Baltimore metropolitan area

Greater Baltimore
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Baltimore–Columbia–Towson, MD
Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Inner Harbor skyline
Downtown Columbia
Towson Square
Map of Baltimore–Columbia–Towson, MD MSA
Country United States
State Maryland
Principal municipalitiesBaltimore
Columbia
Ellicott City
Towson
Glen Burnie
Dundalk
Annapolis
Area
(2010)
2,601 sq mi (6,737 km2)
Population
 (2020)
2,844,510 (20th)
 • Urban
(19th)
 • Urban density1,038.9/sq mi (401.1/km2)
 • CSA
9,973,383 (3rd)
 MSA = 2020,
CSA = 2020,
Urban & Densities = 2010
GDP
 • Metropolitan Statistical Area$259.690 billion (2023)
Time zoneUTC−5:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4:00 (EDT)

The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It is part of the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. As of 2025, the combined population of the six counties and the independent city of Baltimore was 2,857,781, making it the 22nd-largest metropolitan statistical area in the nation.

The area has the fourth-highest median household income in the United States, at $66,970 as of 2012.

Composition

The area includes the following counties:

County or equivalent Seat 2025 Estimate 2020 Census Change Area Density
Baltimore Towson 847,650854,535−0.81% 598.30 sq mi (1,549.6 km2) 1,417/sq mi (547/km2)
Anne Arundel Annapolis 603,380588,261+2.57% 414.90 sq mi (1,074.6 km2) 1,454/sq mi (561/km2)
Baltimore city — 569,997585,708−2.68% 80.94 sq mi (209.6 km2) 7,042/sq mi (2,719/km2)
Howard Ellicott City 339,183332,317+2.07% 250.74 sq mi (649.4 km2) 1,353/sq mi (522/km2)
Harford Bel Air 266,446260,924+2.12% 437.09 sq mi (1,132.1 km2) 610/sq mi (235/km2)
Carroll Westminster 176,677172,891+2.19% 447.59 sq mi (1,159.3 km2) 395/sq mi (152/km2)
Queen Anne's Centreville 54,44849,874+9.17% 371.91 sq mi (963.2 km2) 146/sq mi (57/km2)
Total 2,857,7812,844,510+0.47% 2,601.47 sq mi (6,737.8 km2) 1,099/sq mi (424/km2)
Historical populations
CensusPop.Note%±
182096,201—
1830120,87025.6%
1840134,37911.2%
1850210,64656.8%
1860266,55326.5%
1870330,74124.1%
1880415,64925.7%
1890507,34822.1%
1900639,33226.0%
1910720,38712.7%
1920852,05118.3%
1930984,60615.6%
19401,083,30010.0%
19501,337,37323.5%
19601,820,31436.1%
19702,089,09214.8%
19802,199,5315.3%
19902,382,1728.3%
20002,552,9947.2%
20102,710,4896.2%
20202,844,5104.9%
2025 (est.)2,857,7810.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000

Principal communities

As defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the Baltimore–Columbia–Towson metropolitan area includes the following principal communities:

It also includes several other communities (not necessarily incorporated as cities or towns):

In addition to its technical metropolitan area, Baltimore also receives a large number of commuters from cities such as York, Pennsylvania and the Washington metropolitan area.

History

Companies in metropolitan Baltimore

Four Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Greater Baltimore: Grace Chemicals in Columbia and Legg Mason, T. Rowe Price, and McCormick & Company in Hunt Valley.

Other companies headquartered in Greater Baltimore include AAI Corporation and Sinclair Broadcast Group in Hunt Valley and Adams Express Company, Brown Advisory, Alex Brown, First Home Mortgage Corporation, FTI Consulting, Petroleum & Resources Corporation, Prometric, Sylvan Learning, Laureate Education, Under Armour, DAP, DeBaufre Bakeries, Wm. T. Burnett & Co, Old Mutual Financial Network, Fila USA, and Firaxis Games in Sparks.

Government and infrastructure

The capital of Maryland and the agencies of the Maryland state government are located in the Baltimore MSA, mainly in Annapolis and Baltimore City. The area is also home to the National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters in Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, as well as the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Woodlawn in Baltimore County.

Presidential election results
Year DEM GOP Others
2024 59.9% 852,369 36.7% 521,384 3.4% 48,867
2020 61.7% 878,185 35.6% 507,676 2.7% 38,014
2016 55.8% 733,718 37.9% 497,637 6.3% 83,046
2012 57.8% 746,052 39.8% 513,164 2.4% 31,212
2008 57.4% 725,858 40.7% 513,811 1.9% 24,189
2004 52.2% 602,806 46.5% 536,565 1.3% 15,019
2000 53.9% 529,648 42.6% 418,775 3.4% 33,713
1996 52.0% 449,711 39.8% 344,488 8.2% 71,112
1992 48.8% 489,922 35.8% 359,098 15.4% 154,849
1988 48.2% 417,858 51.1% 443,183 0.7% 6,268

Sports teams in metropolitan Baltimore

In Baltimore County:

In Anne Arundel County:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (MSA)". fred.stlouisfed.org.
  2. ↑ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. May 26, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  3. ↑ Noss, Amanda (September 2013). Household Income: 2012 (PDF) (Report). American Community Survey Briefs. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Current Employment Statistics (CES) Metropolitan Area Definitions". Bureau of Labor Statistics. November 14, 2005. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008.
  5. ↑ "MSA Bulletin 2003 Attachment, Revised 07/07/03" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ "OMB BULLETIN NO. 23-01" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  11. ↑ Berman, Dori (2006). "Commuter bus line may link York, Pa. and Hunt Valley". The Daily Record. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008.

39°16′59.86″N 76°36′27.6″W / 39.2832944°N 76.607667°W / 39.2832944; -76.607667