Wester Ogle · National Register of Historic Places
Garrison’s story
154 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1872Garrison is settled
GarrisonMD
A town of 9,469, settled in 1872.
3 bordering townsMap →
Wester Ogle · Photo: Pubdog at en.wikipedia · Public domain
Population
9,469
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$319K
−1.1% in a year
Household income
$102K
median
Median age
42.9
years
Jobs based here
5,050
Balanced
TownGrade
B
#145 of 259 in MD
Is Garrison a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Garrison grades B overall, 145th of 259 graded towns in Maryland. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 98% of U.S. towns. Residents are healthier than 82% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $319K for a typical one and 3.2 times the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. Only 10 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on the outdoors. 57% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Garrison, against 42% in Maryland’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Garrison is home to Ner Israel Rabbinical College.
What makes Garrison stand out
Where Garrison beats most towns.
College town
Ner Israel Rabbinical College calls Garrison home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Garrison grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Garrison is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.8 of 20; 9.3% of households have no carA+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 7% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →HealthNorthwest Hospital Center 3.3 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Jobs & incomeB+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 323 attractions →White House and 260 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Garrison. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw38 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw40 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw39 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
Big draw38 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
White 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 · M&T Bank Stadium: United States Department of Defense Cherie Cullen, Public domain · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Garrison: who provides what
Garrison 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 codes21117, 2120821117 62% · 21208 38%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 Garrison.
Garrison costs less than Randallstown or any other town next door, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Garrison
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities. Since 1989, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Garrison.
7risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesHurricanes
3
paid flood claims since 1989
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC−
Garrison’s schools rank behind 76% of Maryland districts
Its public schools are run by the Baltimore County Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
24%of MD districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodholme ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 685 | C |
| Garrison Forest School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 567 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Garrison’s grade for health is an A−
10% of adults report frequent physical distress in Garrison. Garrison beats the Maryland average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 8.5% of adults smoke cigarettes in Garrison.
82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Garrison | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 11% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 79% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Garrison | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.2% | 8.7% |
| Fewer smokers | 8.5% | 10.9% |
Northwest Hospital Center
3.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
66th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Garrison’s grade for cost of living is a C−
Its typical home is the least expensive on its borders; Randallstown is next at $368K.
51% of Garrison households own their home. The typical Garrison home is worth about $319,000, down 1.1% in a year, 25% below the Maryland typical home. Garrison’s median rent is $1,952 a month.
$319KZillow home value
| Garrison | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,952 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Garrison$319K
Maryland$425K
−1.1%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Garrison, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Garrison has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 24° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–44°
Spring42–64°
Summer63–85°
Fall46–67°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Apr 2
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Garrison has 1.3 jobs for every working resident, and 4,955 people commute in
Jobs based here fell from 14,887 in 2013 to 5,050.
Most working residents leave Garrison for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Garrison fell to 5,050 in 2023, 9,837 fewer than in 2013. The average trip to work in Garrison is 28 minutes.
2%work in town
| Garrison | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 3.2% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Garrison2%
Baltimore26%
Owings Mills5%
Towson4%
Pikesville4%
11 mi
median commute distance
5,050
jobs based in Garrison
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsD
Garrison has set aside 5.5% of its land for conservation
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
5.5%conserved
5.5%
conserved · 111 of 2,014 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Caves Valley Land Trust | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Garrison
17pages on Garrison
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
18 within 15 miles of the center of Garrison
Ner Israel Rabbinical CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · GarrisonIn town$10,600 tuitionBaltimore City Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Baltimore7.4 mi$3,314 in-state tuitionTowson UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Towson7.5 mi$11,728 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Garrison residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Garrison’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Garrison.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Pikesville (B−) comes closest.
PikesvilleOwings MillsRandallstownGarrison
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrison | #145 | B | C− | — | C− | A− |
| Pikesville | #156 | B− | C− | — | C− | A− |
| Owings Mills | #163 | B− | C− | — | C− | B+ |
| Randallstown | #204 | C | C | — | C− | C+ |
Garrison, Pikesville, Owings Mills and Randallstown report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Garrison with a neighbor →
Questions about Garrison
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Garrison, MD a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Garrison grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #145 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A− for health and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Garrison, MD expensive?
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−.