| 22 | Govans | 13,401 | $113,594 | $46,558 |
| 23 | Wakefield | 1,529 | $295,000 | $31,211 |
| 24 | Patterson Park East | 10,969 | $158,167 | $60,368 |
| 25 | Belaire-Edison | 20,778 | $100,676 | $47,827 |
| 26 | Old Town Area | 7,411 | $50,967 | $15,174 |
| 27 | Cedonia | 2,695 | $110,900 | $53,446 |
| 28 | Winsor Hills | 3,039 | $161,550 | $56,919 |
| 29 | Westgate | 2,948 | $243,233 | $46,459 |
| 30 | Hampden-Woodberry-Remington | 6,867 | $163,077 | $52,030 |
| 31 | Glen-Fallstaff Area | 15,750 | $124,662 | $43,823 |
| 32 | Bayview Area | 8,018 | $97,525 | $41,221 |
| 33 | Park Heights | 33,761 | $98,165 | $36,783 |
| 34 | Forest Park | 957 | $199,367 | $37,680 |
| 35 | Lakeland | 3,582 | $107,533 | $37,668 |
| 36 | Beechfielf-Irvington Area | 13,570 | $83,969 | $41,675 |
| 37 | Orangeville | 1,174 | $73,500 | $53,115 |
| 38 | Midway-Coldstream | 10,629 | $90,588 | $43,227 |
| 39 | Grove Park | 1,684 | $160,800 | $37,438 |
| 40 | Morrell Park | 4,180 | $110,433 | $49,083 |
| 41 | Mondawin-Walbrook Area | 11,912 | $91,056 | $37,432 |
| 42 | Greater Rosemont | 18,664 | $70,600 | $35,059 |
| 43 | Pimlico | 5,819 | $103,993 | $38,938 |
| 44 | Hopkins-Middle East | 7,746 | $102,281 | $28,594 |
| 45 | Brooklyn-Curtis Bay | 13,252 | $75,582 | $40,238 |
| 46 | West Baltimore | 52,160 | $78,008 | $28,589 |
| 47 | Madison-Eastend | 4,383 | $66,250 | $30,643 |
| 48 | Berea Area | 5,628 | $65,593 | $40,870 |
| 49 | Cherry Hill | 6,850 | $74,400 | $32,463 |
| 50 | Greenmount East | 11,041 | $57,042 | $28,740 |
| 51 | Pulaski | 475 | $41,800 | $36,631 |
| 52 | Monument Street Area | 3,168 | $14,650 | $28,677 |
| 53 | Dundalk Cityside | 2,359 | $60,120 | $31,725 |
| 54 | Fairfield Area | 436 | $93,400 | $26,718 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 54 Baltimore neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Baltimore
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Baltimore where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Baltimore are Fells Point, Riverside, Inner Harbor, Highlandtown, Roland Parl-Homewood-Guilford, Cheswolde Area, Downtown, Locust Point, Canton, and Federal Hill.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Baltimore aren’t all good. Fairfield Area takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Baltimore.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Maryland? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Baltimore FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Baltimore?
Fells Point is the best neighborhood in Baltimore for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Riverside and Inner Harbor are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Baltimore?
The best neighborhoods in Baltimore are Fells Point, Riverside, Inner Harbor, Highlandtown, Roland Parl-Homewood-Guilford, Cheswolde Area, Downtown, Locust Point, Canton, and Federal Hill. We ranked all 54 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Fells Point?
The median household income in Fells Point is $87,578 and the median home costs $360,767. The best blocks in Baltimore rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Baltimore neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Fells Point, takes the top spot.
Which Baltimore neighborhood ranked last?
Fairfield Area came in last of the 54 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Baltimore the numbers put it there.
