What is the poverty rate in Maryland?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 9.6% of Maryland’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 590,600 people in Maryland were considered in poverty.
9.6%
of the population (2025)
591K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Maryland's poverty rate hit a peak in 2012 of 10.3%. Its lowest point was in 2018 at 9%. The state's poverty rate was 9.6% in 2025, 0.5 percentage points higher than the previous year.
In 2025, 9.6% of Maryland's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 590,600 people living in Maryland were in poverty — down 4.5% from the 2021 peak of 618,400.
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In 2025, 590,600 people in Maryland were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Maryland?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Maryland decreased from 13.2% to 12%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 9% to 8.5%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.3% to 10.5%.
In 2025, 12% of children in Maryland were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Maryland?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Maryland during 2025, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
One had a lower than average poverty rate: White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population shifted the most, decreasing from 14.2% in 2015 to 11.7% in 2025.
In Maryland, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population decreased from 14.2% in 2015 to 11.7% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Maryland have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Maryland counties ranged from 3.9% in Calvert County to 19.7% in Baltimore Independent City. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Montgomery County — was 7.5%.
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Maryland counties ranged from 3.9% to 19.7%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Baltimore Independent City | 19.7% |
| 2. | Dorchester County | 17.1% |
| 3. | Allegany County | 16.9% |
| 4. | Somerset County | 16.4% |
| 5. | Wicomico County | 13.9% |
| 6. | Washington County | 12.4% |
| 7. | Caroline County | 12.2% |
| 8. | Garrett County | 11.2% |
| 9. | Cecil County | 10.8% |
| 10. | Prince George's County | 10.8% |
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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.
