City comparison
Baltimore, MD is about 10 miles (10 km) from Towson, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 9 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 Towson, 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 57,617 in Towson — about 10.1× larger by population. By land area, Baltimore covers about 81 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Towson.
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 | Towson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,695/mo | 37.2% higher in Towson |
| Median home value | $202,900 | $408,100 | 101.1% higher in Towson |
| Median household income | $58,349 | $98,425 | 68.7% higher in Towson |
| Groceries index | 102.7 | 102.0 | 0.7% higher in Baltimore |
| Utilities index | 108.6 | 108.8 | ≈ equal (Towson slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.8 | 101.4 | 0.6% higher in Towson |
| 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 $101,133 in Towson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Baltimore, MD is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Towson, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Towson than in Baltimore. If you earn $80,000 in Baltimore, you'd need about $80,906 in Towson to keep the same standard of living.