Quality of Life

Quality of Life

Greater Baltimore

  • SustainLane has included Baltimore as one of its Top 10 Greenest Cities for 2009.
  •  Baltimore is America's best football tailgating city, based on a 2008 ranking by KVH Industries, DIRECTV and Professional Tailgaters.
  • The 2007-08 North American Major Cities of the Future Competition named Baltimore one of the Overall Top Ten major cities, and the runner up for Most Business Friendly.
  • In an examination of 716 U.S. cities with populations of 50,000 to 300,000, Columbia and Ellicott City took the 8th spot on this year's Money Magazine ranking of "America's Best Places to Live 2008."   Money Magazine called the Howard County duo "a perennial contender on our best places list thanks to its mix of charm, comfort and careful zoning."
  • For the eighteenth consecutive year, Johns Hopkins Hospital ranks 1st in the U.S. News honor roll of best hospitals in the nation, demonstrating outstanding competence in fifteen specialties.
  • In 2008, Baltimore ’s Mt. Vernon was one of CNNMoney's Best Neighborhoods to retire to.
  • Baltimore was voted one of the top ten places in the country for independent filmmakers to live and work by MovieMaker Magazine in 2008.
  • Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live included Olney (17th), Elkridge (42nd), Catonsville (49th), Eldersburg (56th) and Crofton (72nd).
  • Coastal Living magazine ranked Baltimore the 3rd top harbor area in the nation in 2007.
  • According to an American Style magazine reader poll, Baltimore ranks 9th among top U.S. arts destinations in the big city category.
  • Baltimore ranks first among Sherman's Travel Top 10 Most Underrated Cities in the U.S., noting the City is a destination not to be missed.
  • Baltimore ranked 9th in the country as a “Top Destination City” by UHaul, based on movers traveling more than 50 miles in 2006.
  • Baltimore ranks 7th among large metro areas in the 2006 “Best Cities for Relocating Families” survey.
  • Baltimore was ranked 8th as one of “America’s 50 Sweet Spots” by Hershey’s for being a city that is clean, safe, family-friendly, has high rates of volunteerism, and a spirit of community.
  • The Baltimore metro area ranks 3rd among U.S. metros in Salary.com’s Salary Value Index (index determines best areas for building personal net worth).
  • Baltimore named America’s Fittest City by Men’s Health Magazine in 2005.
  • The Washington-Baltimore metro area ranks 9th in the Forbes.com “Best Cities for Singles” list, ranking 6th in culture and 4th in online dating.
  • Howard County ranks 9th among 3,141 in the American City Business Journal’s Quality-of-Life ratings.
  • Baltimore has been selected as one of the “Top 10 Up and Coming Travel Destinations” in the world by Frommer’s.
  • Baltimore ranks 11th on a top 20 list of cities that are both food-forward and lifestyle-light by Cooking Light magazine.

State of Maryland

  • Maryland ranks 2nd in physicians per 100,000 population with over 231,000 doctors statewide.
  • According to a report on the economic status of women in the U.S., Maryland ranks second overall, trailing only the District of Columbia. Maryland ranks:
    • 2nd in women’s median annual earnings for full-time, year-round employment.
    • 2nd in the percent of women employed in professional or managerial occupations.
    • 2nd in the percent of businesses that are owned by women.
    • 5th in the earnings ratio between women and men.
    • 5th in the percent of women with four or more years of college.