Frederick vs Columbia
The short version
- Columbia is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Frederick area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $401,500 in Frederick and $497,400 in Columbia.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($131,490 vs $97,069 median).
- Frederick gets far more snow: 31 inches a year vs 19.
- Frederick is growing faster: +17.8% since 2020 vs +0%.
Side by side
| Frederick, MD | Columbia, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 92,059 | 104,338 |
| Growth since 2020 | +17.8% | n/a |
| People per square mile | 3,842 | 3,267 |
| Median age | 37.1 | 39.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43% | 64% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $97,069 | $131,490 |
| Median home value | $401,500 | $497,400 |
| Home value to income | 4.1× | 3.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,764 | $2,042 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 104.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.1 | 118.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,700 | $78,400 |
| Homeowners | 59% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.0 | 27.9 |
| Work from home | 18% | 25% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.9% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 7.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 43° / 27° | 43° / 25° |
| July high / low | 89° / 68° | 89° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 45 in |
| Snowfall per year | 31 in | 19 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 36 | 34 |
| Nights below freezing | 84 | 93 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 74.2 | 72.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 59% | 58% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.3% | +2.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.4% | +31.8% |
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: Frederick: April to June and October. Columbia: April to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Frederick weather by month and Columbia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,700 in Frederick and $78,400 in Columbia. Moving from Frederick to Columbia, you would need about $72,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Frederick and Columbia
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Frederick and Columbia.
Which would you pick?
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