Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Middle River's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C, ranked 216th of 259 in Maryland. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its schools rank behind 76% of the state's. Middle River’s trail network density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both the Maryland town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Eastern Regional Park, 96 acres with 1.7 miles of trail.
Where Middle River beats most towns.
25,191 counted in 2010 and 33,203 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Middle River is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 10,825 in 1960, 33,203 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1943 and 8 maps from 1893 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Middle River. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
11 mi Stadium & arenaOriole Park at Camden Yards
9 mi MuseumNS Savannah
9 mi National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine283K visitors a year
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest Stadium
11 mi MuseumWalters Art MuseumM&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 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 · Walters Art Museum: Dylan k, CC BY-SA 3.0
Middle River is unincorporated, so Baltimore 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 Middle River.
In 11 parks and preserves, walkers have 16 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eastern Regional Park | 1.7 mi | 96 |
| 2. Wilson Point Park | 0.5 mi | 26 |
| 3. Voltz Neighborhood Park | 0.4 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
One of its 9 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Baltimore County Public Schools. Public school enrollment in Middle River: 2,918 students across 6 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle River MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 822 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Since 1978, Middle River has seen 119 flood insurance claims paid out. Compared with 98% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Expected losses in Middle River break down as 34% from inland flooding and 33% from heat waves. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2003.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The share of adults in Middle River who have obesity is 37%, close to Maryland’s towns (36%) and above U.S. towns (35%). In Middle River, just over a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor. Two figures for adults in the town: 22% worry about having enough food, 30% get no exercise outside work.
| Middle River | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Middle River | MD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.9% | 9.9% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.3% | 7.8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.3% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
46% of the homes sold in Middle River went for more than their asking price. Middle River’s median rent is $1,636 a month. The share of households in Middle River who are owner-occupiers: 66%.
| Middle River | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,636 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The range runs from 27° on a January night to 89° on a July afternoon, with about 19 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Baltimore (27%), Towson (5%) and Rossville (4%). For residents in Middle River, the share who live below the poverty line is 15%. Jobs in Middle River grew by 792 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 12,241. The typical household income here is $78,000.
| Middle River | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
14 within 15 miles of the center of Middle River
About 5 of every 100 Middle River residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Middle River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 33,203 at the 2020 census. A Middle River Train Station first appeared on the 1877 G.M. Hopkins & Co Baltimore County Map and by 1898 had a designated Post Office and modest street grid. The town expanded during the 1930s and 1940s and established the "Aero Acres" housing community which borders the railroad tracks and Martin Blvd. to serve as housing for people working at the Martin Aerospace Company. For this development, the architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed gable-roofed Cape Cod houses with dimensions of 24 feet (7.3 m) by 28 fee…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Middle River.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle River | #216 | C | C | — | C− | C |
| Essex | #196 | C | B− | — | C− | C |
| Bowleys Quarters | #218 | C | C− | — | C− | B |
| White Marsh | #160 | B− | C | — | C− | A− |
| Rossville | #152 | B | C | — | C− | B+ |
| Rosedale | #149 | B | B | — | C− | C+ |
Middle River, Essex, Bowleys Quarters, White Marsh, Rossville and Rosedale report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Middle River with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Middle River grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #216 of 259 in Maryland. It grades C for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($99,470 across the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area).
2 notable people were born here, including Mike Smith and William H. Harrison.
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