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Rankings and Statistics

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Get to know Maryland better with the easy-to-use Data Explorer. Compare information on education, the economy, taxes and quality of life on different locations within Maryland or with other states and metro areas. ​​

Maryland Data Explorer

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Rankings

Choose from eight categories of rankings including Workforce, R&D, Income and Wealth, Quality of Life, and Education to find out how Maryland stacks up against the competition.
  • Education

      • Maryland ranks sixth nationally in the percentage of high school seniors who scored at the mastery level on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, with 31.5% earning a score of 3 or higher in 2020. Maryland also ranks sixth among the states in the percentage of graduates taking AP tests during high school at 45.8%, up from 25.6% in 2010.  1
      • Maryland is fourth in the nation with 17 higher education institutions designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense education and research.  2
      • According to Quality Counts, Education Week’s annual assessment of key indicators of student success, Maryland’s K-12 public school system ranks fourth overall based on three graded categories that include chance for success, K-12 achievement and school finance. 3
      • According to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges survey, Johns Hopkins University holds the following rankings:  4
        • ninth overall among top national universities that offer doctoral degrees, and 16th best value
        • 11th for the quality of undergraduate research/creative projects
        • second among top research medical schools, with top three rankings in the following specialties:  anesthesiology, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, and surgery
        • first in graduate nursing, with top five rankings in adult acute care and primary care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, pediatric primary care nurse practitioner, psychiatric nurse practitioner, nursing administration and doctor of nursing practice
        • 13th in undergraduate engineering among schools that offer a doctorate including first in biomedical and 16th in environmental engineering
        • 17th in graduate engineering, including first in biomedical, 14th in mechanical, 19th in materials engineering, and 20th in chemical engineering
        • first in graduate public health, fourth in health policy and management, sixth in International Global Policy and Administration, and ninth in health care management
        • sixth in graduate biology, with top three rankings in cell biology and neuroscience
        • third in graduate statistics
        • second in online graduate computer information technology programs; ninth in online graduate nursing; and 11th in online graduate engineering programs, including in the top 10 for online engineering management, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and electrical engineering
        • 15th in graduate english
        • 11th in graduate history
        • 17th in graduate physics
        • 12th in undergraduate Business Analytics
        • 12th in most innovative schools
        • Tied for 20th in Best Miedcal Schools: Primary Care
        • 15th in undergraduate education
      • ​According to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges survey, the University of Maryland, College Park holds the following rankings:  5 
        • 19th in Top Public Schools
        • Tied for 14th for stellar undergraduate learning communities
        • eighth in undergraduate management information systems, 13th in management, tied for 15th in supply chain management/logistics, 20th in marketing; and tenth in graduate information systems 
        • 16th in graduate computer science, including 16th in artificial intelligence, systems, and theory, and 17th in programming language
        • top ten in graduate physics programs including atomic/molecular/optical physics, and quantum physics
        • 10th in undergraduate and 12th in graduate aerospace engineering; 14th in both graduate electrical and computer engineering; 17th in graduate mechanical engineering; and 20th overall in best engineering schools
        • first in graduate criminology
        • fourth in graduate homeland/national security and emergency management
        • top ten in graduate education programs including student counseling/personnel services, educational psychology, and Higher Education Administration
        • top ten in graduate library and information science including archives and preservation, information systems, digital librarianship, school library media and services for children and youth​
        • 10th best online MBA program including 10th best for veterans, and 15th best online graduate engineering programs, including 16th best for master’s in engineering for veterans. It also ranks in the top 10 for online business analytics MBA’s, finance MBA’s, and marketing MBA’s.
        • second in graduate African-American history
        • tenth in graduate audiology
        • 13th in graduate applied mathematics
        • 16th in graduate speech language pathology
        • 12th in graduate sociology of population
      • ​Other Maryland colleges/universities that rank highly in the U.S. News and World Report survey include: 6 
        • The University of Maryland, Baltimore County ranks ninth most innovative among national universities and 11th best for undergraduate teaching
        • The University of Maryland, Baltimore ranks among the top ten U.S. law schools in clinical training, health care law and part-time law
        • The University of Maryland, Baltimore, ranks 22th nationally in graduate nursing, with top ten rankings in clinical nurse leader, adult acute care nurse practitioner, nursing administration, nursing anasthesia, nursing informatics, and16th in doctorate of nursing practice
        • The University of Maryland, Baltimore, ranks 14th in graduate pharmacy
        • St. Mary’s College of Maryland ranks fifth among top public liberal arts colleges in the nation
        • Loyola University Maryland ranks fourth among top northern universities that offer undergraduate and master’s degrees, and fourth best for undergraduate teaching 
        • Goucher College ranks eighth for undergraduate study abroad programs
        • St. John's College ranks ninth for undergraduate teaching among national liberal arts colleges tied for 18th in most innovative schools
        • Towson University ranks 12th among public northern universities that offer undergraduate and master’s degrees 
        • Salisbury University ranks 16th among top public northern universities
        • McDaniel College ranks first for best value among northern universities
        • Hood College ranks 17th in best values among northern universities that offer undergraduate and master’s degrees 
        • Maryland Institute College of Art ranks eighth overall for its master of fine arts program, with top ten rankings in graphic design, painting/drawing and sculpture 
        • Morgan State University ranks 13th and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore ranks 18th among historically black colleges
        • The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda ranks fourth in nursing anesthesia
        • The United States Naval Academy ranks first in the nation among top public liberal arts colleges
        • The United States Naval Academy ranks fifth in undergraduate engineering among schools without PhD programs, including third in aerospace, 10th in electrical and ninth in mechanical engineering
      • According to a U.S. News and World Report ranking of U.S. public high schools, Maryland places third based on the percentage of schools ranked in the top 25 percent nationally, with 40.6%. Top-ranked schools are those whose students demonstrate outstanding outcomes above expectations in math and reading assessments, pass and participate in a college level exams, and graduate in high proportions.  7
      • According to the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, the University of Maryland, College Park ranks tenth among undergraduate entrepreneurship programs and 24th among graduate programs for 2021. 8

