Baltimore, Maryland is the Twelfth Most Dangerous City in the US

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According to a study done by the Morgan Quitno Corporation, Baltimore counts as the 12th most dangerous US city in a list compiled of the 25 most dangerous cities in the US as of 2007. The study bases its rankings of US cities on statistics per the crime categories of motor vehicle theft, burglary, aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder. This could be related somehow to the high rate of alcohol and drug abuse in Baltimore City, where it is estimated that at least 60,000 residents require a form of treatment for alcohol and drug related problems (as of data from FY1998 furnished by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration under the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.)

On the other hand, Baltimore does count as the 24th most literate US city, based on 2006 indicators compiled by Central Connecticut State University president Dr. Jack Miller. This may be because Baltimore City spent US $8,551 per pupil in its public schools as of FY 2001.

One dangerous (though not commonly cited) economic statistic is the teen birth rate, because it is considered an important indicator of the social health and economic strength of the community. It is computed based on the number of teenagers between the ages of 15 to 19 who gave birth (for every 1000 teenagers in the statistical area.) Fortunately, from year 2000 to year 2003, the Baltimore City teen birth rate dropped by 18.2% - a statistic attributed to the efforts of the Baltimore City Health Department.

Baltimore is considered the biggest city in the whole state of Maryland. It is an independent city, meaning it does not fall under the jurisdiction of any Maryland county. It also happens to be the 18th largest US city, based on population size (with 635,815 people living in it as of 2005 population estimates by the US Census Bureau.)

In Maryland, per capita personal income for 2005 stood at US$41,760 (compared to 2004 when per capita personal income was listed at US$37,331).

Minimum wage earners in Maryland are better off than those receiving the federal minimum wage rate. This is because minimum wage for Maryland was set at US$6.15 (as of August 1, 2007.) The federal minimum wage rate as of that month is only listed at US$5.15. It gets better - Maryland minimum wage is projected to increase to US$6.55 by July 24, 2008.

Unemployment rate for Maryland stood at 4.5% in 2003, 4.2% in 2004, and 4.1% in 2005. The unemployment rate for the US was listed at 6.0% in 2003, 5.5% in 2004, and 5.1% in 2005. The average weekly benefit for unemployment

compensation in Maryland is believed to be US$236.95 as of 2001, compared to an average weekly benefit of US$237.78 for the entire US.

In Maryland, there are two state taxes for individuals – the sales/use tax, and the income tax. The sales/use tax is at 5% while income tax ranges from 2.0% to 4.75% (as of July 1, 2006.)

So apparently life in Maryland is a mixed bag: the state offers a minimum wage that may be higher than the US federal rate; however, the quality of life is threatened by problems like drug and alcohol abuse that may be intertwined with the soaring crime rates in Baltimore City.

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Article Custom Written/compiled for Job Service Help by Mabelle Sese of The Filipino Worker Company. Updated October 22, 2007