2,148 Maryland estates were opened in September 2026. In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, 132 were linked to homes.
September 2026 · Statewide probate activity, with property analysis for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties · Data through October 7, 2026
In September 2026, 2,148 estates were opened in Maryland, up 0.8% from 2,131 in August. In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, where Bluebeam Signals links estates to state property records, 132 of the 483 September estates that went through that linking were connected to at least one Maryland home, with a combined assessed value of $72.6 million. That is the State’s assessed value, not a sale price, a listing, or what any estate will receive.
A probate filing tells you an estate has been opened. Connecting it to land records answers a more practical question: is a home involved, and what does the public record say about it?
September at a glance
- 2,148 Maryland estates opened, against 2,131 in August (up 0.8%).
- 132 of the 483 linked estates in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties were connected to a home (27.3%). This is a two-county figure, not a statewide one.
- $72.6 million in combined assessed value for those homes; the median linked home was assessed at $411,450.
- 15.2% of personal representatives in the linked estates gave a mailing address outside Maryland.
- 63 days was the statewide median from date of death to estate filing.
- 86 estates (4.0%) were opened as judicial proceedings before the Orphans’ Court, against 40 in August. That is a count of filing types, not evidence that disputes doubled.
Homes linked to estates in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
In Montgomery County, 54 of 205 linked estates were connected to a home (26.3%); those homes had a median assessed value of $539,300 and a median construction year of 1974. In Prince George’s County, 78 of 278 were (28.1%), with a median assessed value of $376,500 and a median construction year of 1966.
| September 2026 | Montgomery County | Prince George’s County |
|---|---|---|
| Estates opened | 234 | 285 |
| Estates that went through property linking | 205 | 278 |
| Linked to a home | 54 | 78 |
| Share linked to a home | 26.3% | 28.1% |
| Median assessed value of linked homes | $539,300 | $376,500 |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1966 |
| Personal representatives with an out-of-state mailing address | 19.5% | 9.9% |
| Median days from death to filing | 90 | 74 |
93.9% of the linked homes were recorded as the owner’s principal residence in the assessment data. That describes the record, not whether anyone lives there now. The difference between the two counties is worth knowing, but it is not a price forecast: assessed values are not listing prices, appraisals or offers.
What these figures do not mean
- A home linked to an estate is not necessarily vacant, listed for sale, or going to be sold. It may be kept, transferred to an heir, rented or sold.
- Assessed value is the State’s tax assessment, not a market value, an appraisal or a sale price.
- An estate with no linked home may still own property. A link is counted only when it meets our match standard, so these counts are conservative.
- A judicial proceeding before the Orphans’ Court is not necessarily a dispute; an estate with a lost or damaged will goes the same route.
- An out-of-state mailing address for a personal representative is a fact about an address, not about how the estate is being handled.
How long after a death is an estate opened?
Across Maryland, the median gap between the date of death and the estate filing was 63 days. 59.7% of estates with usable dates were opened within 90 days, and 15.2% more than a year later. The median was 90 days in Montgomery County and 74 days in Prince George’s County. One common reason for a late opening is real property: a house generally cannot be sold or retitled until someone has authority to act for the estate. The figures measure timing; they do not say why any family filed when it did.
Estates opened by county, September 2026
| County | September | August | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore County | 427 | 380 | +12.4% |
| Prince George’s County | 285 | 285 | 0.0% |
| Montgomery County | 234 | 239 | -2.1% |
| Anne Arundel County | 225 | 217 | +3.7% |
| Baltimore City | 160 | 153 | +4.6% |
| Harford County | 99 | 108 | -8.3% |
| Frederick County | 88 | 95 | -7.4% |
| Howard County | 86 | 82 | +4.9% |
| Carroll County | 70 | 64 | +9.4% |
| Washington County | 67 | 53 | +26.4% |
| Charles County | 63 | 82 | -23.2% |
| Wicomico County | 52 | 55 | -5.5% |
| Allegany County | 44 | 46 | -4.3% |
| St. Mary’s County | 34 | 43 | -20.9% |
| Cecil County | 33 | 33 | 0.0% |
| Worcester County | 29 | 36 | -19.4% |
| Talbot County | 28 | 24 | +16.7% |
| Calvert County | 26 | 34 | -23.5% |
| Queen Anne’s County | 25 | 25 | 0.0% |
| Garrett County | 21 | 21 | 0.0% |
| Dorchester County | 17 | 18 | -5.6% |
| Somerset County | 14 | 12 | +16.7% |
| Caroline County | 12 | 11 | +9.1% |
| Kent County | <10 | 15 | n/a |
Counts under 10 are shown as <10. In smaller counties a few filings move the monthly change a long way.
How many Maryland estates go before the Orphans’ Court?
Most Maryland estates are handled administratively by the Register of Wills. Some cannot be: when a will’s validity is in question, or a will is lost or damaged, the estate is opened as a judicial proceeding before the Orphans’ Court (see the Register of Wills estate-search glossary). In September, 86 of 2,148 estates (4.0%) took that route, against 40 in August. In Baltimore City, 23 of its 160 estates (14.4%) were judicial. One month’s change does not make a trend, and a judicial proceeding is not necessarily a dispute.
Analyst’s note
September’s statewide count barely moved from August. The more useful finding is what appears when a filing is connected to an assessment record: Montgomery County’s linked homes carried a median assessed value about $160,000 higher than Prince George’s, while Prince George’s had more estates linked to homes. Neither says those homes will be sold. They show where a documented property connection exists, and where follow-up research can start. Later editions will report what happened to these homes six and twelve months on.
Frequently asked questions
How many estates were opened in Maryland in September 2026?
2,148, compared with 2,131 in August.
How many Maryland probate estates were linked to homes?
In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, 132 of the 483 estates that went through property linking were connected to at least one Maryland home. Property linking does not yet cover the rest of the state.
Does a probate filing mean a home will be sold?
No. A home may be kept, transferred, rented or sold, depending on the estate and the decisions of the people with legal authority to act. A filing is not a listing or a prediction of a sale.
Which Maryland county opened the most estates?
Baltimore County, with 427 in September 2026.
How soon after a death is a Maryland estate opened?
The statewide median was 63 days in September 2026. Timing varies widely.
About this data
Sources. Estate filings come from the public records of the Maryland Registers of Wills, all 24 jurisdictions, counted by filing date and deduplicated by estate. Property figures come from Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation records.
What is counted. Estates opened are regular, small, modified-administration, judicial and foreign estates. A further 505 non-probate reports, will-only filings, vehicle transfers and limited orders were docketed in September and are not counted as estates.
Property figures. These cover Montgomery and Prince George’s counties only. The base is the 483 of the 519 estates opened there in September that went through Bluebeam Signals’ property linking. An estate counts as linked to a home only when the link meets our match standard, so the figures are conservative. Values are assessed values from state records.
Comparisons. This edition compares with August 2026 only. Year-over-year comparisons begin once a full year of data captured the same way exists.
Limits. Data through October 7, 2026. Counts below 10 are shown as <10. Figures describe public records in aggregate, not any individual, and are not legal advice or a consumer report. They may not be used to decide eligibility for credit, insurance, employment or housing.
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