      • Johns Hopkins University ranks ninth in U.S. News and World Report's list of Best Global Universities, which rates institutions on their academic research performance and global and regional reputations. Further, Hopkins ranks in the top ten in 15 subject specialties.  9
      • According to Times Higher Education, Johns Hopkins University is 13th worldwide and 9th in the U.S. in a ranking of research intensive universities based on teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Further, the university ranks ninth worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health fields, tenth for life sciences.  10
      • The University of Maryland, College Park ranks in the top 20 worldwide in the following subjects: atmospheric science, environmental engineering, aerospace engineering, remote sensing, business administration, management, law, and library and information sciences. 11 
      • Johns Hopkins University ranks 16th worldwide and 13th in the U.S. among research universities according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Hopkins ranks second in the world in the fields of public health, third in medical technology, fifth in clinical medicine, third in nursing, sixth in biological science, ninth in biomedical engineering, 14th in statistics, and 15th in biotechnology.   12 
      • The University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), and Johns Hopkins University rank among the top 20 doctorate-granting institutions in the nation based on the number of recipients for 2020. Johns Hopkins ranks second in life sciences doctorates, while UMCP ranks 11th for math and computer sciences; 12th for psychology and social sciences, 14th for physical sciences, 19th for education; and 20th for engineering. Based on a 5-year total (2016-2020), Johns Hopkins and UMCP rank among the top 20 for Asian doctorate recipients, while UMCP and Morgan State University are in the top 20 for African American recipients. 13

      • In WalletHub's ranking of the most educated states in the U.S., Maryland ranks second overall based on a combination of educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps. 14

      • Johns Hopkins University ranks 14th among the best universities in the world according to CEOWorld magazine, and also ranks in the top 10 globally for medicine and health science, as well as life science degrees. John Hopkins also ranks 4th among all univerisities for nursing degrees.15

      • The University of Maryland, College Park ranks as the eight best research institution for quantum computing. The University is home to the one of first quantum computing firms to go public. 16

