WorkspaceTop ListsAboutContact Us

State place rankings

Best Places in Maryland

Compare places by General Quality score or population. Each place links to its sourced facts, scores, and local summary.

All states

General Quality score

Best overall places

Open in Workspace

  1. Chevy Chase, MD (CDP)

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    9,445
    Median home value
    $1,245,000
    Town page

  2. Bethesda, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    69,397
    Median home value
    $1,169,900
    Town page

  3. Friendship Heights Village, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    4,002
    Median home value
    $484,300
    Town page

  4. Chevy Chase, MD (Town)

    Town

    General Quality
    Population
    2,804
    Median home value
    $1,670,600
    Town page

  5. Columbia, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    104,338
    Median home value
    $497,400
    Town page

  6. Ilchester, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    28,364
    Median home value
    $532,400
    Town page

  7. Somerset, MD

    Town

    General Quality
    Population
    1,151
    Median home value
    $1,775,000
    Town page

  8. Ellicott City, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    75,257
    Median home value
    $661,700
    Town page

  9. Cabin John, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    2,179
    Median home value
    $1,312,900
    Town page

  10. North Bethesda, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    49,677
    Median home value
    $731,800
    Town page

  11. Rockville, MD

    City

    General Quality
    Population
    67,563
    Median home value
    $682,300
    Town page

  12. Scaggsville, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    10,564
    Median home value
    $668,500
    Town page

  13. Garrett Park, MD

    Town

    General Quality
    Population
    959
    Median home value
    $1,005,700
    Town page

  14. Chevy Chase Section Five, MD

    Village

    General Quality
    Population
    657
    Median home value
    $1,643,100
    Town page

  15. Chevy Chase Section Three, MD

    Village

    General Quality
    Population
    773
    Median home value
    $1,605,600
    Town page

  16. Chevy Chase View, MD

    Town

    General Quality
    Population
    952
    Median home value
    $1,414,600
    Town page

  17. Elkridge, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    26,283
    Median home value
    $454,200
    Town page

  18. Fulton, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    5,677
    Median home value
    $913,100
    Town page

  19. Martin's Additions, MD

    Village

    General Quality
    Population
    879
    Median home value
    $1,535,200
    Town page

  20. Highland, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    972
    Median home value
    $914,000
    Town page

  21. Potomac, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    45,902
    Median home value
    $1,157,000
    Town page

  22. Four Corners, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    8,150
    Median home value
    $620,400
    Town page

  23. North Chevy Chase, MD

    Village

    General Quality
    Population
    664
    Median home value
    $1,212,500
    Town page

  24. Chevy Chase Village, MD

    Town

    General Quality
    Population
    1,978
    Median home value
    $2,000,001
    Town page

  25. North Laurel, MD

    Census-designated place

    General Quality
    Population
    25,563
    Median home value
    $450,100
    Town page

How this list is ranked

Places are ordered by General Quality score. General Quality is a balanced livability composite spanning safety, affordability, healthcare, climate, education, jobs, mobility, outdoors, taxes, and other core factors.

General Quality methodology

Largest to smallest

Population-ranked places

Open in Workspace

  1. Baltimore, MD

    City

    Population
    569,997
    Median home value
    $229,600
    Median rent
    $1,331
    Town page

  2. Columbia, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    104,338
    Median home value
    $497,400
    Median rent
    $2,042
    Town page

  3. Frederick, MD

    City

    Population
    92,059
    Median home value
    $401,500
    Median rent
    $1,764
    Town page

  4. Germantown, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    90,719
    Median home value
    $422,400
    Median rent
    $2,040
    Town page

  5. Waldorf, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    82,943
    Median home value
    $407,600
    Median rent
    $1,995
    Town page

  6. Silver Spring, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    81,462
    Median home value
    $643,300
    Median rent
    $1,913
    Town page

  7. Ellicott City, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    75,257
    Median home value
    $661,700
    Median rent
    $2,061
    Town page

  8. Glen Burnie, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    72,590
    Median home value
    $348,900
    Median rent
    $1,648
    Town page

  9. Gaithersburg, MD

    City

    Population
    71,113
    Median home value
    $496,500
    Median rent
    $2,058
    Town page

  10. Bethesda, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    69,397
    Median home value
    $1,169,900
    Median rent
    $2,469
    Town page

  11. Rockville, MD

    City

    Population
    67,563
    Median home value
    $682,300
    Median rent
    $2,274
    Town page

  12. Dundalk, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    65,969
    Median home value
    $212,700
    Median rent
    $1,473
    Town page

  13. Towson, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    58,679
    Median home value
    $469,000
    Median rent
    $1,764
    Town page

  14. Severn, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    58,402
    Median home value
    $479,200
    Median rent
    $2,175
    Town page

  15. Bowie, MD

    City

    Population
    58,383
    Median home value
    $459,300
    Median rent
    $2,330
    Town page

  16. Bel Air South, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    58,137
    Median home value
    $405,900
    Median rent
    $1,757
    Town page

  17. Aspen Hill, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    53,279
    Median home value
    $570,000
    Median rent
    $1,916
    Town page

  18. Wheaton, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    52,926
    Median home value
    $501,200
    Median rent
    $2,163
    Town page

  19. North Bethesda, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    49,677
    Median home value
    $731,800
    Median rent
    $2,191
    Town page

  20. Potomac, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    45,902
    Median home value
    $1,157,000
    Median rent
    $2,887
    Town page

  21. Odenton, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    45,002
    Median home value
    $435,300
    Median rent
    $2,257
    Town page

  22. Hagerstown, MD

    City

    Population
    44,228
    Median home value
    $224,500
    Median rent
    $1,114
    Town page

  23. Catonsville, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    43,368
    Median home value
    $416,900
    Median rent
    $1,724
    Town page

  24. Annapolis, MD

    City

    Population
    40,634
    Median home value
    $548,900
    Median rent
    $1,860
    Town page

  25. Essex, MD

    Census-designated place

    Population
    40,580
    Median home value
    $258,900
    Median rent
    $1,319
    Town page

How this list is ranked

Places are ordered by their latest available population estimate. Incorporated places and census-designated places are both eligible when they appear in the published location data.

U.S. Census Population Estimates Program
Annual Census population estimates are used where available; ACS place estimates fill coverage gaps.