Safest Places to Live in Maryland of September 2026
Maryland is located on the East Coast of the United States, bordering Delaware to the east, Pennsylvania to the north, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. to the south and west.
Maryland is the 19th most populous state, with slightly over 6 million residents. It is one of the smallest states but also one of the most densely populated ones. The capital is Annapolis, whereas the largest city is Baltimore, home to over 600,000 people.
Maryland was one of the original thirteen colonies and the 7th state to ratify the US Constitution. It also played a major role in creating Washington, D.C. Some of Maryland’s nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State.
Maryland is the wealthiest state in the United States by median household income. The main reason for this is the fact that many people working in D.C. officially live in Maryland. Still, this state’s economy is fairly strong, spanning many fields like manufacturing, services, and biotechnology.
Ranking Criteria
ElitePersonalFinance extracted the latest data from the FBI crime statistics in the United States. We took violent crime as the main criteria. To get our score, we used this formula:
Crime Score = ( Total Number of Violent Crimes / Population ) * 1,000
This way, safer cities got the lowest score, and those more vulnerable to crimes got higher scores.
The cities that did not report crimes to the FBI and those under 5,000 residents were not included in the list.
10 Safest Places in Maryland of September 2026
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Mount Airy | Population:9472 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:0,53 |
| Rank:2 | City:Glenarden | Population:6234 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:0,64 |
| Rank:3 | City:Ocean Pines | Population:12264 | Total Number of Crimes:8 | Crime Score:0,65 |
| Rank:4 | City:Bowie | Population:59093 | Total Number of Crimes:59 | Crime Score:1,00 |
| Rank:5 | City:Hampstead | Population:6397 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:1,09 |
| Rank:6 | City:Frostburg | Population:8510 | Total Number of Crimes:14 | Crime Score:1,65 |
| Rank:7 | City:Taneytown | Population:6824 | Total Number of Crimes:13 | Crime Score:1,91 |
| Rank:8 | City:Bel Air | Population:10031 | Total Number of Crimes:21 | Crime Score:2,09 |
| Rank:9 | City:Thurmont | Population:6824 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:2,20 |
| Rank:10 | City:Brunswick | Population:6426 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:2,33 |
Crime Score in All Cities in Maryland of September 2026
If your city didn’t make our list, you could see our full list of Maryland cities.
We can’t compare crime rates in small and large cities. That’s why ElitePersonalFinance made a detailed analysis and narrowed the results according to population segments:
- Under 3,000 Residents
- 3,000 – 10,000 Residents
- 10,000 – 30,000 Residents
- Over 30,000 Residents
(Other sites don’t include places with under 3,000 residents, but we included them.)
These are the results that we got:
Under 3,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Luke | Population:61 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:2 | City:Oxford | Population:598 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:3 | City:Upper Marlboro | Population:675 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:4 | City:Hancock | Population:1539 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:5 | City:Chevy Chase Village | Population:2073 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:6 | City:University Park | Population:2651 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:7 | City:Smithsburg | Population:2967 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,34 |
| Rank:8 | City:Edmonston | Population:1499 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,67 |
| Rank:9 | City:Hurlock | Population:2013 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:0,99 |
| Rank:10 | City:Oakland | Population:1816 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,10 |
| Rank:11 | City:Crisfield | Population:2554 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,17 |
| Rank:12 | City:Cottage City | Population:1363 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,47 |
| Rank:13 | City:Rock Hall | Population:1264 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,58 |
| Rank:14 | City:Greensboro | Population:1874 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,60 |
| Rank:15 | City:Rising Sun | Population:2799 | Total Number of Crimes:6 | Crime Score:2,14 |
| Rank:16 | City:Ridgely | Population:1652 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:2,42 |
| Rank:17 | City:Snow Hill | Population:2029 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:2,46 |
| Rank:18 | City:Forest Heights | Population:2583 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:3,48 |
| Rank:19 | City:Colmar Manor | Population:1468 | Total Number of Crimes:6 | Crime Score:4,09 |
| Rank:20 | City:Federalsburg | Population:2652 | Total Number of Crimes:14 | Crime Score:5,28 |
| Rank:21 | City:Landover Hills | Population:1656 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:5,43 |
| Rank:22 | City:St. Michaels | Population:1025 | Total Number of Crimes:6 | Crime Score:5,85 |
| Rank:23 | City:Fairmount Heights | Population:1533 | Total Number of Crimes:10 | Crime Score:6,52 |
| Rank:24 | City:Morningside | Population:1296 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:6,94 |
