Market rankings · Maryland
Child care centers and preschools in Maryland
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Maryland, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,678
- 176 chain locations (10%)
- Official establishments
- 1,505
- −2.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.6B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.1
- 22% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $924K
- 8% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #25 of 51
- Market score 52 · Upper middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Maryland by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 1,678 child care centers and preschools on map listings in Maryland as of September 2026. Of those, 176 are chain locations, or 10%, against 12% across the U.S. That comes to 7.1 for every 10,000 households, 22% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Households in Maryland spend about $1.6B a year on child care and other personal services, or $656 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. Spread across 1,678 child care centers and preschools, that is $924K per center, 8% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Maryland was 1,505 in 2023, down 2.5% from 2019. That is one for every 1,570 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 99 SBA-backed loans worth $82.6M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Maryland.
Among the 50 states and DC, Maryland ranks #25 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 52 (upper middle). Of the 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro area scores highest (67). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Ocean Pines area scores highest (80).
Every market in Maryland for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Maryland, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 67 | 52 | 4.4 | $1M | +7.1% | #74 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 58 | 1,804 | 7.6 | $1M | +3.3% | #138 of 387 |
| 2Salisbury, MD | 49 | 29 | 5.9 | $747K | +2.9% | #205 of 387 |
| 3Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 47 | 792 | 7.1 | $897K | +0.4% | #219 of 387 |
| 4Lexington Park, MD | 47 | 68 | 9.0 | $844K | +2.1% | #220 of 387 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 43 | 1,939 | 7.9 | $873K | +1.4% | #249 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ocean Pines, MD | 80 | 12 | 5.0 | $1.1M | +3.7% | #21 of 454 |
| 2Easton, MD | 60 | 9 | 5.5 | $1M | +2.0% | #144 of 454 |
| 3Cambridge, MD | 57 | 8 | 5.9 | $686K | +3.4% | #175 of 454 |
| 4Cumberland, MD-WV | 42 | 18 | 4.7 | $759K | −1.3% | #302 of 454 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Queen Anne’s County, MD | 77 | 15 | 7.5 | $920K | +8.8% | #136 of 1,611 |
| 2Worcester County, MD | 74 | 12 | 5.0 | $1.1M | +3.7% | #184 of 1,611 |
| 3Cecil County, MD | 72 | 20 | 4.9 | $1.1M | +3.2% | #218 of 1,611 |
| 4Harford County, MD | 71 | 60 | 5.9 | $1.1M | +2.0% | #237 of 1,611 |
| 5Anne Arundel County, MD | 71 | 152 | 6.8 | $1.1M | +1.7% | #238 of 1,611 |
| 6Charles County, MD | 70 | 42 | 6.9 | $1.1M | +5.9% | #260 of 1,611 |
| 7Washington County, MD | 67 | 30 | 5.0 | $944K | +2.0% | #343 of 1,611 |
| 8Frederick County, MD | 67 | 88 | 8.4 | $889K | +11.0% | #346 of 1,611 |
| 9St. Mary’s County, MD | 64 | 31 | 7.3 | $998K | +2.4% | #428 of 1,611 |
| 10Prince George’s County, MD | 60 | 208 | 6.0 | $1M | +0.5% | #537 of 1,611 |
| 11Carroll County, MD | 56 | 45 | 7.0 | $1M | +2.2% | #652 of 1,611 |
| 12Wicomico County, MD | 56 | 26 | 6.4 | $715K | +3.2% | #674 of 1,611 |
| 13Howard County, MD | 55 | 110 | 9.1 | $983K | +1.9% | #680 of 1,611 |
| 14Talbot County, MD | 52 | 9 | 5.5 | $1M | +2.0% | #765 of 1,611 |
| 15Montgomery County, MD | 52 | 343 | 8.8 | $933K | +1.3% | #766 of 1,611 |
| 16Dorchester County, MD | 48 | 8 | 5.9 | $686K | +3.4% | #881 of 1,611 |
| 17Calvert County, MD | 46 | 37 | 11.1 | $716K | +1.7% | #933 of 1,611 |
| 18Caroline County, MD | 45 | 7 | 5.6 | $709K | +2.5% | #961 of 1,611 |
| 19Baltimore County, MD | 44 | 255 | 7.7 | $755K | −0.7% | #976 of 1,611 |
| 20Baltimore city, MD | 42 | 155 | 6.1 | $724K | −2.3% | #1,039 of 1,611 |
| 21Allegany County, MD | 33 | 16 | 5.8 | $587K | −1.6% | #1,273 of 1,611 |
| Garrett County, MD | Not scored | 2 | 1.6 | $2.7M | −1.5% | |
| Somerset County, MD | Not scored | 3 | 3.6 | $1M | +1.7% | |
| Kent County, MD | Not scored | 4 | 4.7 | $1M | +2.3% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Maryland?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,678 child care centers and preschools in Maryland. 176 of them (10%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 1,505 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, down 2.5% from 2019. Official counts also show 10,599 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Maryland spend on child care and other personal services?
About $1.6B a year, or $656 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,678 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $924K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,362,928 households in Maryland and national spending patterns by income.
How does Maryland compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Maryland has 7.1 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 22% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $924K, 8% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Maryland would have about 1,547, against 1,678 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,570 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Maryland has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 6 scored metro areas in or partly in Maryland, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in Maryland, the Ocean Pines area scores highest, at 80 (high). Among 21 scored counties in Maryland, Queen Anne’s County scores highest, at 77 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Maryland scores 52 for child care centers and preschools (upper middle), #25 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Maryland. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Maryland
Screening a site or an acquisition in Maryland?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.