Baltimore-area residents say they feel more aligned with their neighbors on shared values and neighborhood pride than on politics or race, according to new results from the UMBC Poll released Thursday.
The UMBC Poll surveyed adult residents of Baltimore City (n=666, margin of error 3.8 percentage points) and Baltimore County (n=602, margin of error 4.0 percentage points) from Tuesday, April 14, to Sunday, April 19, 2026.
When asked to what extent a series of characteristics described their neighbors, the poll reported the share of respondents who said “all” or “most” of their neighbors fit each description.
In Baltimore City, 54% said their neighbors care about the neighborhood and the people living there, and 48% said their neighbors are honest and trustworthy people. In Baltimore County, 53% said their neighbors care about the neighborhood and the people living there, and 53% said their neighbors are honest and trustworthy people.
On shared values, 38% of city residents said all or most of their neighbors have the same values as they do, compared with 36% in the county.
Fewer respondents said their neighbors share their politics. In the city, 31% said all or most of their neighbors have the same political views as they do; in the county, that figure was 18%.
On race or ethnicity, 40% of city residents said all or most of their neighbors are of the same race or ethnicity as they are, compared with 33% of county residents.
The poll also asked Baltimore City and County residents whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of a list of notable places, groups and things from Baltimore and the broader region. The results reported the share who responded “very favorable” or “favorable.”
Sports teams and iconic local foods rated highly in both jurisdictions. Favorable views of the Baltimore Orioles were reported by 82% of city residents and 86% of county residents. The Baltimore Ravens were viewed favorably by 83% in the city and 82% in the county.
Old Bay seasoning drew favorable ratings from 85% of city residents and 88% of county residents. Crab cakes were favorable with 84% in the city and 85% in the county, while steamed blue crabs were favorable with 78% in the city and 80% in the county.
Several cultural institutions also scored strongly. The National Aquarium was rated favorable by 85% of city residents and 82% of county residents. The Baltimore Museum of Art was favorable with 83% in the city and 76% in the county.
Some items showed larger city-county gaps. The Inner Harbor was viewed favorably by 64% of city residents but 48% of county residents. Lake trout was favorable with 64% in the city and 49% in the county.
Other regional staples included Berger cookies (53% favorable in the city, 67% in the county), snowballs (80% in the city, 83% in the county) and pit beef (67% in the city, 77% in the county). The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico was rated favorable by 60% of city residents and 58% of county residents.
In Baltimore City, 48% of interviews were conducted via text-to-web, 44% via live-caller cell phone and 8% via live-caller landline. In Baltimore County, 45% were conducted via text-to-web, 53% via live-caller cell phone and 2% via live-caller landline.
Interviews were conducted from 1 to 8 p.m., and interviewers attempted to reach respondents with working phone numbers up to 5 times. Braun Research provided the sample of telephone numbers and the data collection.
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