Best places to raise a family in Maryland
For the majority of people, there comes a moment in time when the prerequisites for a place to call home drastically change. This usually happens while planning to have children or shortly after the little ones arrive. Priorities dramatically shift, often prompting a move to a new home or even a new city. Cutting-edge restaurants and hipster cocktail bars suddenly take a backseat to excellent schools and plenty of playgrounds.
So where exactly are the best places to raise a family in Maryland? Stacker has collected data from Niche's 2018 best places to raise a family rankings to determine where children are most likely to thrive. The rankings measure the appeal of an area based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, affordability, and access to family-friendly amenities.
To create this list, Niche used data from several databases, including the U.S. Census, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as Niche's own proprietary data and community reviews. The data includes the area's population, median home value, median rent, median household income, and the percentage of households with children. It also takes into consideration the national average for median home value—$184,700, median rent—$949, and median household income—$55,322.
Read on to find out where to consider moving if you are raising a family in Maryland.
#25. Fulton—suburb of Baltimore, MD
Population: 3,097
Median home value: $615,700
Median rent: $3,501
Median household income: $134,118
Percentage of households with children: 24%
#24. Takoma Park—suburb in Maryland
Population: 17,567
Median home value: $508,600
Median rent: $1,121
Median household income: $78,921
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#23. Columbia—city in Maryland
Population: 103,439
Median home value: $364,900
Median rent: $1,604
Median household income: $102,899
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#22. Ilchester—suburb of Baltimore, MD
Population: 26,674
Median home value: $375,400
Median rent: $1,685
Median household income: $117,194
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#21. Clarksburg—suburb in Maryland
Population: 20,441
Median home value: $446,600
Median rent: $2,268
Median household income: $135,274
Percentage of households with children: 29%
#20. Four Corners—suburb in Maryland
Population: 8,596
Median home value: $430,400
Median rent: $2,017
Median household income: $117,925
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#19. Derwood—suburb in Maryland
Population: 2,012
Median home value: $556,200
Median rent: $1,529
Median household income: $97,857
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#18. Darnestown—suburb in Maryland
Population: 6,509
Median home value: $728,400
Median rent: $1,378
Median household income: $188,565
Percentage of households with children: 17%
#17. Chevy Chase—suburb in Maryland
Population: 9,618
Median home value: $887,100
Median rent: $2,374
Median household income: $162,351
Percentage of households with children: 22%
#16. Cabin John—suburb in Maryland
Population: 1,958
Median home value: $887,600
Median rent: $2,115
Median household income: $163,029
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#15. Rockville—town in Maryland
Population: 65,171
Median home value: $499,400
Median rent: $1,802
Median household income: $101,774
Percentage of households with children: 18%
#14. North Bethesda—suburb in Maryland
Population: 49,971
Median home value: $543,000
Median rent: $1,850
Median household income: $103,916
Percentage of households with children: 16%
#13. Chevy Chase Village—suburb in Maryland
Population: 2,030
Median home value: $1,608,300
Median rent: $3,375
Median household income: $250,001
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#12. Chevy Chase Town—suburb in Maryland
Population: 2,948
Median home value: $1,185,500
Median rent: $3,501
Median household income: $250,001
Percentage of households with children: 25%
#11. Brookmont—suburb in Maryland
Population: 3,810
Median home value: $947,700
Median rent: $2,491
Median household income: $184,464
Percentage of households with children: 22%
#10. Ellicott City—suburb of Baltimore, MD
Population: 70,780
Median home value: $515,500
Median rent: $1,582
Median household income: $121,019
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#9. Travilah—suburb in Maryland
Population: 11,858
Median home value: $1,055,400
Median rent: $2,936
Median household income: $215,688
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#8. Bethesda—town in Maryland
Population: 62,608
Median home value: $858,800
Median rent: $1,917
Median household income: $146,664
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#7. Potomac—suburb in Maryland
Population: 45,882
Median home value: $889,100
Median rent: $1,809
Median household income: $181,890
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#6. Somerset—suburb in Maryland
Population: 1,215
Median home value: $1,165,700
Median rent: $3,429
Median household income: $250,001
Percentage of households with children: 22%
#5. South Kensington—suburb in Maryland
Population: 8,682
Median home value: $697,700
Median rent: $2,188
Median household income: $153,477
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#4. Garrett Park—Suburb in Maryland
Population: 1,058
Median home value: $744,900
Median rent: $2,033
Median household income: $162,000
Percentage of households with children: 25%
#3. North Potomac—suburb in Maryland
Population: 24,148
Median home value: $633,500
Median rent: $1,964
Median household income: $150,976
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#2. Urbana—town in Maryland
Population: 10,872
Median home value: $439,900
Median rent: $2,214
Median household income: $141,610
Percentage of households with children: 31%
#1. Kensington—suburb in Maryland
Population: 2,111
Median home value: $662,900
Median rent: $1,356
Median household income: $132,750
Percentage of households with children: 24%
