ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Carroll County, Maryland

FIPS 24013 · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · Population 175,321
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$118,211
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.1%
Unemployment
4% national
$8.9B
GDP
40.7%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$118,211
Per Capita
$53,124
Mean Household
$142,587
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Median Income Comparison
Carroll County$118,211
Maryland$103,678
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 17.9% (31,453 residents) 55-64: 15% (26,219 residents) 35-54: 25.7% (45,093 residents) 18-34: 19.3% (33,921 residents) Under 18: 22% (38,635 residents) 41 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 22%
18-34 · 19.3%
35-54 · 25.7%
55-64 · 15%
65+ · 17.9%
Race & Ethnicity
White85.9%
Black or African American4.1%
Asian2.4%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)5.1%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
95.3%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +5.7 pts
40.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +5.0 pts
15.7%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +1.6 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
175,321
Population
95,948
Labor Force
Employed
91,941
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.1% ▲ +0.6 pts YoY
Mean Commute 8 min above national avg
34.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
17.3%
Key Takeaways
  • Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$8.9B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Carroll County, Maryland, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance
9,858 21.4%
$54,632
2Retail Trade
7,836 17.0%
$37,256
3Construction
6,552 14.2%
$74,509
4Accommodation and Food Services
5,680 12.3%
$25,477
5Manufacturing
4,030 8.7%
$82,399
6Wholesale Trade
3,210 7.0%
$76,259
7Administrative and Support and Waste Management
2,980 6.5%
$53,126
8Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2,550 5.5%
$95,709
9Other Services (except Public Administration)
2,190 4.7%
$48,278
10Educational Services
1,230 2.7%
$45,336
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 9,858 workers (21.4% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $54,632.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $8.9B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $95,709 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $25,477, a 3.8x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Apparel Manufacturing
12.39x
373
Waste Management and Remediation Services
2.86x
565
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
2.77x
2,316
Wood Product Manufacturing
2.63x
403
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
2.59x
3,386
Machinery Manufacturing
2.48x
1,031
Specialty Trade Contractors
2.37x
4,716
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.10x
950
Food and Beverage Retailers
1.82x
2,253
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
1.77x
382

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Construction Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
5,666
Cluster Employment
2.37x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Apparel Manufacturing
12.39x 373
Waste Management and Remediation Services
2.86x 565
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
2.77x 2,316
Wood Product Manufacturing
2.63x 403
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
2.59x 3,386
Machinery Manufacturing
2.48x 1,031
Specialty Trade Contractors
2.37x 4,716
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.10x 950
Food and Beverage Retailers
1.82x 2,253
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
1.77x 382

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.25x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
250 employed
0.31x
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
117 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Apparel Manufacturing concentrates at 12.39x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
  • Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 6 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Carroll County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$434,000
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,427
Rent/Mo
84.3%
Owner-Occ
3.7%
Vacancy
3.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,362/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,511/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,857/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,358/mo
4 Bedroom
$2,611/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,955/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.7x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 84.3% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,955/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
105,233
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 8 min above national avg
34.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
17.3%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
85.5%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 70.2% of working-age population (18-64) 70% Participation
▲ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
40.7%
HS Diploma+
95.3%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
42,931/yr
University of Maryland Global Campus 15,061/yr
University of Maryland-College Park 12,553/yr
Towson University 5,915/yr
University of Maryland-Baltimore County 3,902/yr
Montgomery College 2,980/yr
Community College of Baltimore County 2,520/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
24.9%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
50.2%
Service
14.4%
Sales & Office
17.3%
Construction / Maint.
10%
Production / Transport
8%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 91,941 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 24.9% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 33,529 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Carroll County shows strong potential for apparel manufacturing attraction, with a 12.39x concentration and 373 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 24.9% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

The interconnected base across apparel manufacturing, waste management and remediation services, and merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Carroll County, Maryland, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Carroll County, Maryland?

175,321 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Carroll County, Maryland?

$118,211 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Carroll County, Maryland?

3.1% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Carroll County, Maryland?

$8.9B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).