Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Westminster grades B+ overall, 115th of 259 graded towns in Maryland, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 92% of Maryland towns and residents are healthier than 78% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $460K, 4.6 years of the Baltimore metro’s $99K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 15 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Union Mills Homestead Historic District and Farm Content. Westminster is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. Westminster is home to McDaniel College.
Where Westminster beats most towns.
Farm Content| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster Elementary | PK–5 | 564 |
| St. John School | PK–8 | 291 |
| St. John School | PK–8 | 281 |
Census counts: 884 in 1850, 20,126 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Westminster is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Westminster. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaM&T Bank Stadium
29 mi Stadium & arenaOriole Park at Camden Yards
33 mi MuseumNS Savannah
31 mi National MonumentFort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine283K visitors a year
29 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Westminster, 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 Westminster.
Its A ranks #6 of the 261 Maryland towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Carroll County Public Schools. One of its 5 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster East MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 796 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
4.7 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Wakefield Valley Park, at 240 acres with 2.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Westminster | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.5% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wakefield Valley Park | 2.7 mi | 240 |
| 2. Dutterer Family Park | 0.5 mi | 17 |
| 3. Wakefield Valley Trail Park | — | 63 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Westminster.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
75% of adults had a checkup this year in Westminster, below both the Maryland town median (79%) and the median of U.S. towns (79%). 17% of adults binge drink in Westminster. Westminster beats the Maryland average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Westminster | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Westminster | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.1% | 8.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.2% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Westminster’s property crime rate is 16.8 per 1,000 residents, against 13.8 in Maryland’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Within Maryland, it does better than 55% of towns.
| Westminster | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Westminster has chilly winters and warm summers. Only 7 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a lower July high than Westminster.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 29% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). Westminster has grown 2.2% since 2020, to 20,589 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 36% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| Westminster | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 42% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.5 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 16% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.3 points. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Westminster | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.3% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.9% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.1% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.6% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.1% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.3% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Most working residents leave Westminster for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2013, Westminster has added 1,409 jobs, to 12,027 in 2023. The average trip to work in Westminster is 29 minutes.
| Westminster | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
57% of Westminster households own their home. The typical Westminster home is worth about $460,000, up 1% in a year, 8% above the Maryland typical home. Westminster’s median rent is $1,476 a month.
| Westminster | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,476 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Westminster
About 14 of every 100 Westminster residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
13 places in Westminster on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Westminster.
City in Maryland, United States
Westminster is a city in and the county seat of Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The city's population was 19,960 at the 2020 census. Westminster is an outlying community in the Baltimore metropolitan area, which is part of the greater Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Westminster grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #115 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A− for health, C for safety and A for schools.
Within Maryland, it does better than 55% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
16 notable people were born here, including Sargent Shriver and Bill Oakley.
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