Frederick vs Silver Spring
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $401,500 in Frederick and $643,300 in Silver Spring.
- Frederick gets far more snow: 31 inches a year vs 14.
- Frederick is growing faster: +17.8% since 2020 vs +0%.
- Commutes are shorter in Frederick (30 vs 34 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Frederick, MD | Silver Spring, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 92,059 | 81,462 |
| Growth since 2020 | +17.8% | n/a |
| People per square mile | 3,842 | 10,334 |
| Median age | 37.1 | 35.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $97,069 | $99,860 |
| Median home value | $401,500 | $643,300 |
| Home value to income | 4.1× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,764 | $1,913 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 108.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.1 | 151.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,700 | $81,700 |
| Homeowners | 59% | 38% |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.0 | 34.0 |
| Work from home | 18% | 27% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 14% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.9% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 10.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 43° / 27° | 45° / 30° |
| July high / low | 89° / 68° | 90° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 31 in | 14 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 36 | 40 |
| Nights below freezing | 84 | 60 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 74.2 | 91.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 59% | 59% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.3% | +1.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.4% | +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: Frederick: April to June and October. Silver Spring: April to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Frederick 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 $81,700 in Frederick and $81,700 in Silver Spring. Moving from Frederick to Silver Spring, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Frederick and Silver Spring
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 Silver Spring.
Which would you pick?
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