       
      Resources 

       
      1Maryland State Department of Education press release, February 24, 2021.
      2 National Security Agency, Information Assurance Directorate as of December 18, 2019.
      3 Education Week, Quality Counts 2021, September 1, 2021.
      4 U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools 2021 Editions.  
      5 U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools 2021 Editions.  
      6 U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools 2021 Editions.
      7 U.S. News and World Report, Best High Schools 2020, April 2021. 
      8 The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, 2022 Top Schools for Entrepreneurs.
      9 U.S. News and World Report, Best Global Universities 2022.
      10 Times Higher Education, World University Rankings 2022 and subject rankings 2021.
      11 Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021​.
      12 Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021.
      13 National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, data for 2020. 
      14 WalletHub, 2021's Most & Least Educated States in America, February 14, 2022.
      15 CEOWorld magazine, "Revealed: Best Universities in the World for 2020" May 2020; "Worlds Best Universities and Colleges for a Nursing Degree", February 12, 2020.
      16The Quantum Insider, Top 18 Leading Quantum Computing Research Institutions 2022, May 16, 2022

      ​

  • Entrepreneurship

      • ​Maryland ranks third per capita and fourth overall in Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) awards for 2021.  Small businesses in Maryland received $170.8 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration through the highly competitive SBIR Program (equating to $27.65 per capita). 1   
      • With 138 of the nation's fastest growing private sector firms, Maryland ranks third among the states for Inc. 5000 companies as a percentage of total companies. 2 ​
      • Baltimore places fifth in a ranking of the "Top 10 Rising Cities for Startups" based on costs, education levels, college presence, entrepreneurship rates, working-age population growth and venture capital investment. 3

      • Maryland ranks ninth among the states in the value of venture capital deals for 2018, and 10th in the number of deals. A total of 81 venture capital deals in Maryland in 2018 resulted in over $1.1 billion in investment. 4

      Resources 

      1 U.S. Small Business Administration, data for 2021, and U.S. Census Bureau. 
      2 Inc.com Inc. 5000, August 2021, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
      3 Forbes.com, The Top 10 Rising Cities for Startups, October 1, 2018.
      4 PwC / CB Insights MoneyTree Report, Q4 2018.

       

  • Government and Business Support

      • ​Maryland is one of only 13 states with a “triple triple” general obligation bond rating -- AAA rating from the three major bond rating agencies -- and the state has the longest running Triple-A rating with a “stable” outlook from S&P Global, dating back to 1961.  1
      • ​Maryland ranks second per capita among the states and fifth in dollar value of federal government contracts, totaling $36.5 billion. For Department of Defense contracts, Maryland ranks third per capita among states and seventh in total dollar value with $15.9 billion.  2
      • According to a study on business taxes by the Council on State and Local Business Taxes (COST), Maryland businesses pay the lowest share of state and local taxes, with business taxes accounting for 30.7% of total taxes collected in the state, compared with 44.3% for the national average. ​Further, Maryland ranks fourth for the lowest total state and local business taxes paid per dollar of net government spending that benefits businesses. 3
      • In the most recent Business Facilities Ranking Report, Maryland ranks third among the states for cybersecurity, fifth for tech talent, fifth for food processing, sixth for offshore wind power, and eighth for biotechnology strength. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro area ranks eight for large health care hubs and Baltimore ranks 10th for free trade zone (FTZ) activity 4
      • According to fDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times, Baltimore ranks second among large cities for connectivity, which includes internet speed; mobile phone subscribers; airport access and flights; and number of ports and performance. Baltimore ranks fifth for Human Capital and Lifestyle, measured through indicators including number of universities, skillset of graduates, ease of finding skilled employees, the Social Progress Index and the Human Capital Index. 5
      • ​The Port of Baltimore ranks 13th for the total dollar value of foreign waterborne commerce and eighth for cargo tonnage among all ports in the nation.  6
      • Maryland ranks sixth in the 2021 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard compiled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The report ranks states on the adoption and implementation of energy efficient policies which reduce energy costs, spur job growth, and benefit the environment.   7
      • Two Maryland jurisdictions are ranked in the top ten for their population size class in the Center for Digital Government’s 2021 Digital Counties Survey. Prince George's ranks first and among counties with a population from one-half to one million. Montgomery County ranks sixth among counties with a population of over one million. The survey examines government technology practices and initiatives to streamline delivery of government services, encourage collaboration, and enhance cybersecurity.  8

      • Maryland places third in the 2018 Grid Modernization Index, which ranks states on the degree to which they are moving toward a modernized electric grid. The index evaluates grid operations, state support and customer engagement. 9

      • Maryland ranks third in the Center for Digital Government’s 2021 State Government Experience Awards which honor states that offer a sophisticated digital user experience to their citizens.   10

