OldHarford Lakewoodb, 1991
Carney’s story
138 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,523 in 1950, 29,363 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1991 and 6 maps from 1894 on.
- 1888Carney is settled
CarneyMD
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: S F Corfidi · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
28,343
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$342K
+0.4% in a year
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
39.8
years
Jobs based here
6,673
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#172 of 259 in MD
Is Carney a good place to live?
Carney's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C+, 172nd among Maryland's 259 graded towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its public schools trail 76% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. Carney’s density of trails is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both Maryland’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Gunpowder Falls State Park Central Area, at 135 acres.
What makes Carney stand out
Where Carney beats most towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Carney for work
Where Carney’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
6,673jobs based in Carney
4%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Carney grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Carney is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 3% of U.S. communities; heat waves tops the listA+Open →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →Jobs & income6,673 jobs based hereB+Open →HealthMedstar Franklin Square Medical Center 4.3 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.7 of 20; 6.8% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 331 attractions →M&T Bank Stadium and 69 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Carney. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
10 mi Stadium & arenaOriole Park at Camden Yards
10 mi MuseumNS Savannah
10 mi National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine283K visitors a year
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest Stadium
9 mi MuseumWalters Art MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
M&T Bank Stadium: United States Department of Defense Cherie Cullen, Public domain · Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 · NS Savannah: Elton Lord/Atomic Energy Commission, Public domain · Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine: ScottyBoy900Q at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 · Walters Art Museum: Dylan k, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Carney: who provides what
Carney is unincorporated, so Baltimore County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerBaltimore Gas & Electric20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Baltimore water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBaltimore CountyBaltimore County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Maryland you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBaltimore County Board of ElectionsBaltimore County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP codes21234, 2123621234 83% · 21236 17%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carney.
#58for trails in MD
11.9%
conserved · 533 of 4,462 acres
8.2 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gunpowder Falls State Park Graham Memorial Park Area | 3.2 mi | 144 |
| 2. Gunpowder Falls State Park Central Area | 0.5 mi | 135 |
| 3. Gunpowder Falls State Park Sweathouse Area | 0.4 mi | 23 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC−
For schools, Carney earns a C−
The public schools here belong to the Baltimore County Public Schools. Two of the 6 schools are below, and why each made the list. Public school enrollment in Carney: 2,119 students across 4 schools.
24%of MD districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Grove MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 804 | B |
| New Directions Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 14 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Top of a very low hazard risk in Carney: heat waves
Since 1979, Carney has seen 5 flood insurance claims paid out. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. 36% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from heat waves, followed by inland flooding at 36%.
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Heat wavesInland floodingHurricanes
5
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Carney’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
The average trip to work for Carney comes to 29 minutes, below the Maryland town median (32 minutes) but above the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). For most workers, Carney is a place to come home to: only 4% work in town. In Carney, the median household income is $84,000. The median commute is under 9 miles.
4%work in town
| Carney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 13% | 18% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Carney4%
Baltimore27%
Towson10%
Cockeysville4%
Rossville3%
9 mi
median commute distance
6,673
jobs based in Carney
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Carney ranks healthier than seven in ten of the country’s towns
The share of adults in Carney who binge drink: 13%. In Carney, nearly a third of adults have obesity, and 35% sleep under 7 hours.
69%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Carney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 38% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Carney | MD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 6.9% | 5.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 7% | 5.9% |
Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center
4.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
45th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
The climate in Carney brings four seasons and hot summers
In Carney, the peak summer temperature is 88°F.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–45°
Spring43–65°
Summer65–86°
Fall47–68°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Apr 2
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Carney is worth about $342K, on Zillow’s estimate
On the market in Carney: a median 24 days to sell. Among households in the town, 60% own their home. The typical rent for Carney comes to $1,793 a month.
$342KZillow home value
| Carney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,793 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Carney$342K
Maryland$425K
Market temperature
24
days on market
101.8%
sale-to-list price
+0.4%
value change, 1 year
20
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
Carney skews older than Maryland
For residents in Carney, the share who are 65 or older is 24%. Two in five adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
39.8median age · MD 39.4
| Carney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 42% | 29% |
CarneyMarylandUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school23%
Some college19%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.5 points. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Carney | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.9% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.6% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.7% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.5% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.4% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.7% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.7% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carney
17pages on Carney
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
17 within 15 miles of the center of Carney
Goucher CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Baltimore3.9 mi$53,350 tuitionCommunity College of Baltimore CountyCommunity college · Public · Baltimore4.2 mi$4,432 in-state tuitionTowson UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Towson4.8 mi$11,728 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Carney residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
About Carney
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Carney is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 29,941 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 354 ft
Carney’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Carney.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C+; Parkville (B) is closest.
Perry HallOverleaHamptonParkvilleCarney
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carney | #172 | C+ | C | — | C− | B+ |
| Perry Hall | #122 | B+ | C | — | C− | A− |
| Overlea | #140 | B | B− | — | C− | B+ |
| Hampton | #117 | B+ | C | — | C− | A |
| Parkville | #144 | B | B− | — | C− | B |
Carney, Perry Hall, Overlea, Hampton and Parkville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Carney with a neighbor →
Questions about Carney
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Carney, MD a good place to live?
Carney grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #172 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B+ for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Carney, MD expensive?
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($99,470 across the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.