Essex, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Essex, 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.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Essex | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,226 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3257.8 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,516 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Essex grew by 5.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,226 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Essex is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.1% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,330 21.2% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,739 19.7% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,073 23.1% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,288 16.0% -0.5 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 53.7% of the people living in Essex and men 46.3%.
- Women 53.7% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 46.3% Maryland 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Essex
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Essex has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Essex | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,625 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.95% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Essex is about 35% lower than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Essex | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $320,493 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,318 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Essex is about 20.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,318 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Essex spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 221 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Essex | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.5 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.0 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 221 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,840 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,845 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,650 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Essex is 26 minutes, shorter 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
Essex has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Essex | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Health
Essex has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Essex | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.7 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Essex, MD Compared With Nearby Cities
Essex, MD is the 2nd largest of the 4 cities compared here, 39,226 residents against a local median of 29,130. The measure that sets Essex, MD apart most is median home price: $320,493, 48% above the local median of $216,985.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $67,625 against a local median of $82,553, 18% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 18% below the local median it puts Essex, MD at the weaker end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $79,286 on median home price, so Essex, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Essex, MD has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex, MD | 39,226 | $67,625 #3/4 | $320,493 #1/4 | 26.5 min #3/4 |
| Middle River, MD | 29,130 | $82,553 | $257,119 | 30.1 min |
| Dundalk, MD | 63,263 | $66,657 | $177,834 | 22.6 min |
| Rosedale, MD | 21,262 | $84,885 | $216,985 | 25.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Essex, Maryland.
What is the population of Essex, Maryland?
About 39,226 people live in Essex, Maryland, in 15,516 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Essex, Maryland?
Averaged over its land area, Essex, Maryland has 3,258 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 38 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Essex, Maryland?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($320,493 against $67,625), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,318 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Essex, Maryland have a college degree?
16.2% of adults in Essex, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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