Carroll County Public Schools, MD

Original Research by School Decision on Carroll County Public Schools

Carroll County Public Schools serves a mostly rural to suburban landscape northwest of Baltimore, a district where housing costs vary notably from one town to the next. Home values in the western part of the county, near Woodbine, run measurably higher than in places like Taneytown or Hampstead, and rents show a similar spread. The overall housing market sits above the national benchmark, and the typical household in the area would need to spend a sizeable share of income on rent. Median household income in the region has risen over recent years, and the local unemployment rate tracks close to the national level.

The district enrolls a large student population across its more than forty schools, serving prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with the next largest groups being Hispanic and Black students, and smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor were data on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about the range of student supports and the economic diversity of the community.

On state assessments, results from the most recent year show a mixed picture. A strong majority of students in tested grades met or exceeded the bar in English language arts. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency was noticeably lower. Science results were lower still, with fewer than half of tested students scoring at the proficient level or above. The eighth-grade social studies assessment saw a solid majority of students reaching proficiency. The district’s overall academic context is one where literacy outcomes stand out as a clear strength, while math and especially science scores point to areas a family may want to explore further with individual schools.

Because the state assessment data used for comparisons covers only one county district, the typical position relative to neighbors could not be calculated. The district’s graduation rate was also unavailable in the data reviewed. These gaps may reflect the reporting structure for the current year rather than a missing outcome, but a parent interested in four-year completion rates should check with the district directly.

Carroll County Public Schools operates a career and technology center, and the school list includes comprehensive high schools such as Century, Francis Scott Key, Liberty, Manchester Valley, South Carroll, Westminster, and Winters Mill. The district also runs a number of middle and elementary schools spread across the county’s towns. No information on program offerings, such as Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or specialized academies, was included in the data provided, so the breadth of academic pathways beyond the standard curriculum is not documented here.

A search for recent district-level changes, such as boundary adjustments, new facilities, or curriculum shifts, found little of lasting impact to report. Families moving into the area will encounter a district with a large footprint, a mix of older communities and newer developments, and a set of school buildings that range from long-established to relatively new, such as Ebb Valley Elementary and Parr’s Ridge Elementary. The peer environment across the schools will vary by town, with some communities seeing faster housing turnover and others more stable, long-term populations. For families weighing specific towns within Carroll County, the differences in home values and the individual school profiles are likely to matter as much as the district-wide numbers.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

26,123

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 9%

Black 5%

White 77%

Asian 4%

Two+ 4%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

48%

70%

Gr 4

46%

69%

Gr 5

36%

64%

Gr 6

48%

75%

Gr 7

—

78%

Gr 8

46%

69%

Gr 38

46%

71%

Math

Gr 3

43%

74%

Gr 4

36%

63%

Gr 5

23%

—

Gr 6

14%

35%

Gr 7

14%

40%

Gr 8

11%

17%

Gr 38

24%

50%

Science

Gr 5

18%

42%

Gr 8

25%

50%

Gr 38

22%

45%

Social studies

Gr 8

42%

68%

Schools in this District

44 schools are officially reported under this district.

Friendship Valley Elementary

Runnymede Elementary

Carroll Springs School

Carrolltowne Elementary

Eldersburg Elementary

Elmer A. Wolfe Elementary

Francis Scott Key High

Freedom District Elementary

Hampstead Elementary

Manchester Elementary

Mechanicsville Elementary

Mount Airy Elementary

Mount Airy Middle

North Carroll Middle

Northwest Middle

Robert Moton Elementary

Sandymount Elementary

South Carroll High

Sykesville Middle

Taneytown Elementary

Westminster East Middle

Westminster Elementary

Westminster High

Westminster West Middle

William Winchester Elementary

Winfield Elementary

Oklahoma Road Middle

Linton Springs Elementary

Carroll County Career & Technology Center

Cranberry Station Elementary

Century High

Winters Mill High

Post Secondary Program

PRIDE School

Flexible Student Support

Liberty High

Parr's Ridge Elementary

Gateway School

Ebb Valley Elementary

Manchester Valley High

Crossroads Middle School

Shiloh Middle

Piney Ridge Elementary

Spring Garden Elementary

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

44%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

65%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

40%

Grades 3-8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

62%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$498,259

Year-over-year change+1.8%

Range across 15 ZIP codes$399K to $816K

vs. state typical1.15x

vs. national typical1.35x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (15 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
21157	Westminster	$468K	+1.4%	17.4%
21158	Westminster	$473K	+1.7%	16.4%
21787	Taneytown	$399K	+2.3%	11.9%
21784	Sykesville	$565K	+1.2%	10.3%
21102	Manchester	$470K	+2.1%	7.0%
21776	New Windsor	$486K	+1.3%	6.3%
21048	Finksburg	$566K	+2.8%	6.1%
21074	Hampstead	$438K	+2.4%	6.1%
21771	Mount Airy	$642K	+0.8%	5.3%
21757	Keymar	$461K	+2.7%	4.1%
21791	Union Bridge	$454K	+1.9%	4.0%
21797	Woodbine	$816K	+1.6%	3.1%
21104	Marriottsville	$728K	+0.8%	1.2%
21155	Upperco	$538K	+3.0%	0.5%
21136	Reisterstown	$411K	+0.2%	0.5%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,901/mo

Year-over-year change+4.0%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$1,502 to $2,176/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
21157	Westminster	$1,707	+3.9%	17.4%
21158	Westminster	$1,883	—	16.4%
21784	Sykesville	$2,176	—	10.3%
21771	Mount Airy	$2,100	—	5.3%
21136	Reisterstown	$1,502	+6.3%	0.5%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,514/mo

Home price / national median income6.0x

Annual rent / national median income27.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$613/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$431,934 (+0.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.