Clifton vs Silver Spring
The short version
- Silver Spring is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Clifton area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $461,900 in Clifton and $643,300 in Silver Spring.
- Silver Spring has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 40°F.
- Clifton gets far more snow: 30 inches a year vs 14.
- Silver Spring has more scorching days: 40 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 17.
- Commutes are shorter in Clifton (28 vs 34 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Clifton, NJ | Silver Spring, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 91,127 | 81,462 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.4% | n/a |
| People per square mile | 8,082 | 10,334 |
| Median age | 41.6 | 35.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $98,237 | $99,860 |
| Median home value | $461,900 | $643,300 |
| Home value to income | 4.7× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,711 | $1,913 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 108.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 148.6 | 151.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $84,400 | $81,700 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 38% |
| Top state income tax | 10.75% | 6.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.6% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.3 | 34.0 |
| Work from home | 13% | 27% |
| Take public transit | 9% | 14% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 10.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 28° | 45° / 30° |
| July high / low | 85° / 70° | 90° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 30 in | 14 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 40 |
| Nights below freezing | 67 | 60 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.8 | 91.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 42% | 59% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.7% | +1.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.1% | +29.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Clifton: May and September to October. Silver Spring: April to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Clifton weather by month and Silver Spring weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $84,400 in Clifton and $81,700 in Silver Spring. Moving from Clifton to Silver Spring, you would need about $72,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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