Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 6,281, settled in 1860.
Hampstead is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, ranked 22nd of 259 in Maryland. Its schools outperform 92% of the state's, CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 83% of the country, and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest mark, a B, is in safety. Only 3 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a lower July high than Hampstead. Isaac Hoffman House and Hampstead School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 4 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a lower January low than Hampstead.
Where Hampstead beats most towns.
Where Hampstead’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Hampstead is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 198 in 1860, 6,241 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hampstead, and how to reach them.
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 Hampstead.
Hampstead pairs an A for schools with modest home prices, fares better on crime within Maryland than nationally and has less food insecurity than most of Maryland.
Its A for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $438K. Its A ranks #6 of the 261 Maryland towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Carroll County Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiloh MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 631 | A− |
| Hampstead ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 400 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Hampstead since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with Maryland is food insecurity: 8.5% of its 4,700 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.4% statewide.
18% of adults binge drink in Hampstead, against 14% in Maryland’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 75% of Hampstead adults had a checkup this year. Hampstead beats the Maryland average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
| Hampstead | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 19% |
| What stands out | Hampstead | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.5% | 13.5% |
| More binge drinkers | 18.3% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Hampstead for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Hampstead has added 349 jobs, to 2,134 in 2023. Hampstead’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes.
| Hampstead | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hampstead has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 47% of residents (40% statewide). 19% of residents are under 18 in Hampstead. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| Hampstead | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 42% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 16% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Hampstead | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.8% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.5% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.5% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.6% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.7% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.6% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.4% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Carroll Farm Community Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Hampstead Lions Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Hampstead Memorial Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 15.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 76% of Maryland’s graded towns.
Hampstead’s property crime rate is 4.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Hampstead | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 14.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Hampstead home is worth about $438,000, up 2% in a year, close to the Maryland typical home. The median rent in Hampstead is $1,309 a month.
| Hampstead | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,309 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hampstead. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
26 mi Stadium & arenaOriole Park at Camden Yards
29 mi MuseumNS Savannah
28 mi National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine283K visitors a year
25 mi MuseumWalters Art MuseumRaven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · M&T Bank Stadium: United States Department of Defense Cherie Cullen, Public domain · Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 · NS Savannah: Elton Lord/Atomic Energy Commission, Public domain · Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine: ScottyBoy900Q at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walters Art Museum: Dylan k, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Hampstead
About 5 of every 100 Hampstead residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Town in Maryland, United States
Hampstead is a town in Carroll County in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, Hampstead had a population of 6,241.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Hampstead grades A+ overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #22 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A− for health, B for safety and A for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Katie Zaferes and Charlie Snell.
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