Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Catonsville grades B overall, 131st of 259 graded towns in Maryland. Natural-hazard risk is low. The median household earns $114K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 82% of the country. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $418K for a typical one and 4.2 times the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 16 places on the National Register. Catonsville’s trail density is 3.8 miles per square mile, against 0.6 in Maryland’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Catonsville is more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Baltimore National Cemetery and Patterson Viaduct Ruins.
Where Catonsville beats most towns.
Its 16 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Maryland towns with a listing.
Census counts: 37,872 in 1960, 44,701 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 6 maps from 1894 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Catonsville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Catonsville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw30 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
Big draw32 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw31 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw30 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a yearWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · M&T Bank Stadium: United States Department of Defense Cherie Cullen, Public domain · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain
Catonsville is unincorporated, so Baltimore County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Catonsville.
Catonsville has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Maryland, trades workers with Baltimore and other neighbors and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
At 3.8 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 188 Maryland towns.
In the comparison, Catonsville comes where Maryland’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. 54 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. Patapsco Valley State Park Hilton Area, at 437 acres with 11 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Patapsco Valley State Park Glen Artney Area | 12.9 mi | 738 |
| 2. Patapsco Valley State Park Hilton Area | 11 mi | 437 |
| 3. Patapsco Valley State Park Rockhaven Area | 7.1 mi | 300 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Baltimore County Public Schools. Three of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catonsville MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 818 | B+ |
| Catonsville HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,735 | A |
| Western School of TechnologyTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 942 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 45 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Catonsville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,584 U.S. towns with household incomes like Catonsville’s, it is healthier than 66%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
30% of adults have obesity in Catonsville. Catonsville beats the Maryland average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Catonsville.
| Catonsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 36% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Catonsville | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.7% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11% | 13.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.7% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Catonsville has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 25° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Catonsville has about as many jobs (16,154) as working residents, but only 1,357 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 24.6 minutes, against 31.1 across Maryland.
Most working residents leave Catonsville for work: only 8% work in town. The average trip to work in Catonsville is 25 minutes. Since 2013, Catonsville has added 1,771 jobs, to 16,154 in 2023.
| Catonsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 21% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $114,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Catonsville’s median rent is $1,724 a month. The typical Catonsville home is worth about $418,000, up 1.2% in a year, close to the Maryland typical home.
| Catonsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,724 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
18 within 15 miles of the center of Catonsville
About 13 of every 100 Catonsville residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
3% of the town is conserved land, across 17 parks and preserves.
16 places in Catonsville on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Catonsville.
Place in Maryland, United States
Catonsville () is a town in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 44,701 at the 2020 US Census. The community is a streetcar suburb of Baltimore along the city's western border. The town is known for its proximity to the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley State Park, making it a regional mountain biking hub. The town is also notable as a local hotbed of music, earning it the official nickname of "Music City, Maryland." Catonsville contains the majority of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), a major public research university with close to 14,000 students.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Catonsville.
Ellicott City next door grades higher for schools (A to Catonsville’s C−) and lower for cost of living (D− to C−).
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catonsville | #131 | B | C− | — | C− | A− |
| Ellicott City | #50 | A | D− | — | A | A+ |
| Ilchester | #23 | A+ | D | — | A | A+ |
| Arbutus | #109 | B+ | B− | — | C− | A− |
| Woodlawn | #181 | C+ | C+ | — | C− | C+ |
| Baltimore | #251 | D | B− | D− | D− | C |
Catonsville, Ellicott City, Ilchester, Arbutus and Woodlawn report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Catonsville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Catonsville grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #131 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A− for health and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
15 notable people were born here, including Wes Unseld Jr. and Elaine Hamilton-O'Neal.
