Maryland Population 2024

6,196,525

Situated on the eastern tip of the USA, Maryland is one of the smallest states in the country. However, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in population numbers and density. Overall, this is one of the busiest and most bustling areas in the union.

The last set of confirmed population figures occurred during the 2010 Census, showing there were 5,773,552 people living in Maryland -- a rise of 9% from the figures declared in 2000. Further estimates continue to suggest that the population of Maryland in 2016 is 6,006,401. Maryland also has a healthy population growth rate of 0.96%, which ranks 20th in the country.

Maryland Area and Population Density

With a surface area of just 12,407 square miles, (32,133 square kilometers), Maryland is only the 42nd largest state in the USA in terms of land mass. It is, however, one of the most populous and most densely populated states in the whole country. A 2016 estimate of the population places just over 6 million people in the state, which makes it the 19th most populous state in the country.

Looking at those numbers, it isn’t hard to establish that this must be a very densely populated area indeed. In fact, there are about 594 people per square mile in Maryland. This population density makes Maryland the 5th most densely populated state in the USA.

Montgomery County is the most populated county in the state with 1.04 million residents, while Kent County was the least populated with just 19,787 residents, according to the 2015 Census estimates. Southern Maryland has grown faster than the rest of the region with a 21% increase between 2000 and 2010, compared to just 9% for the state as a whole. Most of the state's population lives in the central area of the state in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas, while the Eastern Shore remains rural.

The most populated city in Maryland is Baltimore with over 600,000 individuals residing there.

Maryland Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age in Maryland is approximately 38.3 years of age. The state's gender ratio is 51.6% females and 48.4% males.

In terms of religious preferences, the state population is divided at 69% affiliated with a Christian based faith, 8% identifying with non-Christian based faiths, and 23% are not affiliated with any faith.

Maryland Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Maryland was one of the 13 original States. It helped form the District of Columbia in 1791; its boundaries have been substantially unchanged since then, although the Maryland-West Virginia boundary was in dispute as late as 1910.

Census coverage has included the entire State from 1790 on. The 1790 population includes the present area of the District of Columbia, separated from Maryland in 1791. The 1840 results for Montgomery County are from a re-enumeration of the population as of 1840, conducted in 1841.

Maryland Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Maryland was:

  • White: 52.67%
  • Black or African American: 29.83%
  • Asian: 6.46%
  • Two or more races: 5.4%
  • Other race: 5.32%
  • Native American: 0.28%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%

Maryland Population History

As early settlers began to arrive in the New World, the eastern states began to be colonized first, and Maryland was no exception. In the first set of recorded figures available, it was shown that in 1790, 319,728 people were already living in the state. By comparison, many states on the western edge of the US recorded population numbers that barely breached four figures.

From this point, the population of Maryland grew by healthy and steady percentages on a census by census basis. By the time that the 1800s faded away, the 1900 census recorded that the population had comfortably exceeded 1 million, with a final, confirmed figure of 1,188,044.

Unlike other states, however, that growth failed to ever settle down and continued to show significant rises, taking us to the present day wherein 2016, Maryland's population has surpassed 6 million.

Maryland Population Growth

Figures relating to natural growth tell the story of Maryland’s ever-expanding population, and in 2006, statistics were released that showed a net gain of 319,221 people since the Census of 2000. This included 464,251 births in the six year period, 275,093 deaths and a net migration of 116,713.

Maryland Population Projections

Based on these growth levels, the state predicts its population will reach 6.3 million by 2020.

Maryland is one of the top four states with the smallest population of whites. Maryland's population of blacks is also the 4th highest in the nation, falling only behind Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia.

In 2006, it was estimated that 645,000 residents of Maryland were foreign born, mostly from Asia and Latin America. Around 4% of the state's population are undocumented immigrants. Hispanics and Latinos of any race make up about 9.5% of the state's total population. As of 2011, a full 58% of the population under the age of 1 were classified as non-white. With its population of Hispanics, Asians, and Africans, Maryland has the 5th largest proportions of minorities in the United States.

Maryland also has communities of Irish Americans located in the Baltimore area, Western Maryland and the suburbs of Washington D.C. These residents celebrate their culture with festivals and other events.

