Central Maryland’s one-level homes are mostly ramblers, the local name for ranch houses, and many date from the 1950s through the 1970s. Census data shows Baltimore County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County have the largest share of homes from those decades. Howard and Charles counties lean newer. You can browse what’s for sale now on our single-story homes page.
If you’re selling a larger home to move to one level, the hard part is timing the two moves. Start with a free home value request so you know what you’re working with, and see our seller page for how we handle a sale and purchase together.
Where single-level stock is, by county and era
The Census Bureau doesn’t count how many stories a house has, so there’s no official rambler count. What it does publish is when homes were built. Ramblers were a common postwar design, so the share of homes built from 1950 through 1979 is a reasonable map of where to look.
From the American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25034 (all housing units, checked October 2026 via Census Reporter):
| Jurisdiction | Built 1950-1979 | Built 2000 or later | Built before 1940 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore County | 47.4% | 14.8% | 6.9% |
| Prince George’s County | 44.1% | 21.4% | 3.9% |
| Montgomery County | 40.2% | 22.7% | 4.2% |
| Anne Arundel County | 36.6% | 26.3% | 4.7% |
| Baltimore City | 27.3% | 9.3% | 41.5% |
| Charles County | 24.2% | 40.8% | 1.4% |
| Howard County | 23.5% | 33.6% | 1.9% |
How to read it:
- Baltimore County has the most postwar housing of anywhere in our area. Nearly half its homes were built in those three decades.
- Prince George’s and Montgomery also have big postwar inventories, at 44.1% and 40.2%.
- Baltimore City is mostly older still, with 41.5% of homes built before 1940. Half of the city’s housing units (50.1%) are single-family attached homes, mostly rowhomes, per ACS table B25024, and only 15.3% are detached, so one-level houses there are less common.
- Howard and Charles have more newer construction. One-level homes there are more likely to be newer homes with a first-floor primary bedroom than classic ramblers.
These figures include apartments, condos and townhouses, not just detached houses, and they’re survey estimates with margins of error. They tell you where the older housing is, not where every rambler is. For the actual listings, our single-story search pulls one-level homes from Bright MLS.
What to inspect in 1950s-70s ramblers
A rambler from the 1950s to the 1970s can be a great house. It’s also 45 to 75 years old. If you’re buying one or getting one ready to sell, look closely at these:
- Electrical. Original panels, two-prong ungrounded outlets, too few circuits for a modern kitchen, and any DIY wiring in the basement or garage.
- Plumbing and drains. Older supply lines and the main sewer line to the street. A sewer camera inspection is worth it on an older house with big trees nearby.
- Lead paint. Homes built before 1978 come with the federal lead disclosure. The EPA’s disclosure rule gives buyers a 10-day window to test unless they waive it.
- Oil tanks. Some older homes were heated with oil, and Maryland’s seller disclosure form asks about oil tanks and underground storage tanks specifically. Ask whether one is or was there.
- Roof and attic. Low-slope rambler roofs, ventilation and insulation levels.
- Basement water. Grading, gutters and downspouts, and any signs of past water.
- Windows. Original single-pane windows are common and affect comfort and energy bills.
- Permits on past additions. Many ramblers have had a family room, porch enclosure or basement finished over the decades. Maryland’s disclosure form asks whether required permits were issued for improvements and whether they passed inspection.
Our post on repairs before selling explains which of these are worth fixing before you list.
Adding a first-floor primary suite
If your house is close to working on one level but the main bedroom is upstairs, a first-floor primary suite can change that. The usual approaches:
- Convert an existing room. A main-level den, family room or office becomes the bedroom, with a full bathroom added next to it.
- Build an addition. A bedroom and bath added to the back or side of the house.
- Rework a garage. Sometimes an attached garage becomes living space.
Additions are expensive and rarely pay for themselves at resale. The 2025 Cost vs Value report put the national average cost of a midrange primary suite addition at $170,517, recouping 32% at resale. So this makes the most sense when you plan to stay, not as a project to boost a sale price.
Stephen Wilson’s company, Monarch Bay Renovations, does this kind of work, and we can walk a house with you to see whether a conversion or an addition fits the layout and the lot. You’re free to use any licensed contractor.
Affiliated business disclosure: Stephen Wilson, team lead of The Wilson Home Team of Samson Properties, owns Monarch Bay Renovations (MHIC #149066). You are not required to use Monarch Bay Renovations as a condition of working with us.
Selling a larger home and moving to one level
The tricky part is usually timing: you need the money from your current house to buy the next one, but you don’t want to sell before you have somewhere to go. The common ways to handle it:
| Approach | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Sell first, then buy | Sell, then rent or stay with family while you shop | Least financial risk, two moves |
| Buy with a home sale contingency | Your purchase depends on your house selling | Sellers may prefer offers without one |
| Rent-back after selling | You sell, then rent your old house back from the buyer for a set time | Needs a buyer willing to agree |
| Buy first, then sell | Use savings or a bridge loan to buy, then list your current home | Two housing payments for a while |
Before you choose, get a value for your current house and a realistic price range for the one-level homes you want. Once you know your likely net and your budget, the right path is usually obvious. Our buyer page covers the purchase side, and the single-story homes page shows what’s available now.
Bottom line
Central Maryland’s one-level homes are mostly postwar ramblers, concentrated where the 1950s-70s housing is: Baltimore, Prince George’s and Montgomery counties lead, while Howard and Charles lean newer. Inspect older ramblers closely for electrical, plumbing, oil tanks, lead paint and permits on past additions. If you’re moving from a bigger house, plan the timing of the sale and the purchase together. Get your home value and we’ll help you map out both moves.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25034 (Year Structure Built), retrieved October 2026 via Census Reporter
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B25024 (Units in Structure), Baltimore city, retrieved October 2026 via Census Reporter
- U.S. EPA, Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards, checked October 2026
- Maryland Real Estate Commission, Residential Property Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement (revised September 2026), checked October 2026
- Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs Value Report, checked October 2026