NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Metro Market Score 47.8 (Moderate), ranked #121 of 248 metros. 9,604 establishments, 221,048 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national healthcare and social assistance average.

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's healthcare and social assistance sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 84.3. Combined with a 47.8 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

60.5

LQ: 1.14

Rank #150 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

79.8

$68,611 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 84.3

Employment growth index

Rank #40 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

40.0

YoY wage change index

9,604 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

9,604

Establishments

+4.4% YoY

221,048

Total Employment

+6.1% YoY

$68,611

Average Annual Wage

+2.9% YoY

1.14

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Maryland

#2 of 4

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

Maryland state rank

#21 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

-6.1

better than median (53.9)

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Maryland Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to Maryland overall. The state ranks #21/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson	MD Statewide
Overall Score	47.8 Moderate	36.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#121 of 248 metros	#21 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Accommodation and Food Services 45.5 Retail Trade 48.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.6 Construction 61.5 Administrative and Support Services 61.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 63.3 Finance and Insurance 72.8

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other Maryland Metros

Hagerstown-Martinsburg 38.8 #63/248 Lexington Park 53.9 #163/248 Salisbury 77.0 #245/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's 47.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bozeman, MT 47.9 #122/248 Dubuque, IA 47.7 #119/248 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA 47.7 #120/248 Flagstaff, AZ 47.6 #118/248 Ocala, FL 47.4 #117/248 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA 47.4 #116/248 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 48.3 #123/248 Pittsburgh, PA 47.2 #115/248 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 47.2 #114/248 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 47.1 #113/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering Maryland

State-level entry risk for healthcare and social assistance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

District of Columbia 27.9 #5/51 Pennsylvania 29.5 #6/51 Virginia 39.9 #25/51 West Virginia 40.3 #27/51 Delaware 44.8 #33/51

Browse Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for healthcare and social assistance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's healthcare and social assistance sector, the wage competitiveness component (79.8) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment