Frederick County, Maryland

County in MD, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

287,048

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 39, half older

Diversity Index

53.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

13.8%

foreign-born population

86.2%Native

13.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Frederick County is a county in Maryland, United States.

Location

County in MD, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.470177° N, 77.397636° W

DMS39° 28′ 12.64″ N, 77° 23′ 51.49″ W

Population Density & area

434.5/sq mi (167.8/km²)

Total Area

667.4 sq mi (1,728.6 km²)

Land Area

660.6 sq mi (1,711 km²) · 99%

Water Area

6.8 sq mi (17.6 km²) · 1%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.5% male

Male 49.5%

Female 50.5%

males per 100 females

Frederick County 97.9

Maryland 94.8

United States 98

Nativity

13.8%

foreign-born population

86.2%Native

13.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Frederick County 13.8%

Maryland 16.6%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 39, half older

Frederick County

Maryland

39.4

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

62.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Frederick County 62.9

Maryland 63.5

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.3%	22.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	61.4%	61.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	15.3%	16.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	62.9	63.5	64.4
Child dependency ratio	38	36.3	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	24.9	27.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

65.7%

Black

10.1%

Asian

5.9%

Hispanic

12.9%

Other

5.4%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

53.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Frederick County 53.6%

Maryland 67.7%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Frederick County population

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Hispanic or Latino	12.9%	12.5%	19.3%
Mexican	2%	2%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	1.2%	1.1%	1.8%
Cuban	0.4%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	9.3%	9.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	87.1%	87.5%	80.7%
One race	82.1%	82.9%	76.4%
White	65.7%	46.6%	57.4%
Black or African American	10.1%	28.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	5.9%	6.5%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.7%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5%	4.6%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

71.9% family

Family 71.9%

Non family 28.1%

% family households

Frederick County 71.9%

Maryland 65%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.7

persons per household

Frederick County

2.7

Maryland

2.57

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Frederick County population

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Total households	104,635	2,362,928	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.7	2.57	2.53
Family households	75,260	1,535,706	82,990,528
Average family size	3.18	3.19	3.14
Married couple family	59,227	1,090,871	60,637,388
Other families	16,033	444,835	22,353,140
Male householder	4,846	120,206	6,572,819
Female householder	11,187	324,629	15,780,321
Non-family households	29,375	827,222	46,236,968
One-person households	23,659	677,124	37,140,836
Male householder	10,364	282,192	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	2,957	87,532	5,225,110
Female householder	13,295	394,932	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	6,734	185,255	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	5,716	150,098	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

108,924

housing units

Frederick County 108,924

Maryland 2,560,784

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

96.1% occupied

Occupied 96.1%

Vacant 3.9%

vacancy rate

Frederick County 3.9%

Maryland 7.7%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

82.1%

Single family houses

82.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

17.3%

Mobile homes

0.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1991

Half of houses were built before 1991, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

10.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

12.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

44.3%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

32.4%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.8	6.2	5.5
1–3 rooms	7.5%	12.3%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	38%	42.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	54.5%	45.2%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.1%	2.1%	2.9%
1 bedroom	6.1%	10.3%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	16.5%	21.3%	25%
3 bedrooms	38.3%	35.8%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	38.1%	30.5%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1991	1980	1981
Total housing units	108,924	2,560,784	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77% owners

Renter-occupied 23%

Owner-occupied 77%

homeownership rate

Frederick County 77%

Maryland 67.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.82

Owner-occupied

2.28

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Frederick County 2.82

Maryland 2.7

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Total occupied units	104,635	2,362,928	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	24.5%	23.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	39.6%	39%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.4%	17.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	18.3%	20.8%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.7%	97.5%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.7%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.4%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	4.4%	8.8%	8.4%
1 vehicle	26.1%	33.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	39.9%	35.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	29.5%	21.9%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	37.7%	46.9%	51.4%
Electricity	51.2%	44.1%	41.3%
Solar	0.3%	0.4%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	8.3%	6.6%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.4%	1.6%	2%
No fuel used	0.3%	0.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.5%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$464,600

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Frederick County

$464,600

Maryland

$419,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

23.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

23.2%

Owners without a mortgage

10.2%

Renters

48.5%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Property value
Median Value	$464,600	$419,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	1.9%	5%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	2.6%	7.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	10.7%	14.8%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	42.9%	37.1%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	38.5%	29.7%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	3.3%	6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	76.1%	71%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	23.9%	29%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,449	$2,347	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$731	$753	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,774	$1,705	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

45.8%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Frederick County 45.8%

Maryland 43.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Frederick County 6.6%

Maryland 8.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

72,473

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

68.7%

College / Undergraduate

19.2%

Graduate / Professional

6.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

43.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Frederick County

43.4%

Maryland

41.8%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	72,473	1,533,098	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6%	5.7%	5.7%
K–12	68.7%	66.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.4%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	20.7%	19.5%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.9%	20.5%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.7%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	25.3%	28%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	19.2%	20.4%	21%
Graduate, professional school	6.2%	7.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	43.4%	41.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	82.3%	80%	82%
Private school	17.7%	20%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

196,490

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

3.6%

HS graduate

22.4%

Some college no degree

17%

Associates degree

8.3%

Bachelors degree

25.3%

Graduate or professional degree

20.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

50.7% · 49.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

56% · 44%

HS graduate

50.7% · 49.3%

Some college no degree

51.4% · 48.6%

Associates degree

47.2% · 52.8%

Bachelors degree

48% · 52%

Graduate or professional degree

45.5% · 54.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Population (25+)	196,490	4,301,335	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3%	4%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.6%	4.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	22.4%	23.4%	26%
Some college, no degree	17%	17.4%	19.1%
Associate's degree	8.3%	6.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	45.8%	43.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	25.3%	22.7%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	20.5%	20.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	93.4%	91.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$73,399

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$39,156

HS graduate

$51,444

Some college or associates

$61,577

Bachelors degree

$85,622

Graduate or professional degree

$106,427

Poverty Rate

2.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

14.5%

HS graduate

10%

Some college or associates

4.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Frederick County	Maryland	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$73,399	$65,293	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$39,156	$35,487	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$51,444	$45,113	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$61,577	$54,823	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$85,622	$80,465	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$106,427	$105,640	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	14.5%	20.9%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	10%	12.6%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	4.9%	8.3%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.4%	3.5%	4.5%

Insights for Frederick County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.