Is Ten Hills safe?
Baltimore, Maryland · safety score updated nightly
Mostly yes, with normal city awareness.
VibeLoco rates Ten Hills as “Go, stay aware”.
Gogo's take on Ten Hills
“Go. Ten Hills is a historic, peaceful residential neighborhood on Baltimore's western edge that offers a suburban ambiance with low violent crime. Visitors and residents should exercise standard precautions against vehicle break-ins, especially near arterial border roads.”
About the area
Ten Hills is an early 20th-century streetcar suburb characterized by stately Dutch Colonial, Craftsman, and Tudor homes set along winding, tree-lined lanes. It operates as a quiet residential sanctuary on the Baltimore City/County border, just minutes from Catonsville.
- Historic / Tree-Lined
- Suburban Feel
- Quiet Residential
- Car-Dependent
Walking and biking in Ten Hills
Walk score: 42/100 · Bike score: 38/100
There are no dedicated bike lanes or municipal bike-share hubs within Ten Hills, though neighborhood streets have low traffic speeds; the Gwynns Falls Trail trailhead is accessible about two miles east.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Significantly lower violent crime rates compared to Baltimore citywide averages
- High rate of homeownership and well-maintained historic architectural stock
- Active, engaged community association that maintains neighborhood cohesion
- Above-average household income and low residential vacancy
Cons
- Susceptible to opportunistic property crime and vehicle break-ins along perimeter streets
- Bordered on the north by higher-traffic, higher-incident stretches of Route 40 (Edmondson Avenue)
- Strictly residential interior with no direct commercial or dining amenities in the core
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is effectively absent from the interior streets of Ten Hills, though occasional panhandling may be encountered at major commercial intersections along Route 40.
What Ten Hills is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Pleasant and very safe, filled with residents walking dogs and heading out for morning commutes.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Quiet and comfortable with minimal vehicular traffic and well-tended gardens throughout the enclave.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Calm and neighborly, remaining safe for walks under residential streetlights with normal awareness.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Extremely low activity with quiet, dark streets; safety remains solid though standard caution for isolated suburban areas applies.
Transit, parking and getting around
MTA Maryland services the northern edge along Edmondson Avenue via the CityLink Blue and LocalLink 77 bus lines. The nearest rail option is the West Baltimore MARC Station, located about 3.5 miles to the east.
Street parking is plentiful, free, and unrestricted on all residential streets, with nearly all single-family homes also featuring private driveways and garages.
Things to do in Ten Hills
- Take a self-guided architectural walking tour along winding roads like Ten Hills Road and Charing Cross Road.
- Explore the quiet grounds and historical remnants of nearby St. Charles College.
- Take a brief trip down the hill to explore the historic shopping and dining corridor of neighboring Catonsville.
Local favorites
- Scittino's Italian Market Place · Italian Deli & Market · 4.6★ (1150)Longstanding local favorite serving authentic Italian specialty subs, fresh pizza, and imported groceries just outside the neighborhood edge.
- Atwater's Catonsville · Bakery & Cafe · 4.6★ (720)Renowned regional cafe offering artisanal sourdough breads, scratch-made soups, pastries, and seasonal sandwiches.
- State Fare · American Restaurant · 4.4★ (1890)Lively nearby gastropub featuring Maryland crab dishes, elevated comfort classics, and weekend brunch.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.