Best Places to Live in Harford County MD for Commuters

The short answer: The best town for you is the one that fits your commute and your tax budget. If you ride the train, look at Aberdeen and Edgewood, which have MARC stations. If you take the MTA bus to Baltimore, look along the 410, 411 and 420 routes. If you work at APG, pick the town near your gate. Below, I compare nine towns by those facts. I don't rank them.

By Josh Tessier, Lee Tessier Team of eXp Realty. 500+ homes sold personally (5,800+ for the Lee Tessier Team)

You'll find lots of "best towns" lists online. Most rank towns by feel. I'm not going to do that. Fair housing rules mean I don't rank towns by who lives there, by safety or by schools. What I can give you is the hard facts that change your day: how you get to work and what you pay in tax.

Town Comparison at a Glance

Transit from MTA schedules. Tax rates per $100 of assessed value for July 2026 bills, from Maryland SDAT and DLS, including the $0.112 state rate.

A mailing address isn't the same as town limits. Check any home on SDAT's real property search to see if it's inside a town.

For Train Commuters

Aberdeen has the Aberdeen MARC and Amtrak station at 18 East Bel Air Avenue. On the MTA timetable in effect through November 15, 2026, train 505 leaves at 4:33 AM, reaches Baltimore Penn Station at 5:10 AM and Union Station at 6:10 AM.

Edgewood has its own MARC station. The same train leaves Edgewood 10 minutes later.

See every time on my commute times page.

For Bus Commuters to Baltimore

• 410: Starts at the Campus Hills stop near Harford Community College and runs down Emmorton Road through the Abingdon and Bel Air South area.
• 411: Uses park and rides at Hickory, Marywood and Fallston.
• 420: Starts in Havre de Grace and runs Route 40 through Aberdeen, Belcamp and Joppa.

For APG Commuters

North side: Aberdeen and Havre de Grace. South side: Edgewood, Joppa and Abingdon. Full details in my APG relocation guide.

Weighing Tax and Space

Homes outside the three towns pay the county rate of $1.0899 total. Homes inside Aberdeen, Bel Air and Havre de Grace pay more but get town services. On a $400,000 assessed value, that's about $4,360 a year outside the towns versus about $5,973 in Bel Air or Aberdeen, before credits. More in my cost of living guide.

For schools, every town is served by Harford County Public Schools. Check the school for an exact address with the official tools in my schools overview.

My Advice

Here's my take after 500+ homes sold. Buyers who want to walk to shops and events often look at Bel Air and Havre de Grace. Buyers who want more land often look at Fallston, Forest Hill and Jarrettsville. Daily commuters do best when they start from the station or bus line and work out from there. Test the commute before you choose.

Best Places to Live FAQ

What are the best places to live in Harford County, MD?

It depends on your commute and budget. Aberdeen and Edgewood have MARC stations. Joppa, Abingdon and Fallston sit on MTA bus routes to Baltimore. Aberdeen and Havre de Grace are near APG North; Edgewood, Joppa and Abingdon are near APG South.

Which Harford County towns have a MARC train station?

Aberdeen and Edgewood, per the MTA Penn Line timetable.

Which towns in Harford County have their own town tax?

Aberdeen, Bel Air and Havre de Grace. For July 2026 bills, each adds a town rate on top of a lower county rate, per Maryland SDAT.

Is Bel Air or Fallston better?

They differ in facts you can check. Bel Air is an incorporated town with a total rate of $1.4933 per $100. Fallston is run by the county at $1.0899 and has an MTA 411 park and ride. Visit both and test your commute.

Is Harford County safe?

I don't rate towns or neighborhoods on safety. For official crime data, check the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the police department for the town you're looking at.

Let's Find Your Town

Call or text me at (443) 617-2099 or email Joshua@leetessier.com. Start with my Moving to Harford County guide or browse homes for sale. Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoshTalksHarford

Sources

• Maryland SDAT, 2026 to 2027 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps (July 2026)
• Maryland Department of Legislative Services, County and Municipal Real Property Tax Rates, Fiscal 2027
• Harford County, Direct and Overlapping Property Tax Rates
• Maryland Transit Administration, MARC Penn Line schedule
• Maryland Transit Administration, MARC Penn Line timetable
• Maryland Transit Administration, Welcome Back to MARC (schedule dates)
• Amtracker, Aberdeen station (ABE) departures
• MTA Commuter Bus 410 Churchville to Baltimore
• MTA Commuter Bus 411 Hickory to Hopkins Hospital
• MTA Commuter Bus 420 Havre de Grace to Hopkins
• MTA Service Alert 27003 (Charles and Lombard stop closure)
• U.S. Army Garrison APG, Visitor Information (gates and hours)
• Maryland Manual, Harford County Education
• Maryland SDAT Real Property Search
• Harford County Sheriff's Office
• Lee Tessier Team of eXp Realty, Contact

All sources checked 2026-11-03.

Header photo: "Rocks State Park 06.JPG" by Bohemian Baltimore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.