Baltimore in numbers — economics, housing, urban form, mobility, beside the national average.
Baltimore, MD, anchors the south with 585,708 residents on 80.9 square miles — 7,240 to the square mile. Its economy produces $203 billion — $72,968 per resident — led by healthcare, government, education, biotechnology. The median home trades at $230,000. The built city reads as dense horizontal, a legacy of its early industrial growth.
Overview
| City Name |
Baltimore |
| State |
MD |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
South |
| Area Km2 |
209.5 |
| Land Area Sq Miles |
80.9 |
| Population |
585,708 |
| Population Density Per Sqmi |
7,239.9 |
| Population Growth Rate 1 |
0.59 |
| Metropolitan Population |
2,840,000 |
Economics
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Gdp Billions 2 |
203 |
319.49 |
| Gdp Per Capita 3 |
72,968 |
69,842.03 |
| Unemployment Rate |
3.1 |
4.14 |
| Major Industries |
Healthcare, government, education, biotechnology |
— |
| Average Income |
94,384 |
72,708.01 |
| Cost Living Index 4 |
106.8 |
110.36 |
| Housing Affordability Ratio 5 |
4.2 |
5.46 |
| Commercial Real Estate Cost |
28.5 |
31.32 |
| City Name |
Baltimore |
— |
Housing
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Median Home Price |
230,000 |
512,278.7 |
| Rental Affordability Index 6 |
3.66 |
6.15 |
| Housing Typology Diversity 7 |
0.85 |
0.76 |
| Housing Price Growth Rate 8 |
0.59 |
1.76 |
Urban Form
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Area Sqmi |
80.9 |
124.28 |
| Built Density 9 |
7,239.9 |
4,657.14 |
| Avg Building Height 10 |
316.9 |
182.56 |
| Land Use Mix Index 11 |
-1,765 |
-1,485.93 |
| Public Space Percentage |
0 |
0.1 |
| Street Connectivity Index 12 |
6.9 |
4.9 |
| Sprawl Index 13 |
1.1 |
1.84 |
| Historical Development Pattern |
Early Industrial |
— |
| Building Age Distribution |
{"pre_1950": 8, "1950_1979": 9, "1980_1999": 10, "2000_plus": 3} |
— |
| Urban Morphology Type |
Dense Horizontal |
— |
Mobility
|
City |
Natl avg |
| Public Transit Mode Share 14 |
35.9 |
21.36 |
| Walkability Score 15 |
69 |
49.04 |
| Cycling Infrastructure Miles |
47.1 |
44.83 |
| Avg Commute Time |
32.8 |
25.74 |
| Traffic Congestion Index 16 |
64.9 |
47.8 |
| Vehicle Ownership Rate |
59.1 |
74.17 |
| Transportation Accessibility Score |
48.1 |
34.36 |
| Micromobility Options |
Bikeshare |
— |
| Transit Frequency Score 17 |
5 |
3.64 |
World Comparison
| Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) |
1,982,112 — 338% of Baltimore |
| Dubai (UAE) |
3,600,000 — 615% of Baltimore |
| Hong Kong (China) |
7,500,700 — 1281% of Baltimore |
The Building Stock
| Buildings On File |
30 |
| With Measured Heights |
30 |
| Mean Roof Height |
317 ft (96.6 m) |
| Tallest On File |
529 ft (161.2 m) |
| 100 To 250 Ft |
9 |
| 250 To 500 Ft |
18 |
| 500 To 1,000 Ft |
3 |
The Tallest On File
| Transamerica Tower |
528 ft |
| Bank of America Building |
512 ft |
| William Donald Schaefer Tower |
505 ft |
| Commerce Place |
489 ft |
| 100 East Pratt Street |
404 ft |
| Baltimore World Trade Center |
404 ft |
| Tremont Plaza Hotel |
390 ft |
| Blaustein Building |
377 ft |
Further Reading
Compiled 2026-09-01 from the urbanicity research tables.
1 Population Growth Rate — Annualized rate, recent period.
2 Gdp Billions — Metropolitan GDP, in billions of USD.
3 Gdp Per Capita — Metro GDP divided by resident population, USD.
4 Cost Living Index — Composite cost of living; U.S. average = 100.
5 Housing Affordability Ratio — Median home price ÷ median household income; higher = less affordable.
6 Rental Affordability Index — Share of income consumed by median rent; higher = less affordable.
7 Housing Typology Diversity — Mix of housing types, 0–1; higher = more varied stock.
8 Housing Price Growth Rate — Annualized price change, recent period.
9 Built Density — Population per square mile of built-up land.
10 Avg Building Height — Mean building height, feet.
11 Land Use Mix Index — Diversity of land uses; source column under data review.
12 Street Connectivity Index — Intersection density and network grain; higher = finer grid.
13 Sprawl Index — Compactness measure; higher = more sprawl.
14 Public Transit Mode Share — Percent of commutes by transit.
15 Walkability Score — 0–100; higher = more walkable.
16 Traffic Congestion Index — Delay relative to free-flow travel; higher = worse.
17 Transit Frequency Score — Service frequency composite, 0–10.