Maryland earns an average composite score of 47.4 across its 24 counties, placing it just below the national median of 50.0. While the state's proximity to the capital boosts economic metrics, diverse results across the region reflect a complex livability landscape.

High Incomes and Strong Health Outcomes

The state shines in economic opportunity with an impressive income score of 79.9, far outpacing many national peers. Residents also benefit from a robust health score of 72.6, reflecting strong access to quality medical care and healthy lifestyle factors.

High Costs and Environmental Risks

Affordability remains the primary hurdle for Marylanders, as evidenced by a low cost score of 14.0. Additionally, a risk score of 39.8 and a tax score of 42.0 suggest that high living expenses and environmental vulnerabilities weigh on the state's overall rating.

Garrett, Calvert, and Queen Anne’s Lead

Garrett County tops the state with a 62.7 composite score by balancing costs and taxes more effectively than its neighbors. Calvert (59.1) and Queen Anne’s (58.9) follow closely, leveraging elite income scores near 99.0 to offset their high local cost of living.

A Strong Match for High Earners

Maryland is an ideal destination for high-income professionals who value health and career growth over low tax burdens. Families seeking proximity to major urban hubs while maintaining high earning potential will find the state's trade-offs particularly worthwhile.

All County Rankings in Maryland

Search, sort, and filter all 24 ranked counties

Showing 1–24 of 24 counties

Rank
1	Garrett County	62.7	50.9	64.3	64.4	57.2	65.3	74.9	84	41.8	63.4	47.5	51.1
2	Calvert County	59.1	47.1	3	99.4	68.5	93.4	81.7	71.1	50	72.8	50.6	44.2
3	Queen Anne's County	58.9	54	3.9	97.9	65.7	87.7	88.2	64.4	35.9	65.4	78.8	62.4
4	Carroll County	57	42.1	6.3	98.2	60.7	90.9	89.5	40.5	57.8	66.7	69.3	62.1
5	Talbot County	56.9	67.8	10.3	88	47.7	79.8	89.8	57.7	32.1	68.5	75.5	57.8
6	Kent County	52.8	42.2	14.6	76.3	52.3	76.1	79.4	72.5	43.5	58.8	52.1	57.6
7	St. Mary's County	52.3	47.8	3.7	98.2	54.2	77.4	72.8	57.5	55.6	70.7	42.8	53.6
8	Harford County	50.1	42.9	5.6	97.8	47.3	90.3	66.3	27.6	60.8	59.4		57.3
9	Frederick County	49.9	36.7	3	98.6	46.7	90.3	75	25.8	61.4	63.1	35.5	55.5
10	Allegany County	49.8	32.6	58.8	31.4	32.7	56.4	79.1	41.5	48.6	53.5	40.6	53.5
11	Howard County	48.8	26.4	1.1	99.8	34.6	98.7	84.8	27.6	70.6	66.9	67.6	25.5
12	Worcester County	48.4	57.2	14.1	85.3	11	79.4	91.7	31.8	46.7	73.5	59.6	64.7
13	Charles County	48.2	35.3	1.8	98.6	37.2	78.8	82.6	55.9	62.3	60.7	53.1	12.1
14	Dorchester County	47	41.8	28.9	40.6	63.2	49.8	50.5	46.2	47.7	64.1	66	41.4
15	Montgomery County	46.9	47.7	1.3	99.2	30.4	87.6	69	8.3	86	66.9	56.1	56.6
16	Anne Arundel County	45.6	48.8	1.9	98.6	23.4	91.2	65.8	18.1	67.5	67.3	44.5	51.7
17	Washington County	44.6	46.1	17.9	75.8	30.3	56.5	73.2	31.2	61.5	57.9	56.5	59.8
18	Cecil County	42.2	39.4	8.4	92.4	18.3	65.5	82	41.5	25.2	59.4	62.8	42.5
19	Caroline County	42	43.5	18.2	57.8	40.7	42.9	62.7	54.3	27.7	65.4	68.9	55.8
20	Somerset County	40.2	40	34.5	19.7	32.4	47.1	54.1	40.4	33	68.8	70.4	51.6
21	Wicomico County	39.4	45.8	15.1	73.5	23.5	53.9	55.1	39.2	39.2	68.5	58.1	53.3
22	Baltimore County	38.3	30.8	6.3	92.4	14.6	79.7	65.3	6	26.7	68.3	63	33.3
23	Prince George's County	32.5	27.9	2.3	95.5	14.1	60.5	48.7	6.8	58.5	60.6	43	47.7
24	Baltimore city	24.8	13.9	11.6	37.8	2	43.9	47.5	5	71.8	68.2	6.6	44.3

