2,190 Maryland estates were opened in October 2026, about 2% more than September at the same point. In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, 112 were linked to homes.
October 2026 · Statewide probate activity, with property analysis for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties · First count, data through November 6, 2026
2,190 estates were opened in Maryland in October 2026. Counted at the same point after it ended, September had 2,148, so October was up 2.0%. September’s count has since risen to 2,216 as late filings were docketed, and October’s can be expected to rise in the same way. In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, where Bluebeam Signals links estates to state property records, 112 of the 445 October estates that went through that linking were connected to at least one Maryland home, with a combined assessed value of $58.3 million. That is the State’s assessed value, not a sale price or what any estate will receive.
October at a glance
- 2,190 estates opened statewide, against 2,148 for September at the same point (up 2.0%).
- 112 of the 445 linked estates in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties were connected to a home (25.2%), against 27.3% in September.
- $58.3 million in combined assessed value for those homes; the median linked home was assessed at $412,450.
- 19.3% of personal representatives in the linked estates gave a mailing address outside Maryland.
- 62 days was the statewide median from date of death to estate filing; 14.9% of estates were opened more than a year after the death.
- 63 estates (2.9%) were opened as judicial proceedings before the Orphans’ Court at first count. September’s first count was 86; it now stands at 53 as filings were reclassified after they were opened.
- 32 were foreign proceedings, opened for people who lived outside Maryland but owned real property here, and 115 limited orders were issued: court orders to locate assets or a will before anyone is appointed to run the estate.
Homes linked to estates in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
A probate filing shows that an estate has been opened. Linking it to state assessment records shows whether a Maryland home is involved and what the public record says about it: its assessed value, its age, and whether it was the owner’s principal residence.
| County | Estates followed to property records | Linked to a home | Share | Median assessed value | Combined assessed value | Representatives outside Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George’s County | 246 | 73 | 29.7% | $399,800 | $33.4 million | 17.2% |
| Montgomery County | 199 | 39 | 19.6% | $513,400 | $24.9 million | 20.6% |
| Combined | 445 | 112 | 25.2% | $412,450 | $58.3 million | 19.3% |
Montgomery County’s estate-linked homes had a median assessed value of $513,400, against $399,800 in Prince George’s County. Prince George’s again had more estates linked to homes: 73 of 246 (29.7%), against 39 of 199 (19.6%) in Montgomery. The median estate-linked home was built in 1972, and 88.4% were recorded as the owner’s principal residence, which describes the assessment record, not whether anyone lives there now.
What these figures do not mean
- A home linked to an estate is not necessarily vacant, listed for sale, or going to be sold.
- Assessed value is the State’s tax assessment, not a market value, a sale price or what an estate will receive.
- 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.
- First counts move. A month’s total rises as late filings are docketed, and estate types can change after filing, which is why this report compares first counts with first counts.
- Every figure describes public filings in aggregate. None of them says why an estate was opened or what a family intends.
Estates opened by county, October 2026
| County | October (first count) | September (first count) | Change | September (revised) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore County | 447 | 427 | +4.7% | 416 |
| Anne Arundel County | 271 | 225 | +20.4% | 227 |
| Prince George’s County | 248 | 285 | -13.0% | 301 |
| Montgomery County | 216 | 234 | -7.7% | 242 |
| Baltimore City | 191 | 160 | +19.4% | 176 |
| Harford County | 95 | 99 | -4.0% | 101 |
| Howard County | 86 | 86 | +0.0% | 86 |
| Washington County | 75 | 67 | +11.9% | 73 |
| Frederick County | 69 | 88 | -21.6% | 93 |
| Charles County | 68 | 63 | +7.9% | 64 |
| Carroll County | 63 | 70 | -10.0% | 72 |
| Wicomico County | 47 | 52 | -9.6% | 52 |
| Cecil County | 45 | 33 | +36.4% | 43 |
| Allegany County | 39 | 44 | -11.4% | 48 |
| St. Mary’s County | 34 | 34 | +0.0% | 35 |
| Worcester County | 31 | 29 | +6.9% | 29 |
| Calvert County | 30 | 26 | +15.4% | 28 |
| Garrett County | 25 | 21 | +19.0% | 21 |
| Caroline County | 23 | 12 | +91.7% | 13 |
| Queen Anne’s County | 20 | 25 | -20.0% | 26 |
| Dorchester County | 19 | 17 | +11.8% | 18 |
| Talbot County | 19 | 28 | -32.1% | 28 |
| Kent County | 18 | <10 | n/a | 10 |
| Somerset County | 11 | 14 | -21.4% | 14 |
| Maryland | 2,190 | 2,148 | +2.0% | 2,216 |
Counts under 10 are shown as <10. In smaller counties a few filings move the monthly change a long way.
Download the county table (Excel). Free to reuse with credit and a link to this page.
The trend
Monthly filings have run between about 2,100 and 2,400 since May. The latest month on the chart is always a first count: September has risen 3.2% since it was first reported.
How long after a death is an estate opened?
The median gap between the date of death and the estate filing was 62 days in October 2026. 60.3% of estates were opened within 90 days and 14.9% more than a year later. 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.
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). At first count, 63 October estates (2.9%) took that route; Baltimore City accounted for 13 of them, 6.8% of its estates. These counts move after a month is first reported: September’s fell from 86 to 53 as filings were reclassified. A judicial proceeding is not necessarily a dispute.
Analyst’s note
Counted the same way, October’s statewide total was steady with September’s, so the story again sits in the property records. Prince George’s County continues to show more estates linked to homes than Montgomery, at lower assessed values: roughly three in ten Prince George’s estates connected to a home in October, against two in ten in Montgomery. The month also taught us something about the data itself. September’s first count understated the month by about 3%, and its count of Orphans’ Court proceedings fell by more than a third as filings were reclassified, so each edition now shows the previous month’s first count beside its revised figure.
Frequently asked questions
How many estates were opened in Maryland in October 2026?
2,190 at first count, a week after the month ended. September’s first count was 2,148; it has since been revised to 2,216.
How many estates in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties include a home?
In October 2026, 112 of the 445 estates followed to property records, or 25.2%, were linked to at least one Maryland home.
What is a typical estate-linked home worth?
The median assessed value was $412,450 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Assessed value is not a sale price.
How long after a death is a Maryland estate opened?
The median was 62 days in October 2026.
Which county opens the most estates?
Baltimore County, with 447 in October 2026.
Why do the numbers change after a report is published?
Late filings are docketed after a month ends, and an estate’s type can change after it is opened. Each report compares first counts with first counts, and shows the previous month’s revised figure.
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 466 non-probate reports, will-only filings, vehicle transfers and limited orders were docketed in October and are not counted as estates.
Property figures. These cover Montgomery and Prince George’s counties only. The base is the 445 of the 464 estates opened there in October 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.
First counts and revisions. Each month is first counted about a week after it ends and counted again a month later. First counts rise as late filings are docketed, and estate types can change after filing. This edition compares October’s first count with September’s first count, so both months are measured at the same point. Year-over-year comparisons begin once a full year of data captured the same way exists.
Limits. Data through November 6, 2026. Counts below 10 are shown as <10 and percentages are not reported for groups smaller than 30. Figures describe public records in aggregate, not any individual, and are not legal advice or a consumer report.
Previous edition: Maryland Probate Statistics: September 2026.
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