      • Baltimore ranks fifth among the 100 most populous U.S. cities according to the New American Economy's Cities Index, which evaluates cities based on immigrant integration as measured by local policies and socioeconomic outcomes. 11

      • In a ranking of the best U.S. cities for public transit, three Maryland communities score in the top 25 including Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Hyattsville. Further, Baltimore places eighth in a ranking of only the largest cities with a population of 300,000 or more. 12
      • UBI Global ranks Baltimore's Emerging Tech Centers in the World's Top Ten Public Business Incubators. The ranking is based on 21 indicators including: job creation, businesses graduated, investment attracted, and services offered.13
      • Forbes ranks the Baltimore Development Corporation in the Top 10 Community Organizations for Opportunity Zone Players. The ranking is based on Opportunity Zone Players developed by U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, Georgetown University, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; which prioritizes community benefit and engagement, transparency and impact. 14
      • According to 24/7 Wall St., Maryland is the 9th best state for business based on real GDP growth, average earning per job, educational attainment, and venture capital deals per capita.15

      Resources

      1 Maryland State Treasurer’s office press release, July 29, 2019. 
      2 USASpending.gov and U.S. Census Bureau, data for FY 2021; ranking excludes Washington DC.
      3 Ernst & Young, Total State and Local Business Taxes, State-by-State Estimates for Fiscal Year 2020, prepared in conjunction with the Council on State Taxation and the State Tax Research Institute; assumes 50% of education spending benefits business.
      4 Business Facilities 17th Annual Rankings Report (2021).
      5 fDi Magazine, American Cities of the Future 2020/21.
      6 Maryland Port Administration, 2019 Foreign Commerce Statistical Report.
      7 American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2021 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
      8  Center for Digital Government, 2021 Digital Counties Survey.
      9 Gridwise Alliance, Grid Modernization Index, December 2018.
      10 Center for Digital Government, Government Experience Awards 2021.
      11 New American Economy Cities Index, November 13, 2019.
      12 Redfin, Best U.S. Cities for Public Transit in 2019.
      13 UBI Global, World Rankings of Business Incubators and Accelerators 2019/2020.
      14 Forbes, Meet The Forbes OZ 20: The Top Players Investing for Lasting Impact, December 2019.
      15 24/7 Wall Street, “Best and Worst States for Business”, February 18, 2020. 

  • Income and Wealth

      • ​​Maryland has the highest median household income among states for 2020 at $87,063, which is 34% above the national median. 1   
      • Maryland ranks second among the states in the ratio of millionaire households to total households, with 9.72% of households having $1 million or more in investable or liquid assets in 2020. 2 
      • Maryland has the second lowest poverty rate for 2020, with 9.0% of the population living in poverty, compared with 12.3% for the U.S. as a whole. 3   
      • Maryland is home to six of the top 50 counties in the nation for median household income. Howard County ranks 7th ($124,042), Calvert 18th ($112,696), Montgomery 21sh ($111,812), Charles 40th ($103,678), Anne Arundel 43rd ($103,225), and Frederick ($100,685).
        4  
      • Maryland ranks eighth among the states in per capita personal income ($69,266). 5 

      Resources 

      1 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2021 average (preliminary data); ranking excludes Washington D.C. 
      2 Phoenix Marketing International, Wealth and Affluent Monitor 2020; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      3 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2020 American Community Survey.   
      4 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2020 American Community Survey.   
      5 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2020 (Q2); ranking excludes Washington, DC.   

  • New Economy

      • ​​Maryland ranks fourth in the Milken Institute’s biennial State Technology and Science Index for 2020. ​According to study results, Maryland received top ten rankings in all of the five index components, including first in the technology and science workforce category, second in human capital investment and research and development inputs, and tenth in technology concentration and dynamism. The Index measures the technology and science assets of states, ranking them on their ability to foster and sustain a technology sector, which is crucial in determining a region's future economic success. 1
      • Maryland ranks fourth in the 2020 State New Economy Index, a measure of a state's economy as knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, information technology-driven and innovation-based. 2

      • The Maryland/Virginia/Washington DC "BioHealth Capital Region" places fourth in a ranking of the top ten U.S. biopharma clusters based on criteria including patents, NIH grant funding, venture capital, lab space and number of jobs. 3
      • ​​​Maryland ranks seventh among the states in the square footage of LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita for 2021. By using less energy, LEED buildings save money for businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for workers and the larger community.4
      • Maryland places fourth in WalletHub's State Innovation Index based on 24 indicators including share of STEM professionals, R&D spending per capita, tech company density, and other human capital and innovation environment factors. 5