Garrett County

50.964.364.457.265.374.98441.863.447.551.1N/A

62.7

Calvert County

47.1399.468.593.481.771.15072.850.644.2N/A

59.1

Queen Anne's County

543.997.965.787.788.264.435.965.478.862.4N/A

58.9

Carroll County

42.16.398.260.790.989.540.557.866.769.362.1N/A

Talbot County

67.810.38847.779.889.857.732.168.575.557.8N/A

56.9

Kent County

42.214.676.352.376.179.472.543.558.852.157.6N/A

52.8

St. Mary's County

47.83.798.254.277.472.857.555.670.742.853.6N/A

52.3

Harford County

42.95.697.847.390.366.327.660.859.4N/A57.3N/A

50.1

Frederick County

36.7398.646.790.37525.861.463.135.555.5N/A

49.9

Allegany County

32.658.831.432.756.479.141.548.653.540.653.5N/A

49.8

Howard County

26.41.199.834.698.784.827.670.666.967.625.5N/A

48.8

Worcester County

57.214.185.31179.491.731.846.773.559.664.7N/A

48.4

Charles County

35.31.898.637.278.882.655.962.360.753.112.1N/A

48.2

Dorchester County

41.828.940.663.249.850.546.247.764.16641.4N/A

Montgomery County

47.71.399.230.487.6698.38666.956.156.6N/A

46.9

Anne Arundel County

48.81.998.623.491.265.818.167.567.344.551.7N/A

45.6

Washington County

46.117.975.830.356.573.231.261.557.956.559.8N/A

44.6

Cecil County

39.48.492.418.365.58241.525.259.462.842.5N/A

42.2

Caroline County

43.518.257.840.742.962.754.327.765.468.955.8N/A

Somerset County

4034.519.732.447.154.140.43368.870.451.6N/A

40.2

Wicomico County

45.815.173.523.553.955.139.239.268.558.153.3N/A

39.4

Baltimore County

30.86.392.414.679.765.3626.768.36333.3N/A

38.3

Prince George's County

27.92.395.514.160.548.76.858.560.64347.7N/A

32.5

Baltimore city

13.911.637.8243.947.5571.868.26.644.3N/A

24.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Maryland

Common questions about county rankings and scores in Maryland.

What is the best county in Maryland?

Garrett County is the top-ranked county in Maryland with a CountyScore of 62.7/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.

How many counties are ranked in Maryland?

Maryland has 24 counties in total. Of those, 24 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.

What factors determine a county's score?

Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.

What is the average county score in Maryland?

The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Maryland is 47/100. The national average is 50/100, so Maryland counties score 3 points below the national average.

How does Maryland compare to other states?

Maryland's average county score of 47/100 is 3 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare Maryland counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.

Explore County Data by Category

Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Maryland.

TaxByCountyEffective property tax rate vs national benchmarks CostByCountyMedian rent, home values, and housing affordability IncomeByCountyMedian household income and per capita earnings CrimeByCountyViolent and property crime rates per 100K residents HealthByCountyLife expectancy, uninsured rates, and health access SchoolsByCountyGraduation rates, per-pupil spending, and attainment RiskByCountyFEMA National Risk Index — flood, fire, tornado, and more WaterByCountyEPA drinking water health violations and safety grades WeatherByCountyAverage temperatures, precipitation, and extreme weather events SoilByCountySoil composition, pH, drainage, and organic matter content LawnByCountyLawn difficulty score based on climate, soil, and grass suitability MarketsByCountyLocal market density, SNAP/EBT acceptance, and product variety

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.

Best Counties in Maryland — 2026 Rankings

Top Counties in Maryland

Understanding County Scores in Maryland

Maryland Trails the National Median Slightly