Town · Carroll County, Maryland

Union Bridge, Maryland

Union Bridge is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, part of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area. It has 1,055 residents. Union Bridge, Maryland has a quality-of-life score of 67 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,207 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Maryland it ranks #160 of 334 cities and towns. It ranks best on math scores (high), income inequality (Gini index) (low) and reading scores (high). It ranks worst on average commute time (high), drought exposure (high) and time spent in the emergency room (high).

67High

Quality-of-life score: #5,207 of 15,651 cities and towns
Maryland: #160 of 334 in MD
Population: 1,055 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 929.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 2479350

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

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Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety85#2,301/15,637
Economy63#5,742/15,631
Housing39#9,165/14,977
Health53#7,289/15,609
Healthcare43#8,902/15,650
Environment78#3,465/15,453
Education90#1,530/15,649
Infrastructure18#12,782/15,650
Community77#3,642/15,651
Leisure & amenities46#8,375/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Union Bridge, Maryland ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Carroll County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Math scores · high3.55
98/100Maryland 2.96United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCarroll County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.312
97/100Maryland 0.456United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Reading scores · high3.37
93/100Maryland 3.00United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCarroll County value
Voter turnout · high77.4%
92/100Maryland 68.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionCarroll County value
Natural hazard risk · low6.3
90/100Maryland 4.72025Federal Emergency Management AgencyCarroll County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low2.3%
89/100Maryland 7.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010High uncertainty

Weaknesses

Average commute time · high36.0 min
6/100Maryland 31.0 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Drought exposure · high83%
9/100Maryland 64%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAACarroll County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high214 min
15/100Maryland 246 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCarroll County value
New business applications · low9.3 /1k
18/100Maryland 16.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauCarroll County value
Adult obesity · high40.8%
18/100Maryland 36.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Primary care shortage · high15.0
21/100Maryland 7.1United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationCarroll County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
872 (2015-2019) → 1,055 (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
9.9% (2015-2019) → 27.0% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
70.9% (2015-2019) → 87.4% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
60.8% (2015-2019) → 49.3% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
17.4% (2015-2019) → 26.5% (2020-2024)
+9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
37.1% (2015-2019) → 29.7% (2020-2024)
−7.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Union Bridge, Maryland improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Inequality−0.1010.413 → 0.312
Broadband+16 points70.9% → 87.4%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Union Bridge, Maryland between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	31.7 min2015-2019	36.0 min2020-2024	+4.3 min	Within the margin of error	13%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.4%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	+9.2 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Broadband subscriptions	70.9%2015-2019	87.4%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	84%
Effective property tax rate	1.22%2015-2019	0.85%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	82%
High school diploma or higher	86.9%2015-2019	94.1%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.4×	Within the margin of error	55%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4132015-2019	0.3122020-2024	−0.101	Improved	96%
Median household income	$55,7502015-2019	$76,2502020-2024	+37%	Within the margin of error	69%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	37.1%2015-2019	29.7%2020-2024	−7.4 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Rent-burdened households	60.8%2015-2019	49.3%2020-2024	−12 points	Within the margin of error	85%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Union Bridge, Maryland five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Union Bridge, Maryland in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Union Bridge, Maryland itself moved +18.5 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,055 residents (±212)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−5.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,055 residents (±212)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

White85%900
Black3.5%†37
Hispanic or Latino1.6%†17
Asian8.3%†88
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races1.2%†13

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Asian (+8.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

712 residents (±145)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

No high school diploma5.9%†42
High school or GED42%†300
Some college19%134
Associate degree6.6%†47
Bachelor's degree8.6%†61
Graduate degree18%†128

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Graduate degree (+13.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

468 households (±104)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $25k12%†57
$25k–50k18%†85
$50k–75k19%†90
$75k–100k33%†154
$100k–150k10%†48
$150k–200k7.3%†34
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $75k–100k (+22.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

468 households (±104)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Own68%317
Rent32%151

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+19.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

146 households (±44)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $75027%†40
$750–1,00011%†16
$1,000–1,50049%†72

Home values

317 homes (±95)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $150k12%†37
$150k–250k23%†73
$250k–400k65%†207

Age of homes

506 homes (±103)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

2010 or later0.6%†3
2000–20098.1%†41
1980–19993.0%†15

Size of homes

506 homes (±103)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Studio2.4%†12
1 bedroom13%67
2 bedrooms25%†127

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

537 workers (±125)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Drive alone80%428
Carpool9.7%†52
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.8%†15
Bike0.0%0
Work from home7.8%†42
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+7.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

495 workers (±127)

Union Bridge, Maryland
Maryland share

Under 15 min17%†83
15–29 min24%†120
30–44 min21%†102

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Carroll County, the county holding most of Union Bridge's residents.

Carroll County has 4,279 employer establishments, 242 for every 10,000 residents (0.98× the US rate of 248; 1.05× Maryland's), with 53,981 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,797. The Census Bureau also counts 14,257 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,279; 14,257 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 242; US 248 · Maryland 230
Paid employees: 53,981
Average annual pay: $51,797; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Carroll County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	486	27.5	1.78×More than typical	4,560	$68,576	998
Ambulatory health care services	350	19.8	0.95×About typical	3,414	$60,751	702
Restaurants and other eating places	270	15.3	0.83×About typical	5,480	$21,724	41
Construction of buildings	213	12.1	1.59×More than typical	786	$60,682	423
Building equipment contractors	208	11.8	1.96×More than typical	2,158	$67,312	226
Services to buildings and dwellings	186	10.5	1.56×More than typical	1,587	$47,245	756
Lessors of real estate	156	8.8	0.72×Fewer than typical	388	$53,802	1,346
Landscaping services	131	7.4	2.12×More than typical	1,031	$52,256	317
Limited-service restaurants	131	7.4	0.92×About typical	2,476	$18,747	18
Automotive repair and maintenance	129	7.3	1.45×More than typical	654	$56,479	186
Computer systems design and related services	116	6.6	1.52×More than typical	651	$135,902	188
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	113	6.4	1.94×More than typical	1,141	$67,642	115

Rank places for an industry Open Carroll County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 176,625 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Union Bridge is mostly in Carroll County.

See federal money in Carroll County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Union Bridge, Maryland is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).