      • Maryland ranks sixth in the 2020 Bloomberg U.S. State Innovation Index which scores states based on six metrics, in which Maryland ranks first for STEM concentration, and fourth for R&D intensity, sixth for tech company density, and third for science and engineering degree holders. 6

      • According to the CBRE U.S. Life Sciences Clusters report, Washington, D.C.–Baltimore ranks second among leading life sciences markets based on laboratory inventory, size and long-term growth in life sciences employment, number and concentration of key scientists, and size of funding sources. The D.C.-Baltimore markets ranks highly for the following:
        7
        • 3rd highest share of biological/biomedical degrees and PhD’s 
        •  Fourth highest share of life science researchers

      • Maryland ranks highly in the technology intensity of its business base. The state ranks third in science, engineering and technology (SET) establishments as a share of all business establishments (12.7%), third in employment in SET establishments as a share of all employment (16.24%), and third in SET business formation as a percent of all business establishments. 8
      • Maryland is an "Innovation Champion" according to the Consumer Technology Association's 2018 Innovation Scorecard. The ranking is based on 12 criteria that include sensible tax structures and policies allowing cutting-edge technologies and new business models to flourish, all of which creates high-quality jobs and healthy economic growth. Maryland received "A" ratings on "Advanced Degrees, Tech Workforce, Self-Driving Vehicles, and Drones". 9 

      • According to the CBRE 2019 U.S. Life Sciences Clusters report, Washington D.C. - Baltimore ranks sixth among leading life sciences markets based on laboratory inventory, size and long-term growth in life sciences employment, number and concentration of key scientists, and size of funding sources. 10

      • Maryland ranks as a top ten global cybersecurity hub for 2019 according to CSO. The state's cyber workforce as well as the presence of the NSA and other federal facilities, the Baltimore Cyber Range, and headquarters of 15 companies from the Cybersecurity 500 list contribute to Maryland's inclusion in the top ten. 11
      • According to Business Facilities anual state/metro/and global ranking report, among U.S. States Maryland ranks: third for cybersecurity, fifth for biotechnology strength, and eigth for digital infrastructure. 12 
        • Frederick, MD ranks eighth in business climate among small metro areas
       
      Resources

       
      1 The Milken Institute, State Technology and Science Index: Sustaining America's Innovation Economy, December 2020.   
      2 ITIF, 2020 State New Economy Index, October 19, 2020.
      3 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, Top 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters, September 23, 2019. 
      4 Facility Executive, U.S. Green Building Council, January 27th, 2022.
      5 WalletHub, 2022's Most & Least Innovative States, March 23, 2022.
      6 Bloomberg U.S. State Innovation Index, June 22, 2020.
      7 CBRE Leading Life Science Clusters 2022
      8 National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators 2020, using data from 2016; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      9 Consumer Technology Association, 2020 U.S. Innovation Scorecard.
      10 CBRE Leading Life Science Clusters, October 2020
      11 CSO, Top 10 Global Cybersecurity Hubs for 2019, April 23, 2019.
      12 BusinessFacilities.com, "16th Annual State/Metro/Global Ranking Report", August 2020 


      ​​

  • Quality of Life

      • Johns Hopkins Hospital ranks fourth in the U.S. News and World Report honor roll of best hospitals in the nation, with excellence in fifteen out of sixteen specialty categories, and the highest rating possible in eight out of ten procedures or conditions evaluated. Further​more, Johns Hopkins Children‘s Center is nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties evaluated. 1 ​
      • Maryland ranks second among U.S. States and Canadian Provinces in the 2020 Generosity Index which measures the extent and depth of generosity. The index is based on percentage of tax filers donating to charity, in which Maryland ranks second, and percentage of aggregate income donated, in which the state ranks eleventh. 2 
      • Maryland ranks sixth among the states in active physicians per capita, with over 25,802 doctors statewide.3 
      • Maryland ranks sixth for the percentage of households (88.8%) with a broadband internet subscription and eighth for the percentage of households (93.6%) with one or more computing devices for 2020. 4

      • Maryland is eighth in a ranking of America's Best States to Live In, based on population change, poverty level, unemployment rate, and life expectancy. 5

      • Three Maryland communities, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring  and Germantown, rank among the top 20 most diverse cities in the U.S. according to a 2020 analysis of 500 cities by WalletHub. Furthermore, the three Montgomery County communities hold the top four places among small cities in the report, while Rockville, also in Montgomery County, places tenth. The ranking is based on an index of socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household and religious diversity. 6

      • Baltimore places fifth among U.S. cities, and second among large cities with one million or more population, in Healthgrades' National Health Index based on access to care, population health, hospital quality, and local specialists. 7

      • Baltimore places fourth among large metros where African Americans are doing the best economically. The ranking is based on household income, home ownership, self-employment and population change. 8
      • Maryland ranks as the seventh most diverse state in the U.S. according to a WalletHub analysis of data in six major categories of diversity: socioeconomic (2nd), cultural (10th), economic (25th), household (10th), religious (30th) and political (19th). Additionally, Maryland ranks fourth for most educational –attainment and fifth for racial & ethnic diversity.   9
      • According to a U.S. News ranking of nearly 3,000 counties on 84 indicators that drive community health, Howard County, Maryland ranks 8th among the healthiest communities in the nation. 10
      • Baltimore is included in a Wall Street Journal list of the top three U.S. cities for recent college grads based on job opportunities, rent and social life. 11
      • Columbia, Maryland places first in a ranking of 180 cities across 41 key indicators of safety including home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and financial security. 12
      • According to a 2018 study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Maryland ranks first among best and worst states for women based on employment and earnings. The ranking is based on women’s earnings, wage gap between men and women, labor force participation among women, and the share of women employed in professional or managerial occupations.13
      • According to Governing Magazine's annual "Cities on the Move report Baltimore City ranks as the top performer for resident involvement measured by how well city government "incorporates [citizen] reedback into decision-making and its transparency about how that input is used.14
      • Balitmore ranks 7th among large North American cities for connectivity according to FDi' American Cities of the Future 2019/20 report.15
      • According to Money.com’s annual “50 Best Places” ranking Ellicott City ranks 10 in the nation for best places to live. Ranking is based on 100 metrics covering cost of living, economic opportunity, diversity education, Fun (amenities), health & safety, housing market, income & personal finances, and quality of life.16
      Resources 

      1 U.S. News and World Report, June and July 2021.  
      2 The Fraser Institute, Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2020 Generosity Index, December 2020.
      ​3 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, data for 2021; ranking excludes Washington, DC.  
      4 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2020 American Community Survey.
      5 24/7 Wall Street, America's Best States to Live In, January, 2021.
      6 WalletHub, 2020's Most Diverse Cities in the U.S., April 19, 2021.
      7 Healthgrades.com, 2019 National Health Index, October 2018.
      8 Forbes.com, The Cities Where African-Americans are Doing the Best Economically 2018, January 15, 2018.
      9 WalletHub, 2019's Most & Least Diverse States in America, September 9, 2020.
      10 U.S. News and World Report, Healthiest Communities Ranking 2021.
      11 Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2019.
      12 WalletHub, 2019's Safest Cities in America, December 2, 2019.
      13 The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, The Economic Status of Women in the States, 03/01/2018 ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      14 Governing Magazine, "2019 Profiles in High-Performance Government: Cities on the Move”, 2019. 
      15 FDI Magazine, “American Cities of the Future 2019-2020”, June 2019. 
      16 Money.com, 50 Best Places to Live in 2021, September 14, 2021

  • Research and Development

      • ​Johns Hopkins University ranks first among U.S. colleges and universities in total National Institutes of Health awards, including grants and contracts for research, development, training and fellowships ($824.9 million). 1 
      • Johns Hopkins University ranks first among academic institutions in the nation in research and development expenditures, totaling $3.11 billion in FY 2020.  The university also ranks first in federally funded research ($2.68 billion). 2 
      • ​Maryland ranks first in Natio​nal Institutes of Health research and development contract awards ($1.07 billion). 3 
      • Maryland ranks second among the states in federal obligations for research and development ($16.9 billion) and first on a per capita basis. 4 
      • Maryland ranks fourth in research and development intensity, which is the ratio of total R&D expenditures to gross domestic product (GDP) by state.  Maryland ranks seventh in total R&D performance, including federal and state government, business, nonprofit and academia. 5   
      • Maryland ranks fifth in R&D expenditures at universities and colleges, totaling $4.75 billion in FY 2020. Further, Maryland ranks second in federal government R&D spending at universities and colleges with $3.70 billion. 6 
      • According to the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Maryland is home to 74 federal laboratories, more than twice as many as any other state.7
      • Johns Hopkins University ranks 19th worldwide among universities in the number of World Intellectual Property Organization administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international patent applications for 2020, totaling 121.8 
       