Maryland Growth Rate

Maryland Population Rank

Maryland Population 2024

  • Eighty-two percent of Marylanders work at service jobs.
  • Maryland is the home to King Williams School (now named St Johns College), which was the first "free" school in the country. It opened its doors in 1696.
  • Since colonial times, the Chesapeake Bay has been used to boost the state's economy. The amount of seafood caught in the Bay is worth about $50 million per year.
  • Workman's compensation laws -- the first statewide laws of their kind in the country -- were enacted in Maryland in 1902.
  • The first railroad, dental school and umbrella factory were all located in Maryland.
  • Maryland has 23 counties. Sixteen of these counties border tidal water.
  • Maryland gave up a portion of its land to form what is now Washington, D.C.

Maryland Facts

Population

100K

200K

300K

400K

500K

600K

700K

800K

900K

1M

Maryland County Growth

When looking at data from the 2010 Census and 2015 estimates taken by the Census Bureau, the counties of Maryland overall saw growth in population. Howard County saw the largest amount of growth at a rate of 8.59%. The remainder of the counties that exhibited the largest amount of growth are located along the southern border of the state. This includes Prince George's County, St. Mary's County, Charles County, and Montgomery County. Other counties that reflected positive population growth include Baltimore and Frederick, amongst others.

While the majority of Maryland's counties saw growth, there were a few that posted population declines between 2010 and 2015. The most significant decline was seen in Allegany County along the northern border, decreasing by 3.33%. Somsert County also posted a loss of 2.69%, the 2nd highest in the state. Other counties saw smaller losses, and include Talbot, Caroline, and Kent.

Maryland Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White3,238,67152.67%
Black or African American1,833,98729.83%
Asian397,0876.46%
Two or more races331,7755.4%
Other race326,8315.32%
Native American17,2660.28%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander2,9280.05%

White

Black or African American

Asian

Two or more races

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Maryland Population by Race

Maryland Population Pyramid 2024

Maryland Median Age

38.9

Total

37.6

Male

40.2

Female

Maryland Adults

There are 4,775,396 adults, (949,890 of whom are seniors) in Maryland.

Maryland Age Dependency

60.7

Age Dependency Ratio

24.8

Old Age Dependency Ratio

35.9

Child Dependency Ratio

Maryland Sex Ratio

Female3,153,39951.29%
Male2,995,14648.71%

Maryland Population by Age

Maryland Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All2,294,2702.6267.332.7
Married1,087,1333.318317
Non Family777,5811.2652.547.5
Female320,9003.3552.247.8
Male108,6563.3359.940.1

3.22

Average Family Size

2.62

Average Household Size

67.3%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Maryland Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Maryland Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Maryland Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.39%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 63.71%.

Maryland Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$55,778

Average Earnings

$63,153

Average Male

$49,695

Average Female

Maryland Earnings by Educational Attainment

Maryland Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Maryland Language

80.54% of Maryland residents speak only English, while 19.46% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.55% of the population.

Maryland Language

Maryland Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black1,773,315231,21713.04%
White2,977,009182,3736.13%
Hispanic638,06879,57812.47%
Other322,26449,10915.24%
Multiple325,29235,11310.79%
Asian391,62529,6527.57%
Native16,5962,63415.87%
Islander2,7801003.6%

9.16%

Overall Poverty Rate

8.19%

Male Poverty Rate

10.07%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Maryland

The race most likely to be in poverty in Maryland is Native, with 15.87% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Maryland is Islander, with 3.6% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.47%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.59%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.55%.

Maryland Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade19.7%
High School11.68%
Some College7.35%
Bachelors or Greater3.21%

Maryland Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed25.28%
Male Unemployed19.81%
Female Employed4.58%
Male Employed3.1%

Maryland Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Maryland Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Maryland Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

47.3%

Overall Marriage Rate

50.0%

Male Marriage Rate

44.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Maryland Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Maryland Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Maryland Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Maryland Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

352,738

Number of Veterans

305,302

Male Veterans

47,436

Female Veterans

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Maryland Veterans by War

count

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Maryland Veterans by Age

count

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Maryland Veterans by Race

Maryland Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

4.99%

Veteran Poverty Rate

22.78%

Veteran Disability Rate

Maryland Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

67.5%

Labor Force Participation

63.3%

Employment Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

Maryland Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Maryland Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Maryland Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

47.24%

Born in Maryland

84.61%

Native Born

15.39%

Foreign Born

7.08%

Non Citizen

8.31%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

84.61% of Maryland residents were born in the United States, with 47.24% having been born in Maryland. 7.08% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Maryland Place of Birth

  1. Maryland State Data Center
  2. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  4. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  5. Census QuickFacts
  6. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources