Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Baltimore

You think about moving to Baltimore but want to get additional information about the region and overall quality of life before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since you will learn all the pros and cons of living in Baltimore in the following chapters so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Baltimore or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Living in Baltimore – Overview

Advantages of Living in Baltimore

1. Property prices in Baltimore are still pretty low
2. Average person is still able to buy a decent home
3. Rents in Baltimore are affordable as well
4. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Baltimore yet
5. Competition in the housing market is rather low
6. It will not take you long to find a decent place to stay
7. You are in a good position as a tenant in Baltimore
8. Tenant-friendly laws in Baltimore
9. You may be able to make a real bargain on property investments
10. Baltimore is still a rather secret tip
11. Baltimore can be a great commuter city
12. Baltimore is close to the coast
13. People in Baltimore are friendly
14. People often take the time to help you out
15. People in Baltimore are open and outgoing
16. Easy to socialize in Baltimore
17. Baltimore is a pretty tolerant place
18. You can spend lots of time in nature
19. Many leisure activities to participate in
20. You can experience real seasons in Baltimore
21. Living costs in Baltimore are relatively low
22. Financial pressure is not as high as in other major cities
23. The average person can still live the American dream in Baltimore
24. Decent medical infrastructure in Baltimore
25. You can try many interesting foods in Baltimore
26. Baltimore has a decent art scene
27. Many interesting museums and galleries to visit in Baltimore
28. You will find interesting architecture in Baltimore
29. Baltimore is not the most crowded city
30. Many recreational spaces to relax in Baltimore
31. You will not get stuck in traffic jams that often
32. Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Baltimore
33. Easy to get around in Baltimore
34. People in Baltimore are genuine and honest
35. You will find most things you need within walking distance
36. You can make nice day trips to other big cities
37. Baltimore is the biggest city in Maryland
38. Baltimore will stay important for many years to come
39. Baltimore may become attractive to people from other regions
40. People in Baltimore can often save enough money for retirement
41. You will likely never get bored in Baltimore
42. Baltimore has pretty good tap water
43. Baltimore has an international airport
44. Baltimore can be a great place to live for every age group
45. You may never have to move again after moving to Baltimore

Property prices in Baltimore are still pretty low

One advantage of living in Baltimore is that property prices are still really low compared to other major cities nearby.

Hence, while people moving to Washington D.C. often have to spend lots of money on housing and also have to pay back large sums on their mortgage each month, you can have a much more relaxed time in Baltimore in this regard.

Average person is still able to buy a decent home

Thanks to relatively low property prices, the average person in Baltimore is still able to afford to buy a decent home while many other people in more popular major cities can often no longer afford this luxury and may rather have to rent instead of buying a home.

Rents in Baltimore are affordable as well

Not only property prices in Baltimore are pretty low, but also rents are still affordable for the average person and you can also save lots of money renting a home in Baltimore compared to renting a home in NYC or other bigger metropolitan areas where rent prices are usually much higher.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Baltimore yet

Compared to other major cities, housing shortage is not a serious problem in Baltimore yet and you will find many housing options at a rather affordable price and will not run out of options in this regard.

Competition in the housing market is rather low

You should also know that overall competition in the Baltimore housing market is rather low compared to other major cities and this means that you will not have to compete with many other prospective tenants or buyers but can rather find a nice place to stay in a pretty relaxed manner.

It will not take you long to find a decent place to stay

While people in more popular regions often have to search for many weeks or even months to find a good place to stay, you will not have to spend lots of time or money searching for a decent housing option in Baltimore and will find a decent place to live in rather quickly.

You are in a good position as a tenant in Baltimore

Since demand for housing is not as big as in other major cities, you will also be in a much better position as a tenant since landlords will have fewer prospective tenants to choose from and landlords may therefore be willing to compromise with you.

Tenant-friendly laws in Baltimore

In general, Baltimore is a tenant-friendly city and evictions usually take quite a long time.

Hence, you don’t have to worry about losing your home as a tenant as much as in other more landlord-friendly regions and this may enable you to sleep much better in the long run.

You may be able to make a real bargain on property investments

Another reason to move to Baltimore is that you will often also be able to make a real bargain on your property investments.

This may not only be true for your own home but also for investment properties you may want to buy in the future since you can still find many properties with decent rental yields and you may also be able to benefit from significant price increases in the future.

Baltimore is still a rather secret tip

Since Baltimore is not the most popular city, it is still a rather secret tip and not many people have noticed that they will find everything they need in this city to live a decent lifestyle while they could still do so at a rather affordable price.

Hence, it may make sense to move to Baltimore while it is still rather unpopular to benefit from low housing prices before the region becomes increasingly popular and you may no longer be able to make the same bargain anymore.

Baltimore can be a great commuter city

Since Baltimore is pretty close to Washington D.C., it can also be a great commuter city for people who have jobs in Washington but want to benefit from low housing costs in the Baltimore region.

In fact, this can be a great plan to maximize your income prospects from your job and also to save up significant amounts of money within a rather short period of time.

Baltimore is close to the coast

Since Baltimore is close to the coast, you can also go surfing or swimming before or after work and this is a great opportunity to relax from your stressful life for a little bit and you will also feel like a completely different person after jumping in the water and doing some water sports.

People in Baltimore are friendly

Another upside to living in Baltimore is that people are pretty friendly in this region and you can get in touch with many nice people and some of those people will stay in your life for quite a long time.

People often take the time to help you out

Not only are people in Baltimore friendly, but many of them are also willing to help you out on various occasions of daily life.

For instance, if you get lost and need directions to get back on track, you will often find people showing you the way and this is also true for various other things of daily life and you can therefore really count on the support of the general public in Baltimore.

People in Baltimore are open and outgoing

You should also know that people in Baltimore are open and outgoing and often interested in your stories.

Consequently, it is pretty easy to get in touch with new people on various occasions of daily life and this helps you build a strong social circle rather quickly.

Easy to socialize in Baltimore

Since people in Baltimore are friendly and outgoing and you will also have many locations where you can hang out together, it is also pretty easy to socialize in Baltimore and chances are that you will never feel lonely or get socially isolated.

Baltimore is a pretty tolerant place

Another benefit of living in Baltimore is that it is a pretty tolerant city and people are welcome from all over the world.

Hence, it doesn’t matter where you come from.

As long as you are friendly and tolerant yourself, you will find many people to hang out with and you can have a really great time in Baltimore.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Since Baltimore is surrounded by forests and lakes, you can also spend lots of time in nature and can really unplug and relax from your stressful life quite a bit so that you can reload your batteries for the challenging things yet to come and can also just increase your overall quality of life in general.

Many leisure activities to participate in

Since you can spend lots of time in nature and will also find many other things you are used to from other big cities, there are more than enough leisure activities you can choose from in Baltimore and chances are that you will never run out of ideas in this regard.

You can experience real seasons in Baltimore

Since Baltimore has warm summers and relatively cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in Baltimore and compared to people living in Austin or other warmer regions, you may have a much more interesting life from a climatic standpoint and can also go skiing or do other winter sports.

Living costs in Baltimore are relatively low

Another upside to moving to Baltimore is that living costs are lower compared to other cities like NYC and this means that you can afford many more nice things with the same income compared to people living in more expensive regions.

Financial pressure is not as high as in other major cities

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, overall financial pressure in Baltimore is much lower compared to other major cities and people can therefore live their lives in a more relaxed manner and are also not as career-focused.

In turn, people in Baltimore will take more time socializing while people in NYC or other big cities often have to make lots of money to survive and therefore have to spend more time on their careers and also have to work long hours.

The average person can still live the American dream in Baltimore

Since the average person can still afford to buy a decent home in Baltimore and living costs are relatively low, you can really still live the American dream in Baltimore without having to make a six-figure income as would be the case in many other more expensive regions.

Decent medical infrastructure in Baltimore

Baltimore also has a pretty decent medical infrastructure and you will find many good doctors and hospitals in this region.

Consequently, in case you get sick, you will find decent medical support and will also get the best medical treatment so that you can get cured of your disease rather quickly.

You can try many interesting foods in Baltimore

Since Baltimore is a multicultural city, you can also try many different foods and not only will this increase your overall quality of life, but you will also get many new ideas regarding what to cook at home and you can therefore expand your culinary knowledge quite a lot in the long run.

Baltimore has a decent art scene

Another benefit of moving to Baltimore is that the city also has a decent art scene and if you are an artist or just interested in art, you can meet many like-minded people and can have a great time together.

Many interesting museums and galleries to visit in Baltimore

Since you will have many great artists in Baltimore, you will also find many decent museums and galleries where you can visit many interesting exhibitions.

You will find interesting architecture in Baltimore

Also architecture in Baltimore is pretty interesting and you will find many buildings you might get inspiration from in case you are an architect and search for new ideas in this regard.

Baltimore is not the most crowded city

Another advantage of moving to Baltimore is that it is not the most crowded city and you will therefore find many public spaces where you can be on your own and can think about certain problems that need to be solved without getting distracted by other people as often as in other bigger cities.

Many recreational spaces to relax in Baltimore

You will also find many parks and other recreational spaces where you can just sit down and enjoy your time after work so that you can reload your batteries for the next day or also during lunch break.

You will not get stuck in traffic jams that often

Since Baltimore is not the most crowded city, traffic is still not a big problem and traffic jams are rather rare.

Consequently, you will not lose lots of time in traffic jams as people living in Los Angeles often do on a daily basis and can live your life in a more efficient manner.

Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Baltimore

Since traffic is not a big problem in Baltimore yet, it is also pretty easy to find a parking lot in this region and you don’t have to spend as much time and money as people living in more crowded places have to do in this regard.

Easy to get around in Baltimore

Since it is pretty unlikely that you get stuck in traffic jams, it is also pretty easy to get around in Baltimore in an efficient manner and you can therefore get from A to B within a rather short period of time and can also visit your friends in other parts of the city on a regular basis without having to spend lots of time in traffic jams.

People in Baltimore are genuine and honest

Compared to other more popular and glamorous cities, people in Baltimore are also more honest and real and this enables you to make real friends in the long run who don’t care about your finances but rather care about your personality and your character.

You will find most things you need within walking distance

Since Baltimore provides decent public infrastructure, you will also find most things for daily life within walking distance and can therefore get everything you need within a rather short period of time.

You can make nice day trips to other big cities

Since Baltimore is not too far away from Washington D.C. and NYC, you can also make many nice day trips to bigger cities in the surrounding region and this can give you additional options regarding what to do with your leisure and you will therefore never run out of ideas in this regard.

Baltimore is the biggest city in Maryland

Since Baltimore is the biggest city in Maryland, it is also a pretty important economic region and the state will likely spend lots of money on infrastructure projects that will make Baltimore a good place to live in for many decades.

Baltimore will stay important for many years to come

Even though population has been decreasing in Baltimore over the past decade, it is still the biggest city and Maryland and will likely stay important for many years to come.

Baltimore may become attractive to people from other regions

Since housing costs in Baltimore are pretty low, many people from more expensive regions like NYC and Washington D.C. think about moving to Baltimore and if this trend continues, chances are that the Baltimore region will become even more interesting and attractive in the future.

People in Baltimore can often save enough money for retirement

Since people in Baltimore don’t have to spend lots of money on housing and living costs are also fairly low, people with decent incomes can also save and invest enough money for retirement so that they don’t suffer from serious old-age poverty later in their lives.

You will likely never get bored in Baltimore

Since there are so many things to do, most people never get bored in Baltimore and have more than enough options regarding how to spend their time since there are always new things to experience.

Baltimore has pretty good tap water

Thanks to excellent tap water quality, people in Baltimore also don’t have to rely on bottled water from the store and can therefore save lots of money in the long run and can also do good for our environment at the same time by saving lots of plastic waste.

Baltimore has an international airport

Moving to Baltimore can also make quite a lot of sense for you in case you want to travel the world on a regular basis since you will find a big international airport from which you can get to various parts of the world in a pretty efficient manner.

