| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick County | 1 | 12.52% | 306,911 | 272,767 |
| Queen Anne's County | 2 | 10.34% | 55,215 | 50,039 |
| Charles County | 3 | 7.17% | 178,687 | 166,734 |
| Dorchester County | 4 | 4.69% | 34,048 | 32,523 |
| Worcester County | 5 | 3.83% | 54,537 | 52,524 |
| Cecil County | 6 | 3.75% | 107,695 | 103,798 |
| Wicomico County | 7 | 3.46% | 107,159 | 103,577 |
| St. Mary's County | 8 | 2.79% | 117,168 | 113,992 |
| Caroline County | 9 | 2.7% | 34,173 | 33,274 |
| Somerset County | 10 | 2.59% | 25,193 | 24,557 |
| Kent County | 11 | 2.55% | 19,613 | 19,125 |
| Washington County | 12 | 2.34% | 158,322 | 154,699 |
| Howard County | 13 | 2.33% | 340,571 | 332,809 |
| Harford County | 14 | 2.31% | 267,268 | 261,235 |
| Carroll County | 15 | 2.11% | 176,564 | 172,923 |
| Anne Arundel County | 16 | 2.04% | 605,619 | 593,487 |
| Talbot County | 17 | 1.85% | 38,181 | 37,488 |
| Calvert County | 18 | 1.53% | 94,347 | 92,922 |
| Montgomery County | 19 | 1.43% | 1,076,119 | 1,060,926 |
| Prince George's County | 20 | 1.1% | 976,152 | 965,578 |
| Baltimore County | 21 | -0.76% | 846,862 | 853,350 |
| Garrett County | 22 | -1.65% | 28,323 | 28,798 |
| Allegany County | 23 | -1.85% | 66,712 | 67,967 |
| Baltimore city | 24 | -2.29% | 569,941 | 583,295 |
Maryland's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Frederick County leads with 1.99% annualized growth, followed by Queen Anne's County (1.65%) and Charles County (1.16%). The largest counties are Montgomery County (1,076,119), Prince George's County (976,152), and Baltimore County (846,862). Of the 24 counties in Maryland, 20 are growing while 4 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 0.45% annualized growth, with total population growing by 0.29% annually.
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