      Resources
      ​
       1 National Institutes of Health, data for FY 2021.
       2 National Science Foundation, data for FY 2020.
       3 National Institutes of Health, data for FY 2021.
       4 National Science Foundation, data for FY 2019, and U.S. Bureau of the Census; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
       5 National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators, data for FY 2017​. 
       6 National Science Foundation, data for FY 2019.
       7 Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, federallabs.org, as of March 2022.​
       8 World Intellectual Property Organization, data for 2020.

  • Workforce

      • ​Marylan​d has the second highest concentration of employed doctoral scientists and engineers. The state ranks second in total PhD scientists and engineers per 100,000 employed workers, with a first place ranking for PhD scientists and fifth for PhD engin​eers. Maryland also holds rankings in the following fields for employed doctoral scientists per 100,000 employed workers: 
        • first in biological sciences and health 
        • third in mathematics and statistics, physical sciences, and social sciences
        • tenth in psychology 
        • 18th in computer and information sciences1
      • Maryland ranks second among the states in the percentage of professional and technical workers (28.4%) in the workforce. 2 
      • ​Maryland ranks third among the states in the percentage of the population age 25 and above with a bachelor’s degree or higher (40.9%) and second in the percentage with a graduate or professional degree (19.1%).  3 
      • Maryland has the 2nd highest concentration of workers in STEM occupations at 10.1%, totaling 258,230 workers in 2021. 4

      • According to the Cyberstates 2021 report, Maryland ranks third among the states in median tech occupation wages ($100,865). Is first for Cyberstates Diversity Index which includes: third in the ratio of Black or African American Representation (20%) and tied for fifth in the ratio of female workers in tech occupations (28%). Maryland ranks sixth for highest concentration of tech employment relative the state's overall employment base (10.7%), and eighth for tech GSP as a percentage of total GSP (12.2%).  5
      • Maryland ranks fourth among the states in federal government employment, with 152,531 non-military federal jobs in 2021. On a per capita basis, the state ranks first with 247 federal jobs per 10,000 residents. Non-military federal jobs generate $17.6 billion in total wages in Maryland, ranking fourth among the states. Further, these jobs pay better in Maryland than in any other state, with an average annual wage of $115,324, which is 29.3% higher than the national average. 6 
      • Baltimore maintains its first place position among the "Best American Cities for Women in Business," which is based on the percentage of women-owned businesses, executive jobs held by women, gender wage gap, and buying power of women. 7
      • Baltimore is first in a ranking of the best cities for women in technology based on tech jobs filled by women, tech job growth, overall pay for women and the gender pay gap. 8
      • In a study of growth and concentration of "creative class" workers in large U.S. metros, Baltimore ranks seventh among large metros for share of creative class workers in 2017 (44.9%). Further, Baltimore is one of only two of the top ten leading creative class metros to rank in the top ten also for growth in the creative class share from 2005 to 2017 (16.0%).9
      • According to analysis by Wallet Hub, Columbia, Maryland is the best city for job seekers. The ranking is based on 31 job market and socioeconomic metrics including but not limited to median annual income, job opportunities, employment growth, and unemployment rates.10

       
      Resources
      1 National Science Foundation data for 2019 and U.S. Census Bureau; ranking excludes Washington, DC.  
      ​2 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2019 American Community Survey; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      3 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2020 American Community Survey; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, data for May 2021; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      5 CompTIA, Cyberstates 2021; ranking excludes Washington, DC.     
      6 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Wages, Annual Averages 2021; U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census; ranking excludes Washington, DC.
      7 ShareFile.com, Best American Cities for Women in Business, October 22, 2018.
      8 SmartAsset.com, The Best Cities for Women in Tech, February 06, 2020.
      9 CityLab, "Maps Reveal Where the Creative Class is Growing," July 9, 2019.
      10 WalletHub "Best Cities for Jobs 2022", January 2022.

       

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