The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in 21204, MD: Crime Maps and Statistics

Crime per Capita in 21204

This overview combines violent, property, and other offenses into a single grade for 21204. The dedicated violent crime and property crime pages go deeper on each. The map below shows the overall crime rate per 1,000 residents.

 

21204, MD Map of Crime Rates
Click the map to explore
A+ B C D F
Safest Highest crime
Colorblind friendly off

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

C-
F
Other Crime Grade
D-

$17.7 million

Cost of Crime™ for 21204, MD

In 2025, crime will cost $1,342 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of 21204 with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is 21204, MD Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US zip, where 21204's combined rate is much higher than the norm. 21204 sits in the 9th percentile, ahead of 9% of zip codes and behind 91%. The grade covers only 21204's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby zip codes.

The overall crime rate in 21204 is 56.64 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the zip the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 5 in the east areas to 1 in 38 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the east parts of 21204, MD report the most crime, about 428 cases per year. The west part reports the fewest, around 46 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in 21204, MD

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in 21204 for 2025 is $17,687,160, about $657 per resident and $1,342 per household. That equals 1.1% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:
  1. Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 58.8%
  2. Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 30.7%
  3. Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 10.4%

How Much Does Crime Cost in 21204 Compared to Other Zip Codes?

21204, MD: $657
21223, MD: $1637
21012, MD: $186
Maryland: $531
USA: $464

The overall cost of crime per resident in 21204 is $657 per year, which is $193 more than the national average and $126 more than Maryland's state average. The comparison below uses zip codes similar to 21204:
  • In 21223, MD, crime costs $1,637 per person, which is $980 more than in 21204.
  • In 21012, MD, crime costs $186 per person, which is $471 less than in 21204

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of 21204 for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.
Crime
Cost to 21204
Cost per 21204 Resident
Murder
$3.96 million
$147
Rape/Sexual Assault
$1.06 million
$39
Robbery
$904,224
$34
Assault
$1.56 million
$58
Kidnapping
$19,828
$1
Vehicle Theft
$2.59 million
$96
Burglary
$367,504
$14
Theft
$4.10 million
$152
Arson
$44,419
$2
Vandalism
$1.23 million
$46
Animal Cruelty
$34,393
$1
Drug Crimes
$1.28 million
$47
Identity Theft
$545,543
$20
Total Cost of Crime
$17,687,160
$657

The Intangible Cost of Crime in 21204, MD

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in 21204 totals $32,190,752 ($1,196 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $49,877,912 ($1,854 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The east part of the zip holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which 21204 has 2, do the same, and of 21204's 26,907 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in 21204, MD at ISP Reports.

21204 Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 21204 residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Assault
2.015
Robbery
1.068
Rape
0.6479
Murder
0.0783
Total Violent Crime
3.810 (C-)
 
 

 


Property Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Theft
29.42
Vehicle Theft
6.216
Burglary
1.506
Arson
0.0684
Total Property Crime
37.21 (F)
 
 

 


Other Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Kidnapping
0.0122
Drug Crimes
6.414
Vandalism
6.406
Identity Theft
2.620
Animal Cruelty
0.1728
Total "Other" Rate
15.62 (D-)

 


Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Zip Codes

Compared to surrounding zip codes, the rate of crime in 21204 is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for zip codes close to 21204.

Nearby Zip
Overall Crime Grade
Violent Crime Grade
Property Crime Grade
D-
C-
F
D+
D
D+
D+
B-
D
D+
D-
C
C+
C+
C
C-
C-
D+
D+
D-
C
D
C-
D
D+
D-
D+
D
D-
D+

Crime Maps and Rates for Zip with Similar Populations

21204 is higher versus other zip codes of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in zip codes with comparable overall population in the zip‘s boundaries.

Similar Zip
Overall Crime Grade
Violent Crime Grade
Property Crime Grade
A
A
A
A+
A+
A+
A-
A
A
D+
D
D
D
D-
D-
C-
C-
C-
F
F
F
B-
B
B
A-
C
C
B
B+
B+

Considering only the crime rate, 21204 is less safe than the Maryland state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in 21204, MD average SchoolGrade of B, with 45% actual proficiency versus 42% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See 21204 schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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Home Security

A crime occurs on average every 5 hours 44 minutes in 21204. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in 21204, MD

All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.