Similarities and differences between the Baltimore Metropolitan Area and the Washington DC Metropolitan Area (low income, 2015)

[igbonation]

Just wondering what are the cultural, political, and economic difference between Maryland's largest Metropolitan areas
Comparing and Contrasting the:
1. Local Government
2. Economy
3. Businesses in the areas
4. Demographics
5. Black population
6. Culture
7. Crime
8. Cost of living
and everything else....

[stealthfox94]

1. Both are extremely liberal
2. Baltimore is heavily blue collar in the city and mostly white collar in the suburbs. D.C is to some degree the opposite although as a whole Baltimore is the more blue collar city. D.C is also more heavily invested in tech jobs
3. I'll admit I'm not too familiar with specific businesses that most people will know so I won't answer this one.
4. Baltimore is over 60% black in it's city but it's suburbs are around 70% white. It also has some very wealthy suburbs. The cities poorest end is it's west end richest is it's north end. D.C's black population is below 50% for the first time since the 60's however the metro area as a whole still has a larger non-white population then Baltimore's. D.C metro is 47% white, Baltimore is 58% white last I checked. D.C has a good mixture of lower middle class suburbs and EXTREMELY wealthy suburbs. The D.C area also has PG county a haven for upper middle class black families.
5. I already went over this
6. D.C is about the government, museums, black history and chili, Baltimore is about the harbor and crabs.
7. All I know is Baltimore has a worse crime rate, avoid west Baltimore. D.C's bad areas are getting better.
8. D.C is by far more expensive. Because it's D.C

[North Beach Person]

Fans of both city's football team whine interminably when their team loses.

[beasley106]

The only thing they have in common is that part of DC's metro is in the state of Maryland and as a result the economy in Baltimore is slightly tied in with the Federal Government/Defense Contracting as well (not to the extent that DC is obviously). That being said I would say Baltimore has more in common with cities such as Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee, or Chicago as opposed to DC since those cities also posses certain qualities such as having a blue collar character, old ethnic neighborhoods like Little Italy or Greektown, and also have a history of being a major manufacturing hub in the past which DC lacks.

[DistrictSonic]

The two cities are not even remotely comparable at this point. DC is no longer a majority black city to start, Baltimore still is. DC has far less crime than Baltimore, and is rapidly growing. Baltimore's population is pretty stagnant on this matter. Never mind that 54%+ of DC's residents have a bachelors or higher compared to 27.7% of Baltimore's residents. Baltimore is a far poorer city with a less robust economy. It has a much higher poverty rate. DC has far more businesses and business growth, and this is on top of the large NGOs and the federal government.
Maybe comparing DC east of the river and Baltimore might be comparable, but only 1/4 of DC's population lives in that part. Where most of Baltimore's population is lives in the impoverished sections (east/west Baltimore).

DC's cost of living is much higher, but this is a get what you pay for scenario. DC is a far healthier city with a better QOL.

DC is a rapidly gentrifying city, while in many ways Baltimore is still declining. DC is a top tier city in the US, while Baltimore is in the lower tier. There are no similarities, just differences. I think the only Similarity is both cities have Dangerously Delicious pies. That is where the similarities begin and end.

Read more: //www.city-data.com/forum/balti...#ixzz4KeM58rBT

[TommyCarcetti]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

The two cities are not even remotely comparable at this point. DC is no longer a majority black city to start, Baltimore still is. DC has far less crime than Baltimore, and is rapidly growing. Baltimore's population is pretty stagnant on this matter. Never mind that 54%+ of DC's residents have a bachelors or higher compared to 27.7% of Baltimore's residents. Baltimore is a far poorer city with a less robust economy. It has a much higher poverty rate. DC has far more businesses and business growth, and this is on top of the large NGOs and the federal government.
Maybe comparing DC east of the river and Baltimore might be comparable, but only 1/4 of DC's population lives in that part. Where most of Baltimore's population is lives in the impoverished sections (east/west Baltimore).

DC's cost of living is much higher, but this is a get what you pay for scenario. DC is a far healthier city with a better QOL.

DC is a rapidly gentrifying city, while in many ways Baltimore is still declining. DC is a top tier city in the US, while Baltimore is in the lower tier. There are no similarities, just differences. I think the only Similarity is both cities have Dangerously Delicious pies. That is where the similarities begin and end.

Read more: //www.city-data.com/forum/balti...#ixzz4KeM58rBT

You have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to Baltimore.

[choccity]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

The two cities are not even remotely comparable at this point. DC is no longer a majority black city to start, Baltimore still is. DC has far less crime than Baltimore, and is rapidly growing. Baltimore's population is pretty stagnant on this matter. Never mind that 54%+ of DC's residents have a bachelors or higher compared to 27.7% of Baltimore's residents. Baltimore is a far poorer city with a less robust economy. It has a much higher poverty rate. DC has far more businesses and business growth, and this is on top of the large NGOs and the federal government.
Maybe comparing DC east of the river and Baltimore might be comparable, but only 1/4 of DC's population lives in that part. Where most of Baltimore's population is lives in the impoverished sections (east/west Baltimore).