Baltimore can be a great place to live for every age group

Baltimore offers many attractions for every age group and people from different generations are able to live together in a pretty solid manner and even help each other out from time to time.

You may never have to move again after moving to Baltimore

If you move to Baltimore at a rather young age, you may also never have to move again since you may just want to stay in this place until the end of your life since you will never run out of options regarding what to do no matter how old you get.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Baltimore.

Yet, you should also know that there are many drawbacks to living in Baltimore that I want to discuss for you in the following so that you get a better idea regarding whether you still want to move to Baltimore or rather want to spend your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Baltimore

1. Pretty high crime rates in Baltimore
2. Many people don’t feel safe in this region anymore
3. Unemployment rate in Baltimore is above national average
4. Many people struggle to find a decent job in the Baltimore region
5. Gap between the rich and the poor is about to increase
6. Social tensions are about to get worse in Baltimore
7. Homelessness is a big problem in Baltimore
8. Many people in Baltimore live below the poverty line
9. Many locals consider leaving the Baltimore region
10. Population has been decreasing over the past decade
11. Baltimore may lose its importance in the long run
12. Baltimore is not very popular among tourists
13. Your friends from other states may not visit you in Baltimore very often
14. Air quality in Baltimore is pretty poor
15. Baltimore doesn’t have great public transport
16. Baltimore is not the most bike-friendly city
17. You often need a car to get around in Baltimore
18. You will not find world-class education in Baltimore
19. Baltimore is not the most popular city
20. You may miss the glamour of other big cities
21. You may miss the feeling of big city life
22. Nightlife in Baltimore is not as great as in other major cities
23. You may rather want to move to warmer regions
24. People in Baltimore may not spend lots of time outdoors
25. You may have to justify moving to Baltimore
26. Your friends may always have to worry about your well-being
27. Baltimore doesn’t have many great sports teams
28. Hard to meet many celebrities in Baltimore

Pretty high crime rates in Baltimore

One problem with moving to Baltimore is that the city has pretty high crime rates and living in Baltimore is therefore much riskier compared to the average city in the US.

Hence, if you are a careful person and want to have maximum security for your family, Baltimore may not be the greatest place to live for you.

Many people don’t feel safe in this region anymore

Due to high crime rates in the Baltimore region, many people also no longer feel safe and have a pretty bad feeling when they leave their homes and this also greatly lowers overall quality of life in the long run.

Unemployment rate in Baltimore is above national average

You should also know that unemployment rate in Baltimore is above national average and you may therefore have to worry about losing your job on a regular basis, especially if you don’t have valuable skills needed in the job market right now.

Many people struggle to find a decent job in the Baltimore region

Many low-qualified people also really struggle to find a decent job in Baltimore and often have to work under pretty poor conditions and only get minimum wage so that they have a hard time providing for their families.

Gap between the rich and the poor is about to increase

Another downside to moving to Baltimore is that overall level of inequality is increasing and this may lead to all sorts of social tensions and may also contribute to even higher crime rates in the long run.

Social tensions are about to get worse in Baltimore

Since the gap between the poor and the rich becomes bigger, also social tensions are about to get worse and people from different social classes may no longer hang out as often as in the past and social cohesion may therefore deteriorate sooner or later.

Homelessness is a big problem in Baltimore

You should also know that there are many homeless people in Baltimore and this is not a pretty picture at all and you may also no longer feel safe walking down the streets since you may have to fear getting robbed.

Many people in Baltimore live below the poverty line

Another disadvantage of moving to Baltimore is that many people in the Baltimore region live below the poverty line and you will therefore see many poor people and even if you don’t end up in poverty yourself, you may still feel guilty and may feel sorry for those people on a daily basis.

Many locals consider leaving the Baltimore region

Since Baltimore is no longer an attractive place to live in compared to other major cities, many locals also consider leaving this region and in case this happens, part of the city’s charm may be lost and overall quality of life may suffer in the long run.

Population has been decreasing over the past decade

Another indication that Baltimore loses part of its popularity is that population in Baltimore has been decreasing over the past decade and this is only true for very few cities in the US.

Hence, many people may leave the region in the long run and infrastructure may become even worse in the future.

