Baltimore city, Maryland

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.5 | 565,239 people · 1st most distressed in Maryland
American Default Research

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Baltimore city, MD shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.5 — 148th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Maryland, it ranks 1st of 24 counties. It scores higher than all 2 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Baltimore city's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 93.2 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 93.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 81
Homeownership Rate 99
Rent-to-Income Ratio 100
Income & Poverty 89.3
Poverty Rate 87
Income vs. State Median 99
Child Poverty Rate 83
Debt & Delinquency 83.3
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 94
Employment & Wages 50.2
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 65
Business Formation Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 41.4
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 56

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Baltimore city compares to its 2 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Baltimore city
Baltimore city, MD 71.5 Serious —
Baltimore County, MD 48.6 Normal -22.9
Anne Arundel County, MD 31.2 Healthy -40.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Baltimore city
Clayton County, GA 71.5 Serious +0.0
El Paso County, TX 71.6 Serious +0.2
Merced County, CA 71.7 Serious +0.2
Cameron County, TX 72.3 Serious +0.8
Hidalgo County, TX 72.4 Serious +0.9

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Baltimore city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Baltimore city

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Baltimore city.

BELAIR - EDISON NEIGHBORHOODS, INC.
Baltimore
410-485-8422 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab
COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING ASSISTANCE, INC
Baltimore
410-500-5300 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
CREDIT.ORG - MARYLAND BRANCH
Baltimore
443-345-0650 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
DRUID HEIGHTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Baltimore
410-523-1350 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
GARWYN OAKS NORTHWEST HOUSING RESOURCE CENTER, INC
Baltimore
410-947-0084
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPost-Purchase

See all counselors in Maryland →

Find an Attorney

Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 410-685-7878

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Baltimore city residents at no cost.

Maryland Legal Aid 410-539-5340
Community Law Center (Baltimore) 410-366-0922
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) 410-539-6800
Civil Justice (Baltimore) 410-706-0900

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Maryland →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Baltimore city, Maryland?

    Baltimore city has a County Distress Index score of 71.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 148th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Maryland out of 24 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Baltimore city?

    The primary driver of distress in Baltimore city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 93.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Baltimore city compare to neighboring counties?

    Baltimore city (71.5) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Baltimore County, MD (48.6); Anne Arundel County, MD (31.2).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Baltimore city?

    Baltimore city, Maryland has a population of approximately 565,239 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.