Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town of 26,283 people was settled in 1734.
A well-rated place to live, with prices to match. Its strongest is hazard risk (A+). Elkridge’s overall grade of A puts it better than 91% of U.S. towns, 49th of 259 in Maryland. Add health to its strengths: it is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns. The catch is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $478K, 4.8 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. This Maryland town has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Trinity Church and Troy. The town’s midpoint 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.
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.
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.
Elkridge beats the Maryland average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 9.5% of adults report frequent physical distress here. Two figures for adults locally: 17% get no exercise outside work, 30% have high blood pressure.
| 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.
Two of its 9 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the Howard County Public Schools. 3 public schools serve Elkridge, with 2,246 students in all.
| 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
FEMA puts 53% of Elkridge’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 11% to heat waves. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 99% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Elkridge once, in 2003.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The town’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Elkridge grew to 14,106 in 2023, 1,927 more than in 2013. Only 4% of working residents stay in Elkridge for work; the rest commute out. Its median household income stands at $140,000. The median commute is under 11 miles.
| 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
A home in Elkridge typically sold within 36 days of listing. The typical home value here is about $478,000, down 0.8% in a year, 12% above the Maryland typical home. The share of households in Elkridge who live in a home they own: 62%.
| Elkridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,295 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The biggest park or preserve is Troy Park at Elkridge, at 102 acres. 0.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| 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.
7 notable people were born here, including Imani Dorsey and Darryl Webb.
