5 Popular Baltimore Neighborhoods For Black Families, Singles & Young Professionals – Maryland

Beautiful coastline, amazing cuisines (you should try the city’s famous crabs), and the rich history make it easy to fall for the allure of Baltimore.

But with well over 250 neighborhoods, you have numerous options to consider if you’re moving to Baltimore. To help you, we break down the best Baltimore neighborhoods for black families below.

3 Best Baltimore Suburbs For Black Families

If you are moving to Baltimore with your family, a few key considerations should linger in your mind. You want to be sure the neighborhood is safe and appropriate for children and their growth.

You also want it to have facilities for family living such as schools and easy access to work areas. And lastly, it must be a fun place too, both for the kids and the grown-ups.

Below are the best neighborhoods for black families in Baltimore for which fit that bill.

Columbia

Family appeal, security, buzzing nightlife, great vibes, you name it, Columbia has it. Columbia is a hotspot for young families moving to Baltimore.

The dense suburban vibe of the area makes it an attractive option for young couples. Plus, crime in Columbia is a near-rarity, with only 20 occurrences per 1,000 people.

The Columbia neighborhood is an excellent environment for young black kids. The school system in the area is top-notch, with the suburb playing home to several of the top 10 schools in the state. Your children’s educational needs are covered right from elementary to high school level.

The Columbia neighborhood is also perfect for parents or professionals working in the main Baltimore city area. The suburb lies some 20 miles away from Baltimore; it’s only a 30-45 minutes drive away from the city.

Don’t have a car? Don’t worry. The public transport is adequate and efficient which makes things a lot easier for commuters.

Being a mainly family residential area, the cost and type of housing in Columbia is more suited to families. Single facility homes with multiple bedrooms are common.

The general cost of rent is about $1,700 monthly, which is about the average range across Baltimore.

Sky Zone is one of the top attractions for families with kids in Columbia. If you’re nature-inclined, you can also spend time at Lake Kittamaqundi or Lake Elkhorn Park. There’s also a large shopping mall with storefronts that appeal to both kids and adults.

Ellicott city

Cut off from the hustle and bustle of the central area, Ellicott city is the perfect area to locate a black family in Baltimore. The neighborhood is located just outside the Baltimore central city but still counts as one of its suburbs.

Speaking about schools, Ellicott city alone has 24 public schools and 14 private schools. You don’t need to worry much about your kids’ educational needs in this neighborhood.

Not only that, the city is only about 15 miles to the west of Baltimore, which is relatively close.

For folks working in the main city of Baltimore, public transport only takes at most an hour. And if you have a car, getting to the city will only take about 25 minutes.

Being a suburban neighborhood, most of the individuals living in Ellicott city own their houses. At $537,000, the cost of buying houses in this neighborhood may be on the high side compared to other districts.

However, the peaceful, serene and secure environment is well worth it. With only ten crimes per 1,000 people, Ellicott City is safer than 60% of US cities.

Ellicott city is deserving of its rating as one of the best Baltimore neighborhoods for black families. If money is not a constraint, you should consider moving here.

The Centennial Park and the Patapsco Valley State Park are places of interest where families can bond together.

Scaggsville

The median house value in Scaggsville is $511,300, and the average cost of rent is $2,431 per month. It’s one of the high-end neighborhoods in the city.

You’ll expect a lot from this suburb with numbers like the above, and it does deliver. For starters, professional opportunities abound in Scaggsville.

Up to 66.1% of the population is employed in management, executive, skilled and professional roles. Government jobs are also available in local, federal, or state capacities.

With a population of less than 10,000, Scaggsville is safe. Annual crime figures are well under the 500 mark. Only cases of theft are over the 1000 mark.

Education-wise, Scaggsville is home to the highest number of top-ranking schools in the state. And there are opportunities for the fun side of life.

Black families will enjoy a day out at places like the College Park Aviation Museum, Crofton Go-Kart Raceway, and the Wheaton Regional Park and Nature Center.

2 Best Baltimore Neighborhoods For Young Black Professionals & Singles

Black, single professionals will thrive in a suburb with affordable housing, great working opportunities, and an active entertainment backdrop. These two neighborhoods meet those criteria.

Mount Vernon

Located in Central Baltimore, directly north of downtown, Mount Vernon is the hotspot of excitement and a little bit of everything.

The neighborhood has a rich history with modern culture and is always buzzing with life. It’s the ideal place for young black professionals who want a good mix of work and a fun lifestyle.

The suburb is also perfect for professionals who’d like to get to work without any hassle. Being in the center of Baltimore, the commute is easy and relatively cheap.

What’s more surprising is the comparatively low cost of housing in the neighborhood — the median price of homes in Mount Vernon to be $467,000.

You also want to try the exotic cuisines available in the neighborhood; you’re going to love it!

Canton

Waterfront condos, traditional formstone and brick houses, affordable apartments — Canton has got housing solutions for young black singles. 

The Canton neighborhood has a legit claim as one of the top Baltimore suburbs for young black professionals and singles. Located in southeast Baltimore, the neighborhood has a diverse range of residents and has no shortage of fun things to do.

Canton Square is the perfect place to enjoy your evening. The restaurants, the cafes, and the bars all have their ways of satisfying residents to the fullest.

The cost of rent in this area of the city is a bit higher than the state average at $1750, but it’s only by a few bucks. Plus, if you don’t have a car, the public transport is excellent.

If you love seafood and waterfront scenery, then Canton is where you want to be!

Is Baltimore Safe?

Like most cities in the United States, Baltimore has had its fair share of struggles with crime. But, it’s still a relatively safe city.

According to Statista, Maryland has a peace index rating of 3.124. On a scale of 1-4.5, that’s a pretty decent number.

The majority of the suburbs in Baltimore are relatively safe for black families and young professionals.

The neighborhoods mentioned above are some of the safest and friendliest in the city.

They are the five best neighborhoods for black families in Baltimore — peaceful, fun-loving communities that also embrace diversity.

What Is Baltimore’s Demographic?

As of April 2020, the population estimate of Baltimore is 593,490, as reported by the United States Census Bureau.

People of purely African American origins constitute 62.4% of the entire population of the city. Whites take up 30.46% of the population, and Asians make up only 2.28%.

The rest of the population consists of people from other races, including Native Americans and Pacific Highlanders.

Best Baltimore Neighborhoods For Black Families, Conclusion

There’s no one perfect or best Baltimore neighborhood for black families. Selecting the ideal suburbs to live in Baltimore is a profoundly personal decision.

It all comes down to your personal preferences, priorities, and financial capabilities. Keeping those facts in mind will help you decide the best neighborhood in Baltimore for your family.

And, with the solid recommendations above, it’s easier to make a decision. Good luck!