Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Baltimore, MD

    Is Baltimore a good place to live?

    Watch Baltimore

    Baltimore ranks #50 of 57 Maryland cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (25/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 1.3% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $219,300
    +8.1% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,290
    per month
    Household income
    $59,623
    median
    Unemployment
    6.6%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Baltimore

    The median home value in Baltimore is $219,300 and median rent is $1,290 a month, against a median household income of $59,623. Homes cost about 3.7× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Baltimore crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Maryland the 2025 rate was 365 violent and 1,853 property crimes per 100,000 people — #11 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Baltimore, MD

    Baltimore has about 577,193 residents, 6.6% unemployment and 18% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Baltimore with

    Baltimore vs ColumbiaBaltimore vs GermantownBaltimore vs WaldorfBaltimore vs Silver SpringBaltimore vs FrederickBaltimore vs Ellicott CityBaltimore vs Glen BurnieBaltimore vs Gaithersburg

    More: Where to move in Maryland · Best counties in Maryland

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report