Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The picture is mixed. It does especially well on walkability: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. Incomes are a strength too: the median household earns $114K. What holds it back is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $418K, 4.2 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. Put together, the subjects come to a B overall, ranking 131st of 259 in Maryland. Nationally, it does better than 63% of U.S. towns. 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. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 16 places on the National Register.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · OpenStreetMap.
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 17 parks and preserves, walkers have 54 miles of trail. Patapsco Valley State Park Hilton Area, at 437 acres with 11 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Catonsville’s conserved land covers 3% of the town.
| Catonsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 3.8 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| 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
Three of its 12 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The public schools here belong to the Baltimore County Public Schools. 4 public schools serve Catonsville, with 2,628 students in all.
| 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
Since 1978, 45 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Catonsville. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage here than in 97% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Catonsville break down as 38% from inland flooding and 33% from heat waves. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2003.
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.
Among adults in Catonsville, 11% have diabetes. This Maryland town does better than the Maryland average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. A third of adults in Catonsville sleep under 7 hours; 9.3% smoke cigarettes.
| 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
A winter brings about 29 inches of snow, with January nights at 25° and July afternoons at 88°.
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.
Just 8% of Catonsville’s working residents have a job in town. Since 2013, Catonsville has added 1,771 jobs, to 16,154 in 2023. The typical journey to work here is 25 minutes. The top destinations are Baltimore (21%), Columbia (6%) and Ellicott City (4%).
| 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
The median rent for Catonsville comes to $1,724 a month. Zillow values the typical Catonsville home at about $418,000, up 1.2% in a year, close to the Maryland typical home. A home in Catonsville typically sold within 21 days of listing.
| 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.
