Central Maryland
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan area
Baltimore's Inner Harbor in August 2010
Baltimore's Inner Harbor in August 2010
Counties of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area highlighted in red
Counties of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area highlighted in red
CountryUnited States
StateMaryland
Principal municipalitiesBaltimore, Columbia, Towson
Population
 (2020)
 • Metropolitan area2,844,510 (20th)
 • Urban
(19th)
 • Urban density1,038.9/sq mi (401.1/km2)
 • CSA
9,973,383 (3rd)
 MSA = 2020,
CSA = 2020,
Urban & Densities = 2010
Gross Metropolitan Product
[1]
 • TotalUS$222.967 billion (2021)
Time zoneUTC−5 (ET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EST)

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 2022, the combined population of the seven counties is 2,985,871, making it the 20th-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.[2]

Composition

The area includes the following counties:[3][4]

County 2021 Estimate 2020 Census Change Area Density
Baltimore County 849,316 854,535 −0.61% 598.30 sq mi (1,549.6 km2) 1,420/sq mi (548/km2)
Anne Arundel County 590,336 588,261 +0.35% 414.90 sq mi (1,074.6 km2) 1,423/sq mi (549/km2)
Baltimore City 576,498 585,708 −1.57% 80.94 sq mi (209.6 km2) 7,123/sq mi (2,750/km2)
Howard County 334,529 332,317 +0.67% 250.74 sq mi (649.4 km2) 1,334/sq mi (515/km2)
Harford County 262,977 260,924 +0.79% 437.09 sq mi (1,132.1 km2) 602/sq mi (232/km2)
Carroll County 173,873 172,891 +0.57% 447.59 sq mi (1,159.3 km2) 388/sq mi (150/km2)
Queen Anne's County 50,798 49,874 +1.85% 371.91 sq mi (963.2 km2) 137/sq mi (53/km2)
Total 2,838,327 2,844,510 −0.22% 2,601.47 sq mi (6,737.8 km2) 1,091/sq mi (421/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%
2022 (est.)2,835,672−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790–1960[6] 1900–1990[7]
1990–2000[8]

Principal communities

The metropolitan area includes the following principal communities:[citation needed]

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[9] and the Washington Metropolitan Area.

History

See also: History of Baltimore

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
2020 61.7% 878,185 35.7% 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

Main article: Sports in Baltimore

In Baltimore County:

In Anne Arundel County:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "GDP by county in 2021" (PDF). www.bea.gov.
  2. ^ Noss, Amanda (September 2013). Household Income: 2012 (PDF) (Report). American Community Survey Briefs. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2017.
  3. ^ "Current Employment Statistics (CES) Metropolitan Area Definitions". Bureau of Labor Statistics. November 14, 2005. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008.
  4. ^ "MSA Bulletin 2003 Attachment, Revised 07/07/03" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget.
  5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  8. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ^ 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

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