3,000 – 10,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Manchester | Population:4858 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:2 | City:Boonsboro | Population:3596 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,28 |
| Rank:3 | City:Mount Airy | Population:9472 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:0,53 |
| Rank:4 | City:Berlin | Population:4862 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:0,62 |
| Rank:5 | City:Glenarden | Population:6234 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:0,64 |
| Rank:6 | City:Pocomoke City | Population:4025 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:0,75 |
| Rank:7 | City:Centreville | Population:4882 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:0,82 |
| Rank:8 | City:Hampstead | Population:6397 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:1,09 |
| Rank:9 | City:Frostburg | Population:8510 | Total Number of Crimes:14 | Crime Score:1,65 |
| Rank:10 | City:Taneytown | Population:6824 | Total Number of Crimes:13 | Crime Score:1,91 |
| Rank:11 | City:Berwyn Heights | Population:3278 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:2,14 |
| Rank:12 | City:Thurmont | Population:6824 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:2,20 |
| Rank:13 | City:Brunswick | Population:6426 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:2,33 |
| Rank:14 | City:Denton | Population:4504 | Total Number of Crimes:11 | Crime Score:2,44 |
| Rank:15 | City:Chestertown | Population:5027 | Total Number of Crimes:13 | Crime Score:2,59 |
| Rank:16 | City:Fruitland | Population:5346 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:2,81 |
| Rank:17 | City:Riverdale Park | Population:7258 | Total Number of Crimes:22 | Crime Score:3,03 |
| Rank:18 | City:North East | Population:3639 | Total Number of Crimes:12 | Crime Score:3,30 |
| Rank:19 | City:District Heights | Population:6015 | Total Number of Crimes:20 | Crime Score:3,33 |
| Rank:20 | City:Perryville | Population:4431 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:3,39 |
| Rank:21 | City:Delmar | Population:3248 | Total Number of Crimes:12 | Crime Score:3,69 |
| Rank:22 | City:Cheverly | Population:6482 | Total Number of Crimes:24 | Crime Score:3,70 |
| Rank:23 | City:Mount Rainier | Population:8143 | Total Number of Crimes:33 | Crime Score:4,05 |
| Rank:24 | City:Capitol Heights | Population:4551 | Total Number of Crimes:19 | Crime Score:4,17 |
| Rank:25 | City:Brentwood | Population:3494 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:4,29 |
| Rank:26 | City:La Plata | Population:9538 | Total Number of Crimes:47 | Crime Score:4,93 |
| Rank:27 | City:Bladensburg | Population:9476 | Total Number of Crimes:59 | Crime Score:6,23 |
| Rank:28 | City:Seat Pleasant | Population:4803 | Total Number of Crimes:36 | Crime Score:7,50 |
| Rank:29 | City:Princess Anne | Population:3549 | Total Number of Crimes:29 | Crime Score:8,17 |
| Rank:30 | City:Sykesville | Population:3959 | Total Number of Crimes:33 | Crime Score:8,34 |
| Rank:31 | City:Ocean City | Population:6905 | Total Number of Crimes:91 | Crime Score:13,18 |
10,000 – 30,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Ocean Pines | Population:12264 | Total Number of Crimes:8 | Crime Score:0,65 |
| Rank:2 | City:Bel Air | Population:10031 | Total Number of Crimes:21 | Crime Score:2,09 |
| Rank:3 | City:New Carrollton | Population:13036 | Total Number of Crimes:33 | Crime Score:2,53 |
| Rank:4 | City:Havre de Grace | Population:13890 | Total Number of Crimes:36 | Crime Score:2,59 |
| Rank:5 | City:Easton | Population:16523 | Total Number of Crimes:49 | Crime Score:2,97 |
| Rank:6 | City:Westminster | Population:18664 | Total Number of Crimes:68 | Crime Score:3,64 |
| Rank:7 | City:Takoma Park | Population:17893 | Total Number of Crimes:71 | Crime Score:3,97 |
| Rank:8 | City:Hyattsville | Population:18331 | Total Number of Crimes:85 | Crime Score:4,64 |
| Rank:9 | City:Greenbelt | Population:23417 | Total Number of Crimes:110 | Crime Score:4,70 |
| Rank:10 | City:Laurel | Population:25814 | Total Number of Crimes:123 | Crime Score:4,76 |
| Rank:11 | City:Aberdeen | Population:16194 | Total Number of Crimes:120 | Crime Score:7,41 |
| Rank:12 | City:Cumberland | Population:19321 | Total Number of Crimes:151 | Crime Score:7,82 |
| Rank:13 | City:Elkton | Population:15662 | Total Number of Crimes:151 | Crime Score:9,64 |
| Rank:14 | City:Cambridge | Population:12264 | Total Number of Crimes:119 | Crime Score:9,70 |
Over 30,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Bowie | Population:59093 | Total Number of Crimes:59 | Crime Score:1,00 |
| Rank:2 | City:Frederick | Population:73030 | Total Number of Crimes:296 | Crime Score:4,05 |
| Rank:3 | City:Hagerstown | Population:40258 | Total Number of Crimes:213 | Crime Score:5,29 |
| Rank:4 | City:Annapolis | Population:39277 | Total Number of Crimes:252 | Crime Score:6,42 |
| Rank:5 | City:Salisbury | Population:33132 | Total Number of Crimes:294 | Crime Score:8,87 |
| Rank:6 | City:Baltimore | Population:597239 | Total Number of Crimes:11101 | Crime Score:18,59 |
How safe do you feel?
Is your city safe enough? Are you worried because of the crime rate in your town? Do you have any thoughts on safety levels in the country?
If you want to share anything, feel free to leave a comment. That way, you can help us understand your perspective better.
Thank you!
Archives
- Safest Places to Live in Maryland 2020
- Safest Places to Live in Maryland 2019
- Safest Places to Live in Maryland 2018
- Safest Places to Live in Maryland 2017
- Safest Places to Live in Maryland 2016
Sources:
