Baltimore City, County residents share thoughts on energy costs, crime, local services in UMBC poll

Baltimore City and County residents shared their thoughts on quality of life issues, government services and local amenities in a recent UMBC poll. 

The poll surveyed 642 adults in Baltimore City and 628 adults in Baltimore County between April 1 and April 6. 

Energy costs are a major issue 

About 82% of Baltimore City residents and 79% of Baltimore County residents considered the cost of household energy bills as a major issue in their communities, the survey found. 

Recently, Maryland lawmakers and local leaders have taken action to address the rise in energy costs.

In February, the Baltimore City Council called on the Public Service Commission to stop Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)'s rate hikes planned for 2026.

During the 2025 legislative session, Maryland lawmakers introduced several bills to address rising utility costs. 

The Ratepayer Protection Act would require energy companies to lower spending on pipelines, and the Climate Solutions Affordability Act would allow climate requirements to only be carried out if they are affordable. 

Neither bill passed.

Crime and public safety in the Baltimore region

Crime and public safety were major issues for 83% of Baltimore City residents compared to 68% of Baltimore County residents, according to the poll. 

Despite the majority of city residents considering crime a concern, violent crime has dropped in the city so far this year. 

As of April 1, homicides are down 22% and non-fatal shootings are down 28% compared to 2024, Baltimore City data shows. 

According to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, violent crime is down 20% and robberies are down 22%. The mayor credits the city's violence prevention plan for the drop in crime rates. 

Satisfaction with government services

The poll also questioned city and county residents on their satisfaction with local government services like K-12 schools, emergency services and infrastructure maintenance. 

About 23% of city residents and 36% of county residents were satisfied with K-12 schools. 

Nearly 58% of city residents and 77% of county residents were satisfied with the responsiveness of emergency services, according to the survey. 

The survey found that a low number of residents were satisfied with the maintenance of local infrastructure, streets and public spaces, with 24% of city residents and 49% of county residents reporting their satisfaction. 

Residents were also less than satisfied with policing and the criminal justice system. 

About 33% of city residents and 57% of county residents were satisfied with public safety in their communities. 29% of city residents reported they were satisfied with the criminal justice system, while 38% of county residents reported their satisfaction.

Excellent local services and amenities 

The survey found that many Baltimore City and county residents had a positive outlook on local amenities, including sports venues, outdoor spaces and animal shelters. 

The survey found that 67% of city residents and 55% of county residents rated local sports venues as good or excellent. 68% of city residents rated arts and music venues highly compared to 44% of county residents. 

About 63% of Baltimore County residents rated local parks and outdoor spaces highly, compared to 48% of city residents. 

 In both the city and county, 40% of residents believed local animal shelters were excellent or good.

Read the full UMBC survey HERE.