Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 45,002, settled in 1868.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Odenton grades A− overall, 102nd of 259 graded towns in Maryland. Natural-hazard risk is low. The median household earns $128K and residents are healthier than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $468K, 4.7 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. Odenton’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, where Maryland’s towns sit at 0.6 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Odenton has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Epiphany Chapel and Church House and Woodwardville. Odenton is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns.
Where Odenton beats most towns.
37,132 counted in 2010 and 42,947 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Odenton is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 14%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 20,534 in 2000, 42,947 in 2020. The archive holds 5 maps from 1894 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Odenton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw22 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw24 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw22 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw23 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest 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 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0
Odenton is unincorporated, so Anne Arundel 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 Odenton.
Odenton owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
19 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. Dairy Farm, at 851 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Piney Orchard Recreational Area | 5.6 mi | 232 |
| 2. Odenton Natural Area | 3.5 mi | 141 |
| 3. Dairy Farm | 3.3 mi | 851 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arundel MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,312 | B+ |
| Arundel HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,778 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Odenton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 4,704 U.S. towns with household incomes like Odenton’s, it is healthier than 74%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
10% of Odenton adults report frequent physical distress, below both Maryland’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (14%). 9.1% of Odenton adults have diabetes. Odenton beats the Maryland average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| Odenton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 12% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Odenton | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.8% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.1% | 5.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.1% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 8,154 in 2013 to 10,610.
Most working residents leave Odenton for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Odenton has added 2,456 jobs, to 10,610 in 2023. 4.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Odenton.
| Odenton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $128,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 20% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Odenton has chilly winters and warm summers. Odenton’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 13% of residents (17% statewide). The median age in Odenton is 35.8 years. 53% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| Odenton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 53% | 42% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 35.8 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 23% | 22% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.1 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.7, men 31.7.
| Odenton | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.2% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.2% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.3% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 15.7% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.5% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.2% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.4% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 24.7% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Odenton home is worth about $468,000, about the same as a year ago, 10% above the Maryland typical home.
| Odenton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,257 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 74% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
11 within 15 miles of the center of Odenton
About 9 of every 100 Odenton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Where Odenton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Odenton on the National Register of Historic Places.
Place in Maryland, United States
Odenton ( OH-dən-tən) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, located approximately 10–20 minutes from the state capital, Annapolis. The population was 37,132 at the 2010 census, up from 20,534 at the 2000 census. Odenton is located west of Annapolis, south of Baltimore, and northeast of Washington, D.C. In recent years, Odenton has become the fastest-growing city in the county with 2010 census numbers reporting 42% growth. This is because of its proximity to Fort George G. Meade, which contains NSA headquarters, U.S. Cyber Command (established 2009), and the Defense Information Systems Agency (moved to Fort Meade in 2011). Odenton's growth can al…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Odenton.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Crofton (B+) comes closest.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odenton | #102 | A− | D | — | B− | A |
| Severn | #116 | B+ | D | — | B− | A− |
| Gambrills | #133 | B | C− | — | B− | A− |
| Fort Meade | #135 | B | D− | — | B− | A |
| Crofton | #104 | B+ | C− | — | B− | A |
Odenton, Severn, Gambrills, Fort Meade and Crofton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Odenton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Odenton grades A− overall, better than 75% of U.S. towns and #102 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A for health and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
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