Is Maryland's population growing or shrinking?
Refreshed annually
It grew by 20,000 between 2024 and 2025. That’s more than the population of the city of Cumberland. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. Maryland’s 0.32% annual increase was primarily driven by immigration to the state. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, Maryland’s population grew by 3.6%.
+20K
population change (2024 to 2025)
+0.32%
percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, Maryland's population increased in 24 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2001 and 2002, when it gained 65,700 residents. The state's largest decline during the 21st century occurred between 2020 and 2021 when it lost 2,400 residents.
Maryland gained 20,000 residents between 2024 and 2025.
Annual population change, 1901–2025
What contributes to population change in Maryland?
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was positive in Maryland, with births exceeding deaths by 11,400.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Maryland’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 20,500 more people coming from another country to Maryland than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: Maryland’s population change from domestic migration was negative, with about 12,100 more people leaving for another state than moving in.
Between 2024 and 2025, immigration was the primary driver of population growth in Maryland.
Components of population change, 2011–2025
Which counties in Maryland are growing? Which are shrinking?
Among 24 county equivalents, Prince George's County had the largest population growth in Maryland, welcoming 5,778 new residents. Baltimore County lost the most, with a loss of 788 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2025.
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Queen Anne's County led Maryland in percent population increase between 2024 and 2025 at 1.4 percent. Allegany County ranked last with a 0.2 percent decline.
Between 2024 and 2025, Queen Anne's County gained 1.4% in population, the largest increase in Maryland.
Population change
How does population change in Maryland compare to other states?
Between 2015 and 2025, Maryland’s population has increased by 3.6%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. Maryland ranks 30th among states in population growth over that decade.
Maryland ranked 30th in population growth between 2015 and 2025.
Percent change in population
Population change between 2024 and 2025, by county in Maryland
| County | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Queen Anne's County, MD | +1.4% |
| 2. | Frederick County, MD | +1.3% |
| 3. | Dorchester County, MD | +1.3% |
| 4. | Charles County, MD | +1.2% |
| 5. | Somerset County, MD | +0.89% |
| 6. | Prince George's County, MD | +0.6% |
| 7. | Cecil County, MD | +0.53% |
| 8. | Howard County, MD | +0.41% |
| 9. | St. Mary's County, MD | +0.41% |
| 10. | Washington County, MD | +0.38% |
Population change between 2015 and 2025, by state
| State | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Idaho | +22% |
| 2. | Utah | +17.9% |
| 3. | Florida | +16.5% |
| 4. | Texas | +15.8% |
| 5. | Nevada | +14.9% |
| 6. | South Carolina | +14.8% |
| 7. | Arizona | +13.7% |
| 8. | North Carolina | +12.4% |
| 9. | Delaware | +12.2% |
| 10. | Washington state | +11.4% |
How is the US population changing?
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
