Baltimore, Maryland Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Baltimore is located in Maryland with a total population of 573,243. It is the 5th most populous county out of 24 in Maryland.

Age Demographics

The median age in Baltimore is 36.2 years. This is 8% lower than the state median of 39.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Baltimore is $62,177. This is 40% lower than the state median of $103,678. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.8%. This is 109% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.4%. The unemployment rate is 6.5%. This is 34% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $229,600. Housing costs are 45% lower than the state median of $419,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 47.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 30% lower than the state average of 67.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Baltimore is Black or African American, making up 58.5% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 26.0%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (58.5% vs 28.9%). The Asian population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 6.5%.

Education

36.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 17% lower than the state rate of 43.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.7%. Notably, 18.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Baltimore come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Maryland and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.