Joppatowne HS Facade, 2008
Joppatowne’s story
Joppatowne in pictures
Census counts: 11,391 in 2000, 13,425 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 6 maps from 1893 on.
Explore the history →
JoppatowneMD
A town of 14,237.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
14,237
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$342K
Census ACS
Household income
$118K
median
Median age
40.4
years
Jobs based here
1,600
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#59 of 259 in MD
Is Joppatowne a good place to live?
Joppatowne's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades A, 59th among Maryland's 259 graded towns. The median household earns $118K and 13% of its land is conserved. Joppatowne’s average commute is 34 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The biggest park or preserve is Mariner Point Park, at 39 acres.
What makes Joppatowne stand out
Where Joppatowne beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Joppatowne for work
Where Joppatowne’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,600jobs based in Joppatowne
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Joppatowne grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Joppatowne is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 8% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →Jobs & incomeAOpen →HealthUmd Upper Chesapeake Medical Center 7.1 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.9 of 20; 2.2% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $342K, 3.4 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household 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 327 attractions →M&T Bank Stadium and 65 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Joppatowne. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
17 mi Stadium & arenaOriole Park at Camden Yards
15 mi MuseumNS Savannah
16 mi National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine283K visitors a year
16 mi MuseumWalters Art Museum
17 mi Stadium & arenaCFG Bank ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
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 · CFG Bank Arena: Don Woods, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Joppatowne: who provides what
Joppatowne is unincorporated, so Harford County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerBaltimore Gas & Electric20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHarford County D.p.w. water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHarford CountyHarford 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 hereHarford County Board of ElectionsHarford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2018
ZIP code2108521085 100%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 Joppatowne.
Joppatowne sends most of its workers to Baltimore and beyond and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Maryland.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Joppatowne has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Flood insurance has paid out on 21 claims in Joppatowne since 1978. Compared with 92% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. 52% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 14%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2003.
8risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesCold waves
21
paid flood claims since 1978
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB
Joppatowne’s public schools outperform 64% of Maryland districts
Two of the 6 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Harford County Public Schools. The largest public high school is Joppatowne High, with 882 students.
64%of MD districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 689 | C+ |
| Joppatowne HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 882 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Few of Joppatowne’s working residents work in town
Joppatowne has 1,600 jobs for its 5,479 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
The top destinations are Baltimore (13%), Bel Air (4%) and Edgewood (4%). Just 2% of Joppatowne’s working residents have a job in town. Jobs based here fell to 1,600 in 2023, 122 fewer than in 2013. Half of commuters travel less than 15 miles.
2%work in town
| Joppatowne | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 3.2% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Joppatowne2%
Baltimore13%
Bel Air4%
Edgewood4%
Bel Air South4%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,600
jobs based in Joppatowne
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Joppatowne is healthier than seven in ten U.S. towns
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 55% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar. Against the 6,035 U.S. towns with household incomes like Joppatowne’s, it is less healthy than 63%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Joppatowne: 12% of adults report frequent physical distress. Two figures for adults in the town: 22% have been diagnosed with depression, 14% binge drink.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Joppatowne | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
5 better27 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Joppatowne | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.4% | 15.4% |
Umd Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
7.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
45th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Joppatowne: four seasons and hot summers
The town’s typical July afternoon high stands at 88°F.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–45°
Spring45–65°
Summer68–86°
Fall50–68°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 12.8% of Joppatowne
Trails run 2.8 miles in 6 parks and preserves. The trail network density in Joppatowne is 0.4 miles per square mile.
#150for trails in MD
12.8%
conserved · 603 of 4,703 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gunpowder Falls State Park Lost Lake Area | 0.7 mi | 365 |
| 2. Robert Copenhaver Park | 0.3 mi | 20 |
| 3. Mariner Point Park | 0.1 mi | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
Homes in Joppatowne sell for about $370K
On the market in Joppatowne: a median 12 days to sell. For Joppatowne, the going rate for rent is $1,729 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 44% of homes sold here.
$370Kmedian sale price
| Joppatowne | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,729 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
12
days on market
100.4%
sale-to-list price
16
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Joppatowne
18pages on Joppatowne
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Joppatowne
Community College of Baltimore CountyCommunity college · Public · Baltimore8.2 mi$4,432 in-state tuitionHarford Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bel Air10.7 mi$4,032 in-state tuitionMorgan State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Baltimore13.4 mi$8,229 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Joppatowne residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
About Joppatowne
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Joppatowne is a census-designated place in southwestern Harford County, Maryland, United States. Serving as a bedroom community for nearby Baltimore, it was established in 1961 as a planned unit development (PUD). The population was 12,616 at the 2010 census, up from 11,391 in 2000. Joppatowne is covered by the "Joppa" ZIP Code of 21085, and "Joppa" is a designated planning region for Harford County. The Joppa ZIP code extends 6 miles (10 km) north of Joppatowne, as far as Benson, just south of Bel Air. The namesake of both Joppatowne and Joppa is the original town of "Joppa" (Jaffa, Israel). It was a major seaport in American colonial times and the county seat of the original Baltimore Cou…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 243 ft
Joppatowne’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Joppatowne.
EdgewoodJoppatowne
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joppatowne | #59 | A | B− | — | B | B+ |
| Edgewood | #119 | B+ | B | — | B | C+ |
Joppatowne and Edgewood report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Joppatowne with a neighbor →
Questions about Joppatowne
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Joppatowne, MD a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Joppatowne grades A overall, better than 88% of U.S. towns and #59 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B+ for health and B for schools.
Is Joppatowne, MD expensive?
The typical home is worth about $342,000, 19% below the Maryland typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.