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Clear Spring vs Accident

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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Clear Spring, MDAn outdoors townMaryland · 342 people

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Accident, MDA regional job hubMaryland · 351 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.

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 →

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 →

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

Clear SpringAccident

Snow a year31″105″

January low23°F 18°F

July high85°F 81°F

Growing season (days)188d 156d

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

Outdoors & history

Clear SpringAccident

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land17.3%—

Settled1836 1786

National Register places1 1

Archive photos—3

Community

Clear SpringAccident

Library hours a week—35 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%

Clear Spring$2,180/mo

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

Accident$1,940/mo

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

Clear SpringMD AccidentMD

Clear Spring ↔ Accident74 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

Clear SpringAccident

People

Population 342Lowest 351Highest

Median age 29.6±7.8Lowest 25% below MD 36.5±12Highest 7% 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 39.8%±12.6Highest MD: 22.2% 16.8%±5Lowest MD: 22.2%

Age 65+ 13.7%±10.1Lowest MD: 16.7% 16.5%±7.3Highest 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+ 12.4%Lowest MD: 43.4% 19.4%Highest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±5.6Lowest MD: 6.9% 5.1%±3.6Highest 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 $47,375±$23kLowest 54% below MD $58,929±$37kHighest 43% 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 $175,000±$58kLowest 58% below MD $220,300±$49kHighest 48% 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 $1,432Lowest 65% below MD $2,481Highest 39% below MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 55.9%±24.7Highest MD: 51.5% 10.7%±26.4Lowest 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 8.5%Lowest MD: 9.4% 23.9%Highest MD: 9.4%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 8.9%±7.7Highest MD: 19.3% 8%±7Lowest 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 0.6%Lowest 4.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 15.3 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AccidentFew work in Clear Spring

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 17.3%Highest 4.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

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

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.

Clear Spring neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clear Spring’s Town Square.

Accident neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Accident’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Clear Spring and Accident

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Towns like Clear Spring

Midland589 people · $128K homes

Barclay225 people · $275K homes

Port Deposit491 people · $279K homes

Cecilton820 people · $242K 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.