Compare towns

Annapolis vs Frederick

58 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5× in Frederick) and growth since 2010 (+13.5 pts in Frederick).

Annapolis, MDA colonial town, settled 1649Maryland · 40,720 people

Frederick, MDA colonial town, settled 1745Maryland · 83,395 people

Swap order

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.

AnnapolisA colonial town, settled 1649

HistorySettled in 164924 places on the National Register

Outdoors#26 most walkable in MD4.3 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves

Famous people56 notable peopleborn in Annapolis All about Annapolis →

FrederickA colonial town, settled 1745

HistorySettled in 174517 places on the National Register Housing$460K typical home7% above the MD typical home

Famous people57 notable peopleborn in Frederick All about Frederick →

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.

Trails5×

Frederick has more miles of trail

Frederick 21.5 miAnnapolis 4.3 mi

Growth since 2010+13.5 pts

Frederick has grown faster since 2010

Frederick +19.8%Annapolis +6.3%

Home values+37%

Homes cost more in Annapolis

Annapolis $548,900Frederick $401,500

Median age5.9 yrs

Annapolis skews older

Annapolis 43Frederick 37.1

Household income+17%

Households in Annapolis earn more

Annapolis $113,860Frederick $97,069

Typical home built16 yrs

Annapolis’s homes are older

Frederick 1991Annapolis 1975

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $910 more a month in Annapolis

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%

Annapolis$3,800/mo

Typical home $625K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.01% · or rent about $1,860/mo · Housing →

Frederick$2,890/mo

Typical home $460K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $1,764/mo · Housing →

The difference: $910 a month, about $10,900 a year, between Annapolis and Frederick.

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.

Report cards

Annapolis places higher on 12 of 23 MD lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Maryland ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

DAnnapolisSafer than 11% of U.S. towns CFrederickSafer than 25% of U.S. towns

Schools

BAnnapolisBetter than 56% of districts in the state A−FrederickBetter than 80% of districts in the state

Health

A−AnnapolisHealthier than 83% of U.S. towns A−FrederickHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns

12Annapolis

10Frederick

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 34 towns #23#4 Best schoolsSchools · 235 towns #189#87 Fastest growingGrowth · 250 towns #141#36 Most affordableCost of living · 259 towns #206#110 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 262 towns #180#256 Most trailsOutdoors · 190 towns #124#79 Most educatedPeople · 262 towns #63#119 Most conserved landOutdoors · 260 towns #204#149

Left end = #1 in Maryland. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Annapolis’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

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

AnnapolisFrederick

Snow a year19″31″

January low25°F 25°F

July high89°F 84°F

Growing season (days)204d 196d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)1st 9th

Outdoors & history

AnnapolisFrederick

Trails4 mi 22 mi

Conserved land3.9%7.3%

Settled1649 1745

National Register places24 17

Archive photos12 6

Famous people born here56 57

Community

AnnapolisFrederick

Library hours a week57 hrs 59 hrs

Colleges in town2 2

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.

Where they are

58 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AnnapolisMD FrederickMD

Annapolis ↔ Frederick58 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

AnnapolisFrederick

People

Population 40,720Lowest 83,395Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.3%Lowest MD: +7% +19.8%Highest MD: +7%

Median age 43±2Highest 9% above MD 37.1±0.7Lowest 6% below MD

Kids under 18 20.3%±2.2Lowest MD: 22.2% 21.9%±1.3Highest MD: 22.2%

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

Age 65+ 20.4%±1.8Highest MD: 16.7% 14.3%±0.9Lowest MD: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 53.8%Highest MD: 43.4% 43.2%Lowest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5%±0.8Lowest MD: 6.9% 6.7%±0.7Highest MD: 6.9%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $113,860±$6kHighest 10% above MD $97,069±$5kLowest 6% below MD

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $548,900±$33kHighest 31% above MD $401,500±$10kLowest 4% below MD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,860±$109Highest 9% above MD $1,764±$39Lowest 3% above MD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,523Highest 35% above MD $5,001Lowest 22% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.9%±6.2Lowest MD: 51.5% 52.5%±4.4Highest MD: 51.5%

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

Below poverty line 7.8%Lowest MD: 9.4% 9.2%Highest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62%Highest MD: 67.6% 58.8%Lowest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than MD 1991Highest 12 yrs newer than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minLowest 5% below MD 30 minHighest 4% below MD

Work from home 21%±2.4Highest MD: 19.3% 17.5%±1.6Lowest MD: 19.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 18.8%Lowest 23.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miLowest 23.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.56Highest 1.25Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Parole (12%)Ballenger Creek (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FrederickFew work in Annapolis

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.9%Lowest 7.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.3 miLowest 21.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Lowest 50Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 131Highest 90.7Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #189 of 235 in MD #87 of 235 in MD

School district Anne Arundel County Public SchoolsFrederick County Public Schools

High school in town Phoenix AcademyGov. Thomas Johnson High

Students per teacherat that high school 1.7Lowest 17.4Highest

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.

Annapolis neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Annapolis’s Town Square.

Frederick neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Frederick’s Town Square.

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Bordering Annapolis

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Annapolis Neck12,032 people · $739K homes

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Parole17,229 people · $534K homes

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Naval Academy3,006 people

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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.

Annapolis vs Frederick

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $910 more a month in Annapolis

Annapolis places higher on 12 of 23 MD lists

What daily life feels like in each

58 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Annapolis and Frederick

Bordering Annapolis

Towns like Annapolis

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