Economic concerns of Baltimore region residents are on the rise, a new BMC survey shows

BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, April 25, 2025) – Economic concerns are growing in the Baltimore region, with more residents worried about energy prices and the prospects of their household incomes, according to a new Pulse survey released today by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.
 
The survey was conducted in late March and early April and comes about seven months after the BMC’s inaugural Pulse survey in Fall 2024, allowing policymakers to review changes in attitudes over time. Full survey results can be found here.

Concerns over housing costs are on the rise, according to the survey. The percentage of those who said that the price of housing was a top concern rose from 25 percent to 30 percent since the last Pulse survey.

Worry over the increasing cost of utility bills surged. When asked about the biggest impact on their family’s costs, utility bills now eclipse housing costs as the biggest area of concern. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said it was their top concern, up from 34 percent.

In addition to housing costs, crime and drugs, taxes, and jobs and the economy are the leading concerns of Baltimore region residents.

Dissatisfaction with the cost of living in the Baltimore region has grown since last fall. 

In the current survey, 76 percent of respondents said they were somewhat or very unhappy with living costs, while 23 percent said they were satisfied, for a net negative of 53 percent. That’s up from a net negative of 43 percent in the prior survey, a significant drop.

The proportion of regional residents who say the Maryland economy is excellent or good has dropped from 48 percent to 45 percent, and the proportion who say the state economy is fair or poor has risen from 51 percent to 55 percent.

The Pulse survey measures attitudes on a variety of policy issues confronting the region’s local governments.  In other findings:

Public transportation: Willingness to use public transportation is highest in Baltimore City (68 percent), and lowest in Harford County (23 percent). Overall, younger residents are more willing to use public transportation, and respondents say that convenient stops and increased safety would most influence their use decisions.

Jobs and schools: More than half of respondents (55 percent) said they would prefer to work or take classes fully or mostly in-person, compared to 22 percent who said they preferred to be fully or mostly remote.

Electric vehicles: The proportion of respondents who said they were not likely to purchase an EV has grown from 61 percent last fall to 65 percent in the current survey.

Environment: Access to clean drinking water is by far the top environmental concern of respondents (52 percent), followed by clean air and cleaning the Chesapeake Bay (32 percent apiece).

About the survey
The 2025 Pulse survey was conducted by GQR, a leading Washington-based polling firm. GQR conducted a 15-minute mixed-mode survey among 1,200 adults in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Harford, Howard, Carroll, and Queen Anne’s counties between March 27 and April 2. Live phone, text-to-web, and online interviews each made up 33 percent of respondents. 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

About the Baltimore Metropolitan Council
The non-partisan BMC is a trusted group of experts who help guide the future of the Baltimore region by evaluating needs and trends, listening to communities and developing and implementing programs and projects.

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