Residents across the Baltimore region are deeply concerned about traffic, home prices and the cost of living, and see promise in Harborplace redevelopment and the proposed Red Line, according to a new survey from the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
The BMC on Tuesday released The Pulse, an inaugural survey of critical policy issues intended to guide the region’s planning and decision making in the months and years ahead. The survey includes enough respondents in each of the area’s jurisdictions – Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Queen Anee’s counties – to allow for the examination of difference viewpoints across the region.
Highlights of the inaugural Pulse survey include:
Economy and Personal Finances
- Residents say their cost of living is high, which many find troubling. A clear majority — 71 percent across the region — are somewhat or very dissatisfied with the cost of living. This rate is highest in Anne Arundel County, with 81 percent of residents, and lowest in Carroll County, with 60 percent.
- Cost of groceries represents the most significant concern, cited by 70 percent of respondents, followed by housing and utilities.
- Education levels correlate with economic satisfaction. Those with college degrees are roughly twice as likely to be satisfied with the state’s economy and their family finances as those without college degrees.
- Of those residents looking for work, 6 in 10 say that jobs in the area do not offer wages which cover their cost of living.
Housing and Development
- Nearly 8 in 10 respondents say the cost of housing is a problem, and more than half say that it’s a major problem. The numbers are high and consistent in every jurisdiction.
- About half of renters say they don’t believe they will be able to purchase a home in the near future.
- Views vary on whether to limit development of new housing. Residents in Baltimore City feel that limits will make housing more expensive, but residents in suburban and exurban counties favor limits.
Traffic, Transportation and Transit
- Concerns about traffic are pervasive. The region’s residents are generally unsatisfied with traffic, and most think it’s getting worse.
- About 1 in 10 respondents report working or studying from home.
- Nearly half of respondents are willing to use public transportation, with numbers highest among young people.
- Residents want convenient stops and increased safety for transit.
- Some 4 in 10 residents say they are likely to consider purchasing an electric vehicle for their next vehicle.
Harborplace, the Key Bridge and the Red Line
- Of respondents in Baltimore City and County, 75 percent say it’s either somewhat or very important to rebuild Inner Harbor’s Harborplace to ensure the future economic vitality of the region.
- Most respondents believe that rebuilding the Key Bridge will improve the economy and traffic in the region. Roughly two thirds of respondents in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Harford Counties say the collapse impacted their travel.
- A majority of respondents agree that building the Red Line transit connection in Baltimore can improve traffic. Support for the Red Line is greatest in Baltimore City.
The Pulse was conducted by GQR, a leading polling firm based in Washington, D.C. GQR conducted the survey among 1,200 adults in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne’s Counties from September 3 through September 9, 2024. Live phone, text-to-web and online interviews each made up 33 percent of respondent modes. Respondents were compiled from a representative stratified set and panel sample of the target area’s general population. The data are subject to a margin of error of +/- 2.83 percentage points overall at the 95 percent confidence interval. The margin of error is higher among subgroups and online respondents.
