The town of Midland is 1,600 feet (490 m) above sea level, is located 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Frostburg, Maryland and 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Lonaconing, Maryland. Paradise Run and Neff's Run carry the precipitation from Dan's Mountain on the east to Georges Creek, while Squirrel Neck Run feeds it from the west off of Savage Mountain. Some say that Midland derived its name from its location, some say it was named after the Midlands in Scotland by the Scottish settlers.
Midland is proud of its two churches—St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Grace United Methodist Church. Both were established in 1891. The bells of St. Joe’s and the chimes of Grace ring out daily from the hill at the edge of town where the churches sit side by side.
About a mile beyond the town's limits, anyone making the climb to the top of the magnificent outcropping known as Dan's Rock is rewarded with an incomparable view of the eastern end of the county and nearby West Virginia. Generations of townsfolk and visitors have marveled at the spectacular sunrises and sunsets seen from this highest point in Allegany County.
Midland was founded in 1850 as a coal-mining community in the heart of the George's Creek Valley, once a major center of the nation’s coal industry. But coal production started to decline after World War I, and today only some strip mining remains as the last vestige of this once all important industry. Coal trains that once went through the town daily now pass only once or twice a month.
Most of the original settlers came in response to the abundance of jobs available in the coal mines. Many were Irish, but German, Scottish, and Welsh names also are found in the early records of the town.
Once a bustling town with big stores, a hotel, and an opera house, Midland today projects a friendly laid-back atmosphere. A convenience store offers the basic necessities, but major shopping is done in the larger communities of Frostburg, LaVale, and Cumberland. The post office in the heart of town is the gathering point for the townspeople to meet and chat.
As of the census of 2000, there were 473 people, 189 households, and 123 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,500.3 people per square mile (961.2/km²). There were 211 housing units at an average density of 1,115.4/sq mi (428.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.37% White and 0.63% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 189 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,404, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $26,750 versus $22,115 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,318. About 6.2% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.