The answer to most of these questions is 'it depends', but I'll try to answer them as best I can.

> Are wages typical of the rent?

It depends how much you're making and where you want to live. If you're making $15/hr, you're going to struggle to find a place without roommates more or less anywhere in the city. If you're making more than $75k/year, you should be fine to rent a 1BR in a good neighborhood. Housing costs are comparatively low in Baltimore as opposed to other NE cities, though they have been going up recently.

> Should I immediately get cameras and an alarm if living in a home with a street entrance?

If it makes you feel safer, by all means, but I don't think cameras + an alarm are strictly necessary in a lot of the neighborhoods this sub is going to end up recommending to you. If you're in a rougher area, though, they're definitely worth their while.

> Is parking generally included in apartment complexes?

I'm not sure, but I don't think so - friends who have lived in apartment buildings downtown say it's generally $100-150/month extra, if it's offered at all.

> Is crime in the city getting better?

Short answer: not really. The vast majority of the shootings in the city are between folks (overwhelmingly young, Black, and male) involved in the drug trade. If you are not involved in the drug trade and don't spend a lot of time in neighborhoods where drugs are openly dealt, your chances of getting shot are vanishingly low. Unfortunately the rates of muggings, robberies, and carjackings are quite high and are much more dispersed across the city. Some people live here for decades and never have an issue with crime, others see quite a lot of it in a short period of time. You can minimize your chance of being a victim by being proactive, but one day your number might come up. That's Baltimore.