Should I Move To
Baltimore, Maryland is home to about 584,548 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — 9% above the national average. The median renter pays around $1,235 a month against a typical household income of $58,349. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 53 out of 100 (grade C-), putting it at #363 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Baltimore's composite cost-of-living index lands at 109 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,235/mo against $58,349 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 25% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $202,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is four-season — summer averages around 87°F, winter averages around 27°F. Precipitation totals about 45 inches a year. A walker's paradise by US standards. Many people here genuinely skip car ownership. Crime runs notably high by national standards. As always, neighborhood-level data tells a more nuanced story than the citywide figure. AQI runs about 36 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Baltimore doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 48/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (98/100); the soft spot is safety (11/100).
Baltimore reads as a moderate fit for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is walkability (98/100); the soft spot is safety (11/100).
Baltimore reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is walkability (98/100); the soft spot is safety (11/100).
Baltimore doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (98/100); the soft spot is safety (11/100).
Our overall score for Baltimore is 53/100 — a C-, sitting at #363 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Baltimore sits at 109 — moderate, 9% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,235 a month.
Baltimore runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 87°F, winter's near 27°F; 45 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 98/100. A walker's paradise by US standards. Many people here genuinely skip car ownership.
Roughly 584,548 people live here, with 35% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 36.
Drop Baltimore into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Baltimore with other Maryland cities scored on UrbRank.
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