Maryland covers 9,774 square miles, with a 2019 estimated population of 6,045,680 people – with 150,952 people living in rural areas (USDA-ERS). Annapolis is the state capital. The state's largest cities are Baltimore, Gaithersburg and Frederick. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 58.5% of the state's population is white, 31.1% is African-American, 6.7% is Asian, 0.6% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 10.6% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Maryland Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2021 Maryland had:

• No Critical Access Hospitals
• 1 Rural Health Clinic
• 25 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 6 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Maryland

5.9% of Maryland residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2019). According to the Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Maryland residents in 2019 was $64,640, with the rural per capita income at $56,165. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Maryland is 12.3%, compared with 9.0% in urban areas of the state. 11.5% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 9.7% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Maryland is 4.0%, and in urban Maryland, it is 3.6% (USDA-ERS, 2019).

Maryland Office of Rural Health
Phone: 410.767.4467
Collects and disseminates information within the state, coordinates rural health interests and activities across the state, and provides technical assistance to attract more federal, state, and foundation funding for rural communities.
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