Best places to live in Maryland
Cities and suburbs in Maryland with 25,000+ people, scored against each other: affordability on a $75k salary after taxes and rent (35%), violent crime (30%), schools (20%) and job growth (15%).
| # | City | Score | Rent | Home | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellicott City, MD | 67/100 | $2,061/mo | $662k | 9.3/10 |
| 2 | Towson, MD | 67/100 | $1,764/mo | $469k | 5.6/10 |
| 3 | Owings Mills, MD | 63/100 | $1,841/mo | $361k | 5.6/10 |
| 4 | Pikesville, MD | 61/100 | $1,707/mo | $435k | 5.6/10 |
| 5 | Catonsville, MD | 58/100 | $1,724/mo | $417k | 5.6/10 |
| 6 | Rockville, MD | 55/100 | $2,274/mo | $682k | 8.6/10 |
| 7 | Frederick, MD | 54/100 | $1,764/mo | $402k | 8.5/10 |
| 8 | Potomac, MD | 53/100 | $2,887/mo | $1.16M | 8.6/10 |
| 9 | Columbia, MD | 52/100 | $2,042/mo | $497k | 9.3/10 |
| 10 | Germantown, MD | 52/100 | $2,040/mo | $422k | 8.6/10 |
| 11 | Silver Spring, MD | 51/100 | $1,913/mo | $643k | 8.6/10 |
| 12 | Hunt Valley, MD | 50/100 | $2,701/mo | $660k | 5.6/10 |
| 13 | College Park, MD | 50/100 | $1,912/mo | $438k | 2.3/10 |
| 14 | Gaithersburg, MD | 48/100 | $2,058/mo | $497k | 8.6/10 |
| 15 | Reisterstown, MD | 48/100 | $1,600/mo | $359k | 5.6/10 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | 42/100 | $1,331/mo | $230k | 1.3/10 |
| 17 | Wheaton, MD | 41/100 | $2,163/mo | $501k | 8.6/10 |
| 18 | Annapolis, MD | 40/100 | $1,860/mo | $549k | 8.1/10 |
| 19 | Laurel, MD | 39/100 | $1,873/mo | $386k | 2.3/10 |
| 20 | Bethesda, MD | 34/100 | $2,469/mo | $1.17M | 8.6/10 |
| 21 | Bowie, MD | 28/100 | $2,330/mo | $459k | 2.3/10 |
Rent, income and home values: U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Taxes: 2026 federal and state rates for a single filer.
Compare the top 4