Baltimore may lose its importance in the long run

While Baltimore is still an important city, this may change in the future in case too many people leave the region and you may also lose many friends over time who may just want to move away from Baltimore to more popular regions instead.

Baltimore is not very popular among tourists

You should also know that Baltimore is not the most popular destination for tourists and you will therefore have a harder time meeting people from all over the world compared to people living in Chicago or other famous cities who can meet many tourists on a regular basis.

Your friends from other states may not visit you in Baltimore very often

Since Baltimore is not the most popular city, your friends from other states may also not visit you as often as it might have been the case if you moved to a more popular region and you may therefore feel lonely in this regard in the long run.

Air quality in Baltimore is pretty poor

Another downside to living in Baltimore is that air quality is pretty poor and this not only adversely affects overall quality of life but may also increase your risk of suffering from serious health problems sooner or later.

Baltimore doesn’t have great public transport

It is also pretty hard to get around by public transport in Baltimore in an efficient manner, especially if you live outside the city center where public transport connections are often pretty poor.

Baltimore is not the most bike-friendly city

Another disadvantage of living in Baltimore is that it is not a bike-friendly city and if you love biking, you may be better off moving to San Francisco or other regions where getting around by bike is much more popular and biking infrastructure is much better.

You often need a car to get around in Baltimore

Since it is pretty hard to get around by public transport or by bike, you may also need a car to get around in Baltimore in an efficient manner and this can not only hurt your finances but is also pretty bad for our environment in the long run.

You will not find world-class education in Baltimore

While you will find solid schools and colleges, you should not move to Baltimore but rather move to Boston if you want to have access to world-class universities and want to get the best education possible for your kids.

Baltimore is not the most popular city

You should also know that Baltimore is not the most popular city and doesn’t have the same high reputation as Washington D.C. or other major cities in the US.

You may miss the glamour of other big cities

You may also miss the glamour you may be used to from other big cities in Baltimore and if you want to be at the center of the universe and want to have action 24/7, you may be better off moving to New York City instead of moving to Baltimore.

You may miss the feeling of big city life

You will also not get the same feeling of big city life in Baltimore compared to L.A. or other major cities and if you want to live in a really big city and search for this special feeling, chances are that you will be better off moving to a bigger and more glamorous city instead.

Nightlife in Baltimore is not as great as in other major cities

While you will find some decent bars to hang out in after work, you will still not have the same great nightlife in Baltimore as you would have in other major cities and if you are a party person, you may get really frustrated in this regard in the long run.

You may rather want to move to warmer regions

Since you will have pretty cold winters, you may rather want to move to Houston or other warmer regions in case you want to have warm climatic conditions all year long and don’t want to deal with snow at all.

People in Baltimore may not spend lots of time outdoors

Due to pretty cold winters, people in Baltimore often also don’t spend lots of time outdoors and this may lower your overall quality of life and may also adversely affect your mood in the long run.

You may have to justify moving to Baltimore

Many people will also not understand your decision of moving to Baltimore and you may also have to explain and justify quite a lot in this regard.

Your friends may always have to worry about your well-being

Since Baltimore is a pretty unsafe city and crime rates are high, your family and friends may also worry about your well-being quite often and you may therefore impose a significant emotional burden on your loved ones by moving to Baltimore.

Baltimore doesn’t have many great sports teams

Another disadvantage of living in Baltimore is that there are not as many great sports teams as in other major cities and if you want to watch sports games at the highest level, you may be better off moving to Phoenix or other major cities instead.

Hard to meet many celebrities in Baltimore

Since Baltimore is not the most popular city, it is also hard to meet many celebrities or other important people and you will therefore also have a hard time building a strong business network in this region.

Top 10 Moving To Baltimore Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Baltimore A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Baltimore can make sense since living and housing costs in Baltimore are pretty low and you can also enjoy pretty decent public infrastructure, crime rates are still pretty high, unemployment is a big problem and social problems are about to get worse in the future.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Baltimore anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Louisville

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Memphis

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Portland

Sources

https://www.baltimorecity.gov/

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/baltimorecitymaryland/INC110219

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.