Garrett County, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Garrett 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.
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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 70% of counties in Maryland
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Maryland
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D
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Maryland
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Garrett County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,615 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 43.5 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.63% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 49.0 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,578 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Garrett County declined by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,615 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Garrett County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.4% of residents. That is 6.9 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,110 17.9% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,304 18.5% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,329 22.1% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,690 23.4% +6.9 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 50.1% of the people living in Garrett County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 49.9% Maryland 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Garrett County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Garrett County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Garrett County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,609 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.82% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Garrett County is about 35% lower than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Garrett County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $135,588 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $765 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Garrett County is about 14.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $765 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Garrett County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Garrett County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.6 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,855 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.3% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,272 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 431 | 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 Garrett County is 19 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
Garrett County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Garrett County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.5% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Garrett County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Garrett County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.3% | 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).
Garrett County, MD Compared With Nearby Counties
Garrett County, MD is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 28,615 residents against a local median of 34,160. The measure that sets Garrett County, MD apart most is median home price: $135,588, 58% above the local median of $85,967.
The counties themselves spread $134,859 on median home price, so Garrett County, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Garrett County, MD has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett County, MD | 28,615 | $67,609 #2/4 | $135,588 #2/4 | 18.8 min #1/4 |
| Mineral County, WV | 26,854 | $70,287 | $5,510 | 21.5 min |
| Preston County, WV | 34,160 | $62,037 | $85,967 | 28.4 min |
| Somerset County, PA | 72,817 | $61,709 | $140,368 | 20.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Garrett County, Maryland.
How many people live in Garrett County, Maryland?
About 28,615 people live in Garrett County, Maryland, in 12,578 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 49.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is Garrett County, Maryland urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Garrett County, Maryland has 44 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 50% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Garrett County, Maryland?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($135,588 against $67,609), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $765 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Garrett County, Maryland have a college degree?
22.5% of adults in Garrett County, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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