The newly released Vital Signs 23, an annual report by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance-Jacob France Institute at The University of Baltimore, tracks more than 110 indicators that "take the pulse" of Baltimore's communities. Vital Signs 23 explores neighborhood-level trends across eight different topic areas. This year's report demonstrates the local impact of broader national trends that were cornerstones of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery. But, for many neighborhoods, recovery means diverging trends and contradictory data.
2023 marked the first time in nearly a decade that the city recorded fewer than 300 homicides in a calendar year. Simultaneously, the city saw a rise in the overall Part I crime rate that far surpassed pre-pandemic levels. A similar divide emerged in economic and workforce development data. While the unemployment rate in Baltimore reached record lows, the percentage of residents not in the labor force rose dramatically. In another example, as schools in the city made measurable progress in reducing absenteeism, the dropout rate increased. Data in Vital Signs 23 puts these divergent stories into their community context.
The report also showcases unequivocal signs of Baltimore's recovery. Programs and funding that aimed to reduce disparities exacerbated by the pandemic made a mark. Many neighborhoods saw a sizeable increase in the rate of homeowners receiving the Homeowners Tax Credit, a state program ensuring that a tax bill does not exceed a percentage of a household's gross income. Enrolling households in this program is a strategy to prevent home loss among vulnerable residents. Additionally, the rate of homes without internet declined substantially, a testament to the efforts of Baltimore City, local advocates, and philanthropy.
This year, Vital Signs reintroduces the economic diversity index, a measure of the likelihood of two households, selected at random, of being of a different income level. The return of this indicator comes at the request of community partners as the city turns greater attention to developing affordable housing and sustainable neighborhood change.
Vital Signs 23 chapters, visualizations, and maps are available for review on BNIA-JFI's website.
Read an executive summary of key findings as detailed in the report's introduction.
Data described in Vital Signs 23 are available for download through the open data portal.
Baltimore community and neighborhood groups are invited to find out more about Vital Signs indicators pertaining to their neighborhoods. Send an email to bnia-jfi@ubalt.edu to schedule a virtual or in-person presentation.