Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Schools are its weak spot — its schools rank behind just over three quarters of the state's. With a C+ overall, Reisterstown is better than just over a third of U.S. towns and ranks 193rd of 259 in Maryland. Its standout strength is walkability (A) — it is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. A typical home there costs about $411K, 4.1 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. The town has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Glyndon Historic District and Worthington Valley Historic District. Nearly a quarter of workers do their job from home here, where Maryland’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 11%. The biggest park or preserve is Gwynns Falls Greenway, at 115 acres. 46% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in the town, above both Maryland’s towns (42%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
Where Reisterstown beats most towns.
St. Michael's Church
Census counts: 2,077 in 1950, 26,822 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1936 and 6 maps from 1892 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Reisterstown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Reisterstown. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
Big draw38 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
16 mi Stadium & arenaOriole Park at Camden Yards
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest Stadium
19 mi MuseumNS Savannah
18 mi National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine283K visitors a yearM&T Bank Stadium: United States Department of Defense Cherie Cullen, Public domain · Raven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 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
Reisterstown 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 Reisterstown.
Reisterstown is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Maryland; it also has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 96% of U.S. communities. 41% of Reisterstown’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 27%. Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in the town.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Below: Two of its 8 schools, each with why it was picked. The public schools here belong to the Baltimore County Public Schools. 6 public schools serve Reisterstown, with 2,797 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,150 | B− |
| Franklin HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,481 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
The middle household income in Reisterstown is $86,000. Most people who work leave Reisterstown to do it: just 5% work in town. The share of workers in Reisterstown who do their job from home: 24%. The top destinations are Baltimore (21%), Owings Mills (6%) and Towson (5%).
| Reisterstown | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 24% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 23°; snowfall runs to about 34 inches a winter. Summers in Reisterstown are warm, and winters chilly, snowy, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
There are 2.1 miles of trail across 19 parks and preserves. In Reisterstown, the density of trails is 0.4 miles per square mile.
| Reisterstown | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.9% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Franklin Woodlands | 0.3 mi | 5 |
| 2. Gwynns Falls Greenway | — | 115 |
| 3. Hannah More Park | — | 68 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The age mix tracks Maryland closely: no broad group is more than 4 points off. In Reisterstown, the median age is 41.8 years. 18% of residents are 65 or older in the town.
| Reisterstown | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 46% | 42% | 29% |
| Median age | 41.8 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 16% | 18% |
54% women, 46% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 71% are women (MD 51%).
| Reisterstown | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.1% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.8% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.9% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.3% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
65.7% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.5% across Maryland.
A typical home in Reisterstown is worth about $411,000, up 0.8% in a year, close to the Maryland typical home. Its typical rent comes in at $1,600 a month. Nearly two thirds of Reisterstown households live in a home they own.
| Reisterstown | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,600 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
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 75% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar.
Among adults in Reisterstown, 20% worry about having enough food. The town beats the Maryland average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Reisterstown | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Reisterstown | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 7.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10% | 7.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
17 within 15 miles of the center of Reisterstown
About 5 of every 100 Reisterstown residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Where Reisterstown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Reisterstown on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Reisterstown.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Reisterstown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore and Carroll counties, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,968. Founded by German immigrant John Reister in 1758, Reisterstown is located to the northwest of Baltimore. Though it is older than the surrounding areas, it now serves primarily as a residential suburb of Baltimore. The center is designated the Reisterstown Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Also listed are the Montrose Mansion and Chapel and St. Michael's Church. Just outside the community, to its north, is the small military reservation of Camp Fretterd, which s…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Reisterstown.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reisterstown | #193 | C+ | C | — | C− | B− |
| Owings Mills | #163 | B− | C− | — | C− | B+ |
Reisterstown and Owings Mills report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Reisterstown with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Reisterstown grades C+ overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #193 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B− for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Ovington Weller and Olivia Gruver.
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