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%

Forest Glen$3,610/mo

Typical home $606K (Census) · tax rate 0.85% · or rent about $1,582/mo · Housing →

Silver Spring$3,220/mo

Typical home $542K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.83% · or rent about $1,913/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Forest Glen and Silver Spring.

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

Forest Glen and Silver Spring share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Forest GlenSilver Spring

Forest Glen ↔ Silver Spring1.7 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

125 Forest Glen residents work in Silver Spring (4.4% of its workers)

Work & commute in Forest Glen →

Report cards

Forest Glen places higher on 16 of 20 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.

Schools

B+Forest GlenBetter than 72% of districts in the state B+Silver SpringBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

AForest GlenHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns ASilver SpringHealthier than 89% of U.S. towns

16Forest Glen

3Silver Spring

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 250 towns #164#68 Cheapest rentCost of living · 252 towns #75#151 Highest incomeIncome · 262 towns #90#156 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 262 towns #149#207 Most trailsOutdoors · 190 towns #8#46 Most activeHealth · 262 towns #39#77 HealthiestHealth · 262 towns #26#59 Shortest commuteGetting around · 262 towns #143#174

Left end = #1 in Maryland. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Forest Glen’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

Forest GlenSilver Spring

Snow a year16″16″

January low25°F 25°F

July high87°F 87°F

Growing season (days)202d 202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)8th 8th

Outdoors & history

Forest GlenSilver Spring

Trails3 mi 11 mi

Conserved land14.1%14.9%

Settled—1887

National Register places—4

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

Forest GlenSilver Spring

Library hours a week—61 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.

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

Forest GlenSilver Spring

People

Population 6,840Lowest 81,462Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.8%Lowest MD: +7% +13.4%Highest MD: +7%

Median age 37.8±3.3Highest 4% below MD 35.6±0.8Lowest 10% below MD

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

Kids under 18 27.8%±6.9Highest MD: 22.2% 22.2%±1.3Lowest MD: 22.2%

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

Age 65+ 18.8%±3.2Highest MD: 16.7% 12.1%±1Lowest MD: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 65.2%Highest MD: 43.4% 60.6%Lowest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±2.6Lowest MD: 6.9% 6.4%±0.8Highest MD: 6.9%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $127,820±$30kHighest 23% above MD $99,860±$8kLowest 4% below MD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $606,100±$26kLowest 44% above MD $643,300±$16kHighest 53% above MD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,582±$465Lowest 7% below MD $1,913±$42Highest 12% above MD

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,144Lowest 26% above MD $5,360Highest 31% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.2%±22.1Lowest MD: 51.5% 52.6%±4.3Highest MD: 51.5%

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

Below poverty line 7%Lowest MD: 9.4% 10.6%Highest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.3%Highest MD: 67.6% 38.3%Lowest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 21 yrs older than MD 1964Highest 15 yrs older than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minLowest 4% above MD 34 minHighest 9% above MD

Work from home 37%±5.8Highest MD: 19.3% 27.3%±2.1Lowest MD: 19.3%

Work in townworking residents 1.9%Lowest 5.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miHighest 6.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.40Highest 0.86Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Washington (30%)Washington (31%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in Silver SpringFew work in Forest Glen

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 14.1%Lowest 14.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.9 miLowest 10.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.9 miHighest 1.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 32Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 134Lowest 154Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #78 of 235 in MD #85 of 235 in MD

School district Montgomery County Public SchoolsMontgomery County Public Schools

High school in town None in townNone in town

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.

Forest Glen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forest Glen’s Town Square.

Silver Spring neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Silver Spring’s Town Square.

Add a town

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One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Forest Glen

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Kemp Mill13,042 people · $597K homes

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Wheaton52,926 people · $501K homes

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Towns like Forest Glen

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Leonardtown4,808 people · $575K homes

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Middletown5,014 people · $555K 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.

Forest Glen vs Silver Spring

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Forest Glen

Forest Glen and Silver Spring share a border

Forest Glen places higher on 16 of 20 MD lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Forest Glen and Silver Spring

Bordering Forest Glen

Towns like Forest Glen

Post to Forest Glen

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