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 2026
/10
Population: 9,805
Median Income: $151,324
Average Home Price: $639,006
More on Mount Airy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Mount Airy is located 29 miles west of Baltimore.
/10
Manchester is located 28 miles north of Baltimore.
/10
Population: 67,671
Median Income: $128,649
Average Home Price: $618,892
More on Rockville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Rockville is located 14 miles north of Washington.
/10
Population: 57,926
Median Income: $141,995
Average Home Price: $524,117
More on Bowie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Bowie is located 15 miles east of Washington.
/10
Population: 6,251
Median Income: $97,871
Average Home Price: $439,359
More on Hampstead: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Hampstead is located 25 miles north of Baltimore.
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Population: 5,764
Median Income: $205,919
Average Home Price: $736,648
More on Poolesville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Poolesville is located 24 miles west of Arlington.
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Population: 69,825
Median Income: $112,467
Average Home Price: $527,608
More on Gaithersburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Gaithersburg is located 18 miles north of Arlington.
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Population: 10,683
Median Income: $121,208
Average Home Price: $481,282
More on La Plata: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
La Plata is located 24 miles south of Arlington.
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Population: 40,720
Median Income: $113,860
Average Home Price: $618,837
More on Annapolis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Annapolis is located 23 miles south of Baltimore.
/10
Population: 6,456
Median Income: $138,895
Average Home Price: $462,696
More on Chesapeake Beach: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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, Manchester, Rockville, Bowie, Hampstead, Poolesville, Gaithersburg, La Plata, Annapolis, 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 | 9,805 | $151,324 | $639,006 |
| 2 | Manchester | 5,439 | $121,676 | $462,577 |
| 3 | Rockville | 67,671 | $128,649 | $618,892 |
| 4 | Bowie | 57,926 | $141,995 | $524,117 |
| 5 | Hampstead | 6,251 | $97,871 | $439,359 |
| 6 | Poolesville | 5,764 | $205,919 | $736,648 |
| 7 | Gaithersburg | 69,825 | $112,467 | $527,608 |
| 8 | La Plata | 10,683 | $121,208 | $481,282 |
| 9 | Annapolis | 40,720 | $113,860 | $618,837 |
| 10 | Chesapeake Beach | 6,456 | $138,895 | $462,696 |
| 11 | Cheverly | 6,096 | $123,535 | $468,344 |
| 12 | Glenarden | 6,344 | $106,414 | $413,332 |
| 13 | Westminster | 20,445 | $86,219 | $462,868 |
| 14 | Takoma Park | 17,632 | $108,136 | $686,398 |
| 15 | Laurel | 29,798 | $100,504 | $476,647 |
| 16 | Riverdale Park | 7,270 | $120,043 | $486,910 |
| 17 | Aberdeen | 17,298 | $74,826 | $343,947 |
| 18 | New Carrollton | 13,564 | $81,509 | $399,604 |
| 19 | Mount Rainier | 8,245 | $68,505 | $448,596 |
| 20 | Hyattsville | 20,966 | $91,941 | $403,229 |
| 21 | College Park | 34,540 | $69,721 | $437,694 |
| 22 | Greenbelt | 24,678 | $85,997 | $285,335 |
| 23 | Bladensburg | 9,583 | $63,179 | $317,187 |