Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Maryland would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Old Line State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Maryland with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 most conservative places in Maryland for 2024
If you’re wondering, Greenbelt is the most liberal city in Maryland of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most conservative cities in Maryland.
Additional reading about Maryland and the most conservative places in the country:
The 10 Most Conservative Places In Maryland For 2024
/10
Percent Republican: 68.2%
More on Cumberland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 68.2%
More on Frostburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 62.0%
More on Elkton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 60.0%
More on Taneytown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 60.0%
More on Westminster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 60.0%
More on Mount Airy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 60.0%
More on Hampstead: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 59.3%
More on Hagerstown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Percent Republican: 58.6%
More on Ocean City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How we determined the most conservative cities in Maryland for 2024
To find the most conservative places in Maryland, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Maryland over 5,000 people based on the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. That left us with 43 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 43 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Cumberland, is “The Most Conservative City in Maryland For 2024”. The most liberal place in Maryland was Greenbelt.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative places to live in Maryland.
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Maryland
Well, there you have it, the places in Maryland that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Cumberland ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Maryland are Cumberland, Frostburg, Elkton, Taneytown, Westminster, Manchester, Mount Airy, Hampstead, Hagerstown, and Ocean City.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Maryland:
- Greenbelt
- Bowie
- Glenarden
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Maryland
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland
- Most Dangerous Cities In Maryland
- Richest Cities In Maryland
- Safest Places In Maryland
- Worst Places To Live In Maryland
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Maryland
Most Conservative Places In Maryland
| Rank | City | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumberland, MD | 19,041 | 68.2% |
| 2 | Frostburg, MD | 7,118 | 68.2% |
| 3 | Elkton, MD | 15,830 | 62.0% |
| 4 | Taneytown, MD | 7,234 | 60.0% |
| 5 | Westminster, MD | 20,099 | 60.0% |
| 6 | Manchester, MD | 5,403 | 60.0% |
| 7 | Mount Airy, MD | 9,667 | 60.0% |
| 8 | Hampstead, MD | 6,278 | 60.0% |
| 9 | Hagerstown, MD | 43,374 | 59.3% |
| 10 | Ocean City, MD | 6,879 | 58.6% |
| 11 | Berlin, MD | 5,056 | 58.6% |
| 12 | Cambridge, MD | 13,058 | 54.9% |
| 13 | Havre De Grace, MD | 14,743 | 54.6% |
| 14 | Aberdeen, MD | 16,422 | 54.6% |
| 15 | Bel Air, MD | 10,630 | 54.6% |
| 16 | Chesapeake Beach, MD | 6,358 | 51.6% |
| 17 | Fruitland, MD | 5,603 | 49.6% |
| 18 | Salisbury, MD | 32,960 | 49.6% |
| 19 | Easton, MD | 17,118 | 48.5% |
| 20 | Cheste, MD | 5,522 | 48.1% |
| 21 | Frederick, MD | 78,390 | 43.7% |
| 22 | Walkersville, MD | 6,239 | 43.7% |
| 23 | Brunswick, MD | 7,781 | 43.7% |
| 24 | Thurmont, MD | 6,313 | 43.7% |
| 25 | Annapolis, MD | 40,719 | 41.3% |
| 26 | La Plata, MD | 10,283 | 28.6% |
| 27 | Rockville, MD | 67,142 | 19.0% |
| 28 | Gaithersburg, MD | 69,016 | 19.0% |
| 29 | Poolesville, MD | 5,686 | 19.0% |
| 30 | Takoma Park, MD | 17,542 | 19.0% |
| 31 | Baltimore, MD | 584,548 | 10.7% |
| 32 | New Carrollton, MD | 13,580 | 8.7% |
| 33 | College Park, MD | 34,416 | 8.7% |
| 34 | Laurel, MD | 29,581 | 8.7% |
| 35 | Riverdale Park, MD | 7,284 | 8.7% |
| 36 | Hyattsville, MD | 20,851 | 8.7% |
| 37 | Mount Rainier, MD | 8,262 | 8.7% |
| 38 | Bladensburg, MD | 9,574 | 8.7% |
| 39 | District Heights, MD | 5,905 | 8.7% |
| 40 | Cheverly, MD | 6,132 | 8.7% |
| 41 | Glenarden, MD | 6,335 | 8.7% |
| 42 | Bowie, MD | 57,922 | 8.7% |
| 43 | Greenbelt, MD | 24,646 | 8.7% |