Carroll County, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carroll County, MD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Maryland
-
A
Income Above averageWealthier than 70% of counties in Maryland
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Carroll County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 175,325 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 387.3 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.57% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 64,287 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carroll County grew by 3.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 175,325 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carroll County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.4% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,760 19.3% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,212 19.5% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 41,086 23.4% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 31,040 17.7% +1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maryland, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.8% of the people living in Carroll County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 49.2% Maryland 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Carroll County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Carroll County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Carroll County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,379 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.83% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carroll County is about 14% higher than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Carroll County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $443,848 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,426 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.3% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carroll County is about 25.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,426 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carroll County spend about 65 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 269 hours, about 11.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carroll County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.3 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 64.5 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 269 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,337 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.3% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,318 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,864 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Maryland:
Talbot County (17.8 min), Allegany County (17.8 min), Wicomico County (18.1 min).
Slowest:
Charles County (40.0 min), Calvert County (33.6 min), Prince George's County (32.5 min).
The average commute time in Carroll County is 32 minutes, longer than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Carroll County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Carroll County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.3% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.66 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Maryland:
Howard County (0.5), Montgomery County (0.5), Talbot County (0.4).
Lowest:
Somerset County (0.2), Caroline County (0.2), Allegany County (0.2).
Health
Carroll County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Carroll County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.5% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.4% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Maryland:
Montgomery County (0.8), Howard County (0.8), Frederick County (0.8).
Lowest:
Baltimore city (0.8), Somerset County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Carroll County, MD Compared With Nearby Counties
Carroll County, MD is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 175,325 residents against a local median of 336,328. Where Carroll County, MD breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 25% above the local median of 25.9 min at 32.3 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $443,848 against a local median of $378,273, 17% above it. The counties themselves spread 8.2 min on commute, so Carroll County, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carroll County, MD has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County, MD | 175,325 | $118,379 #4/6 | $443,848 #2/6 | 32.3 min #6/6 |
| Howard County, MD | 336,328 | $149,813 | $444,355 | 25.8 min |
| Adams County, PA | 106,097 | $83,650 | $211,932 | 22.7 min |
| Frederick County, MD | 287,011 | $122,719 | $429,711 | 27.1 min |
| Baltimore County, MD | 850,783 | $92,513 | $326,717 | 25.9 min |
| Montgomery County, MD | 1,065,586 | $132,324 | $378,273 | 30.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carroll County, Maryland.
What is the population of Carroll County, Maryland?
About 175,325 people live in Carroll County, Maryland, in 64,287 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Carroll County, Maryland urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Carroll County, Maryland has 387 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Carroll County, Maryland an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($443,848 against $118,379), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,426 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Carroll County, Maryland?
Unemployment in Carroll County, Maryland is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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