Baltimore County, Maryland Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Baltimore County is located in Maryland with a total population of 850,796. It is the 3rd most populous county out of 24 in Maryland. The county encompasses 32 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Baltimore County is 39.7 years. This is about the same as the state median of 39.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Baltimore County is $91,768. This is 11% lower than the state median of $103,678. It is also 14% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.8%. This is 3% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.4%. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. The median home value is $349,300. Housing costs are 17% lower than the state median of $419,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 66.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% lower than the state average of 67.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Baltimore County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 51.1% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 30.1%.

Education

42.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 3% 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 91.7%. Notably, 19.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Baltimore County 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.