City comparison
Baltimore, MD is about 10 miles (20 km) from Ellicott City, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Baltimore, MD to Ellicott City, MD takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Baltimore has a population of 584,548, vs 73,589 in Ellicott City — about 7.9× larger by population. By land area, Baltimore covers about 81 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Ellicott City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Baltimore | Ellicott City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,921/mo | 55.5% higher in Ellicott City |
| Median home value | $202,900 | $617,200 | 204.2% higher in Ellicott City |
| Median household income | $58,349 | $149,534 | 156.3% higher in Ellicott City |
| Groceries index | 102.7 | 102.0 | 0.7% higher in Baltimore |
| Utilities index | 108.6 | 108.8 | ≈ equal (Ellicott City slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.8 | 101.4 | 0.6% higher in Ellicott City |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 100.9 | 1.8% higher in Baltimore |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Baltimore, you'd need $101,750 in Ellicott City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Baltimore, MD is about 1.7% cheaper overall than Ellicott City, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Ellicott City than in Baltimore. If you earn $80,000 in Baltimore, you'd need about $81,400 in Ellicott City to keep the same standard of living.