DC's cost of living is much higher, but this is a get what you pay for scenario. DC is a far healthier city with a better QOL.

DC is a rapidly gentrifying city, while in many ways Baltimore is still declining. DC is a top tier city in the US, while Baltimore is in the lower tier. There are no similarities, just differences. I think the only Similarity is both cities have Dangerously Delicious pies. That is where the similarities begin and end.

Read more: //www.city-data.com/forum/balti...#ixzz4KeM58rBT

Pretty much this is right. I live in DC and lived in Baltimore. I see the differences in both cities.
Both cities love their football teams too, though Balt Ravens are going better at this point than the Redskins.

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

The two cities are not even remotely comparable at this point. DC is no longer a majority black city to start, Baltimore still is. DC has far less crime than Baltimore, and is rapidly growing. Baltimore's population is pretty stagnant on this matter. Never mind that 54%+ of DC's residents have a bachelors or higher compared to 27.7% of Baltimore's residents. Baltimore is a far poorer city with a less robust economy. It has a much higher poverty rate. DC has far more businesses and business growth, and this is on top of the large NGOs and the federal government.
Maybe comparing DC east of the river and Baltimore might be comparable, but only 1/4 of DC's population lives in that part. Where most of Baltimore's population is lives in the impoverished sections (east/west Baltimore).

DC's cost of living is much higher, but this is a get what you pay for scenario. DC is a far healthier city with a better QOL.

DC is a rapidly gentrifying city, while in many ways Baltimore is still declining. DC is a top tier city in the US, while Baltimore is in the lower tier. There are no similarities, just differences. I think the only Similarity is both cities have Dangerously Delicious pies. That is where the similarities begin and end.

Read more: //www.city-data.com/forum/balti...#ixzz4KeM58rBT

Actually I did some analysis. About 22.5% of Baltimore's population lives in low income areas of East and West Baltimore. By low income I mean Census tracts with per capita incomes below $20,000. Per capital incomes are usually much lower than household incomes. Interestingly, these very low income areas took almost all of the city's population loss between 2000 and 2014. These areas offer a very low quality of life - but most Baltimoreans do not live in them.

Also, although Baltimore looks under-educated in comparison to DC, most other US cities are in the same boat. Bachelors degree rates for Baltimore city residents are only a little below the national average and the median for the top 50 cities. Educational attainment for Baltimore metro residents is well above then national average (but well below DC's.)

I have no problem with saying that by almost every measure DC and the DC Metro are doing better than Baltimore and the Baltimore Metro. None the less, the Baltimore Metro is doing well when compared to most other metros. In some ways, comparisons to the DC metro can give the wrong impression - especially if the person presenting the analysis wants it that way.

[personone]

Originally Posted by DistrictSonic

The two cities are not even remotely comparable at this point. DC is no longer a majority black city to start, Baltimore still is. DC has far less crime than Baltimore, and is rapidly growing. Baltimore's population is pretty stagnant on this matter. Never mind that 54%+ of DC's residents have a bachelors or higher compared to 27.7% of Baltimore's residents. Baltimore is a far poorer city with a less robust economy. It has a much higher poverty rate. DC has far more businesses and business growth, and this is on top of the large NGOs and the federal government.
Maybe comparing DC east of the river and Baltimore might be comparable, but only 1/4 of DC's population lives in that part. Where most of Baltimore's population is lives in the impoverished sections (east/west Baltimore).

DC's cost of living is much higher, but this is a get what you pay for scenario. DC is a far healthier city with a better QOL.

DC is a rapidly gentrifying city, while in many ways Baltimore is still declining. DC is a top tier city in the US, while Baltimore is in the lower tier. There are no similarities, just differences. I think the only Similarity is both cities have Dangerously Delicious pies. That is where the similarities begin and end.

Read more: //www.city-data.com/forum/balti...#ixzz4KeM58rBT

DC is still majority black (just barely) according to the latest census numbers. Blacks are still by far the largest racial/ethnic group in the DC though. Baltimore does have a higher % of blacks. According to the US census "quick facts":

DC
White alone: 38.5%
Black alone: 50.7%
Asian alone: 3.5%
Hispanic: 9.1%

Baltimore
White alone: 29.6%
Black alone: 63.7%
Asian alone: 2.3%
Hispanic: 4.2%

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by personone

DC is still majority black (just barely) according to the latest census numbers. Blacks are still by far the largest racial/ethnic group in the DC though. Baltimore does have a higher % of blacks. According to the US census "quick facts":

DC
White alone: 38.5%
Black alone: 50.7%
Asian alone: 3.5%
Hispanic: 9.1%

Baltimore
White alone: 29.6%
Black alone: 63.7%
Asian alone: 2.3%
Hispanic: 4.2%

Actually, the 2015 population figures are now out.
DC is now 40.0% White and 47.4% Black
Baltimore in now 31.0% White and 61.6% Black