Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 26,283, settled in 1734.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Elkridge grades A overall, 49th among Maryland's 259 graded towns. Natural-hazard risk is low. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 93% of the country and its schools rank ahead of 88% of Maryland towns. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $478K, 4.8 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. Elkridge’s median rent is $2,295 a month, against $1,809 a month in Maryland’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Elkridge is more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Elkridge has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Trinity Church and Troy.
Where Elkridge beats most towns.
Census counts: 7,262 in 1960, 25,171 in 2020. The archive holds 7 maps from 1894 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Elkridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elkridge. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw26 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw28 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw27 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw26 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank StadiumWhite 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 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · M&T Bank Stadium: United States Department of Defense Cherie Cullen, Public domain
Elkridge is unincorporated, so Howard 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 Elkridge.
Elkridge has schools in the top 5% of Maryland and has less heart disease than most of Maryland.
Its widest gap with Maryland is heart disease: 3.4% of its 18,390 adults have heart disease, against 5.8% statewide. Against the 3,575 U.S. towns with household incomes like Elkridge’s, it is healthier than 77%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
9.5% of Elkridge adults report frequent physical distress. Elkridge beats the Maryland average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 17% of Elkridge adults get no exercise outside work.
| Elkridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 23% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Elkridge | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.4% | 5.8% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.6% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 68.4% | 76.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A ranks #12 of the 261 Maryland towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $478K.
Its public schools are run by the Howard County Public Schools. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover Hills ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 875 | B− |
| Maryland International School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 1–12 | Grades 1–12 | 185 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elkridge.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Elkridge has chilly winters and warm summers. Elkridge’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Elkridge for work: only 4% work in town. The median household income in Elkridge is $140,000. Jobs based in Elkridge grew to 14,106 in 2023, 1,927 more than in 2013.
| Elkridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $140,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 23% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 3.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
62% of households own their home in Elkridge. The typical Elkridge home is worth about $478,000, down 0.8% in a year, 12% above the Maryland typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Troy Park at Elkridge, at 102 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Patapsco Valley State Park Deep Run Area | — | 265 |
| 2. Troy Park at Elkridge | 0.1 mi | 102 |
| 3. Exeter Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
17 within 15 miles of the center of Elkridge
About 10 of every 100 Elkridge residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
15,593 counted in 2010 and 25,171 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
4 places in Elkridge on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Elkridge.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Elkridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, United States. Elkridge is a rapidly growing area; between the 2010 and the 2020 census, the population had grown from 15,593 to 25,171. Founded early in the 18th century, Elkridge is adjacent to two other counties, Anne Arundel and Baltimore.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Elkridge.
Arbutus next door grades lower for schools (C− to Elkridge’s A) and higher for cost of living (B− to D).
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkridge | #49 | A | D | — | A | A |
| Arbutus | #109 | B+ | B− | — | C− | A− |
| Ilchester | #23 | A+ | D | — | A | A+ |
| Jessup | #139 | B | D | — | B+ | B |
Elkridge, Arbutus, Ilchester and Jessup report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Elkridge with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Elkridge grades A overall, better than 91% of U.S. towns and #49 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
7 notable people were born here, including Imani Dorsey and Darryl Webb.
