Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Maryland? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Annapolis, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Maryland suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Old Line State
Mount Airy is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Maryland.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Maryland, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Maryland and the best places to raise a family in Maryland.
Best Suburbs In Maryland For 2024
/10
Population: 9,667
Median Income: $148,779
Average Home Price: $575,869
More on Mount Airy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Mount Airy is located 29 miles west of Baltimore.
/10
Population: 57,922
Median Income: $138,797
Average Home Price: $495,660
More on Bowie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Bowie is located 15 miles east of Washington.
/10
Population: 67,142
Median Income: $122,470
Average Home Price: $606,807
More on Rockville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Rockville is located 14 miles north of Washington.
/10
Manchester is located 28 miles north of Baltimore.
/10
Population: 5,686
Median Income: $215,025
Average Home Price: $664,155
More on Poolesville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Poolesville is located 24 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 6,132
Median Income: $119,625
Average Home Price: $468,015
More on Cheverly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheverly is located 5 miles east of Washington.
/10
Population: 6,335
Median Income: $100,179
Average Home Price: $412,112
More on Glenarden: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Glenarden is located 8 miles east of Washington.
/10
Population: 40,719
Median Income: $97,219
Average Home Price: $571,003
More on Annapolis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Annapolis is located 23 miles south of Baltimore.
/10
Population: 17,542
Median Income: $95,316
Average Home Price: $667,796
More on Takoma Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Takoma Park is located 5 miles north of Washington.
/10
Population: 6,358
Median Income: $130,175
Average Home Price: $432,240
More on Chesapeake Beach: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Chesapeake Beach is located 28 miles east of Washington.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Old Line State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Maryland. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Maryland, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Maryland across these criteria from one to 23, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Maryland.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Maryland.
Read on to see why Mount Airy is the ‘burb with the most, while Bladensburg is probably not the best place to live in Maryland.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Maryland
If you’re measuring the locations in Maryland where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Maryland are Mount Airy, Bowie, Rockville, Manchester, Poolesville, Cheverly, Glenarden, Annapolis, Takoma Park, and Chesapeake Beach.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Maryland according to the data:
- Bladensburg
- Greenbelt
- College Park
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Maryland
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland
- Most Dangerous Cities In Maryland
- Richest Cities In Maryland
- Safest Places In Maryland
- Worst Places To Live In Maryland
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Maryland
The Best Suburbs In Maryland
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Airy | 9,667 | $148,779 | $575,869 |
| 2 | Bowie | 57,922 | $138,797 | $495,660 |
| 3 | Rockville | 67,142 | $122,470 | $606,807 |
| 4 | Manchester | 5,403 | $103,629 | $425,271 |
| 5 | Poolesville | 5,686 | $215,025 | $664,155 |
| 6 | Cheverly | 6,132 | $119,625 | $468,015 |
| 7 | Glenarden | 6,335 | $100,179 | $412,112 |
| 8 | Annapolis | 40,719 | $97,219 | $571,003 |
| 9 | Takoma Park | 17,542 | $95,316 | $667,796 |
| 10 | Chesapeake Beach | 6,358 | $130,175 | $432,240 |
| 11 | La Plata | 10,283 | $117,065 | $458,131 |
| 12 | Gaithersburg | 69,016 | $104,544 | $498,395 |
| 13 | Hampstead | 6,278 | $87,454 | $397,582 |
| 14 | New Carrollton | 13,580 | $76,386 | $385,956 |
| 15 | Riverdale Park | 7,284 | $105,250 | $457,160 |
| 16 | Laurel | 29,581 | $92,035 | $443,952 |
| 17 | Westminster | 20,099 | $71,286 | $423,805 |
| 18 | Mount Rainier | 8,262 | $64,170 | $471,063 |
| 19 | Aberdeen | 16,422 | $74,555 | $314,123 |
| 20 | Hyattsville | 20,851 | $90,329 | $396,591 |
| 21 | College Park | 34,416 | $76,973 | $418,488 |
| 22 | Greenbelt | 24,646 | $82,019 | $273,558 |
| 23 | Bladensburg | 9,574 | $58,619 | $315,966 |