The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Eldersburg, MD

Eldersburg is an unincorporated community of 27,600 in Carroll County, about 20 miles northwest of downtown Baltimore · Updated November 2026

Is Eldersburg, MD safe?

Yes, crime in Eldersburg is low, with an overall CrimeGrade™ of A-. Because most US neighborhoods are safe as well, Eldersburg sits near the middle: safer than the neighborhoods where 49% of Americans live. Violent crime grades better than property crime here, A against B+. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A to B+; see the map below.

A-
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 831 of 1,000
About as safe as the typical US neighborhood What this means

49% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Eldersburg as a whole, and 51% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Eldersburg scores 831.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A
Violent crimeSafety score 870 of 1,000About as much violent crime as the typical US neighborhood
B+
Property crimeSafety score 762 of 1,000About as much property crime as the typical US neighborhood

How it works


Crime map of Eldersburg

Map of Eldersburg shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Eldersburg, MD at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Eldersburg, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Eldersburg

Theft stands out among A-graded cities. For the typical resident of an A-graded US city, the figure is 8.3 thefts a year per 1,000 residents; Eldersburg has 19.1.

Burglaries are uncommon. Eldersburg has burglaries at less than half the US rate: 1.0 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.4 nationally.


The safest and least safe parts of Eldersburg

Every part of Eldersburg where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across Eldersburg run from A to B+; 59% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 100%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

Within Eldersburg, the northwest side has the least crime and the center the most.


Crime rates and types in Eldersburg

CrimeGrade™ estimates Eldersburg has about 36 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, about the same as the US as a whole and close to Maryland.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Theft is the most common crime in Eldersburg, about 52% of everything reported, but assault costs more, because each one does more harm.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.010.05
RapeA-60.230.38
RobberyA60.230.62
AssaultA-2539.112.3
Property crime
BurglaryA291.02.4
TheftB-52719.113.1
Vehicle theftA401.52.7
ArsonA+under 10.030.12
VandalismB+1455.35.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


How Eldersburg compares with nearby cities

Eldersburg has more crime than 6 of its 9 nearest cities. Woodbine and Cooksville have the least crime nearby.

Nearby cities

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
EldersburgA-831AB+27,600
Sykesville 2 milesA887AA10,900
Marriottsville 4 milesA914A+A6,470
Cooksville 6 milesA919A+A1,160
Baltimore 19 milesF0FF531,400
Show all 9
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Finksburg 7 milesA877AA-10,600
Woodstock 7 milesA897AA9,930
Woodbine 8 milesA+926A+A10,000
Reisterstown 8 milesA-783A-B+31,600
Randallstown 8 milesB-577BC+30,400

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Eldersburg. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with cities of similar size and density, Eldersburg has more crime than 81% of them.

Cities of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
EldersburgA-831AB+27,600
Smithtown, NYA+933A+A27,600
Feasterville-Trevose, PAA902A+A27,700
Ravenna, OHA897AA27,600
Zebulon, NCA873AA27,700
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Central Point, ORA863AA-27,700
Shirley, NYA856AA-27,600
Austintown, OHA-840A-A-27,600
Jeffersontown, KYA-825AA-27,600
Tarpon Springs, FLA-799B+A27,600
Ottumwa, IAA-792A-A-27,600

Empty homes, walkability and transit in Eldersburg

Two things set Eldersburg apart: it has 1.3% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally, and a Walk Grade of D- (7 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places like that tend to report less burglary, vandalism and arson, and burglary runs low here.

Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.1.3% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 98% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft and assault. 94% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D- (7 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 87% of US city residents
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Eldersburg: F (1 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 84% of US city residents
Show all 6
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.60% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 83% of US city residents
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.5% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 76% of US city residents
Parking lotsBig lots at stores, offices and apartment complexes. Places with more lot space tend to report more theft.1.2 spaces per residentUS: 2.0Lower than for 71% of US city residents

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Eldersburg on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Eldersburg

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Eldersburg about $919 a year per household, 24% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $23 million a year, or $835 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$660,000$24
Rape$380,000$14
Robbery$200,000$7
Assault$3.2 million$115
Burglary$260,000$9
Theft$2.7 million$98
Vehicle theft$620,000$22
Arson$18,000$1
Vandalism$1.0 million$37
Total$9.0 million$327

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Eldersburg means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Eldersburg

Schools in Eldersburg, MD average a SchoolGrade of A+: 54% of students test proficient, against 45% projected for schools like them. Overall, they greatly exceed expectations. See schools in Eldersburg on SchoolGrade