Moving to
Westminster.

All Westminster data Compare Westminster

20,445people live here $86,219median household incomeNear US average $1,476median rent per monthNear US average $337,600median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Westminster

Westminster is a small city in Maryland with county unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Westminster deals with commute times longer than most cities, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.

The good

Low unemployment in the county
Low crime rates
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Above-average commute times
High rent burden for renters
Cold winters

How Westminster compares

Median household income

Westminster$86,219

Maryland avg$103,678

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Westminster$1,476

Maryland avg$1,705

US$1,413

Median home value

Westminster$337,600

Maryland avg$419,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Westminster

Based on Westminster's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,952

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $59,040 a year
54% of Westminster renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$67,520

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $33,760
Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,476/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,476 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $337,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $337,600 · 54% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.1% county unemployment

Unemployment in Carroll County is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Carroll County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 36% below US

212 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1702/100k · Westminster Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 28.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

70%

Work from home

15%

Carpool

9.3%

Walk

4.1%

Other

1.1%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforceNear US average

36% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

2 public schools inside the boundary

There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Eisenhower National Historic Site (20 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Westminster's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,476/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home).

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