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Accident vs Clear Spring

74 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (6.6× in Accident) and kids under 18 (+23 pts in Clear Spring).

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Accident, MDA regional job hubMaryland · 351 people

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Clear Spring, MDAn outdoors townMaryland · 342 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AccidentA regional job hub

Work178 jobsbased in Accident, a regional job hub

HistorySettled in 17861 place on the National Register Housing$314K typical home27% below the MD typical home All about Accident →

Clear SpringAn outdoors town

Outdoors17.3% conserved land0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves

HistorySettled in 18361 place on the National Register All about Clear Spring →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker6.6×

Accident is more of a job hub

Accident 1.52Clear Spring 0.23

Kids under 18+23 pts

Clear Spring has more kids

Clear Spring 39.8%Accident 16.8%

Property tax bill+73%

Tax bills are bigger in Accident

Accident $2,481Clear Spring $1,432

Typical home built43 yrs

Clear Spring’s homes are older

Accident 1981Clear Spring 1938

Average commute7 min

Accident has the shorter commute

Clear Spring 24 minAccident 17 min

Conserved land+12.6 pts

Clear Spring has more conserved land

Clear Spring 17.3%Accident 4.7%

★ What stands out · Life in each

Accident gets 74 more inches of snow a year

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AccidentClear Spring

Snow a year105″31″

January low18°F 23°F

July high81°F 85°F

Growing season (days)156d 188d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th 10th

Outdoors & history

AccidentClear Spring

Conserved land—17.3%

Settled1786 1836

National Register places1 1

Archive photos3 —

Community

AccidentClear Spring

Library hours a week35 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Clear Spring

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Accident$1,940/mo

Typical home $314K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.13% · Housing →

Clear Spring$2,180/mo

Typical home $369K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $1,352/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Clear Spring and Accident.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

74 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AccidentMD Clear SpringMD

Accident ↔ Clear Spring74 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Maryland average

AccidentClear Spring

People

Population 351Highest 342Lowest

Median age 36.5±12Highest 7% below MD 29.6±7.8Lowest 25% below MD

Accident and Clear Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 16.8%±5Lowest MD: 22.2% 39.8%±12.6Highest MD: 22.2%

Age 65+ 16.5%±7.3Highest MD: 16.7% 13.7%±10.1Lowest MD: 16.7%

Accident and Clear Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.4%Highest MD: 43.4% 12.4%Lowest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±3.6Highest MD: 6.9% 3.5%±5.6Lowest MD: 6.9%

Accident and Clear Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $58,929±$37kHighest 43% below MD $47,375±$23kLowest 54% below MD

Accident and Clear Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $220,300±$49kHighest 48% below MD $175,000±$58kLowest 58% below MD

Accident and Clear Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $1,352±$366 21% below MD

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,481Highest 39% below MD $1,432Lowest 65% below MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 10.7%±26.4Lowest MD: 51.5% 55.9%±24.7Highest MD: 51.5%

Clear Spring and Accident are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 23.9%Highest MD: 9.4% 8.5%Lowest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.5%Highest MD: 67.6% 46.7%Lowest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1981Highest 2 yrs newer than MD 1938Lowest 41 yrs older than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 45% below MD 24 minHighest 23% below MD

Work from home 8%±7Lowest MD: 19.3% 8.9%±7.7Highest MD: 19.3%

Clear Spring and Accident are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 4.3%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miHighest 13.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.52Highest 0.23Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Oakland (13%)Hagerstown (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Clear SpringFew work in Accident

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.7%Lowest 17.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 62.9Lowest 74.0Highest

Maryland average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Accident neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Accident’s Town Square.

Clear Spring neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clear Spring’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Accident

Barclay225 people · $275K homes

Port Deposit491 people · $279K homes

Millington469 people · $232K homes

Midland589 people · $128K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.