Compare towns

Frederick vs Annapolis

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

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

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

FrederickA colonial town, settled 1745

HistorySettled in 174517 places on the National Register

Famous people64 notable peopleborn in Frederick Housing$460K typical home7% above the MD typical home All about Frederick →

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 →

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%

Frederick$2,890/mo

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

Annapolis$3,800/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

10Frederick

12Annapolis

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

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

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

FrederickAnnapolis

Snow a year31″19″

January low25°F 25°F

July high84°F 89°F

Growing season (days)196d 204d

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

Outdoors & history

FrederickAnnapolis

Trails22 mi 4 mi

Conserved land7.3%3.9%

Settled1745 1649

National Register places17 24

Archive photos6 12

Famous people born here64 56

Community

FrederickAnnapolis

Library hours a week59 hrs 57 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.

FrederickMD AnnapolisMD

Frederick ↔ Annapolis58 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

FrederickAnnapolis

People

Population 83,395Highest 40,720Lowest

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

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

Kids under 18 21.9%±1.3Highest MD: 22.2% 20.3%±2.2Lowest 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+ 14.3%±0.9Lowest MD: 16.7% 20.4%±1.8Highest MD: 16.7%

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

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

Cost of living

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

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,764±$39Lowest 3% above MD $1,860±$109Highest 9% 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 $5,001Lowest 22% above MD $5,523Highest 35% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.5%±4.4Highest MD: 51.5% 48.9%±6.2Lowest 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 9.2%Highest MD: 9.4% 7.8%Lowest MD: 9.4%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 17.5%±1.6Lowest MD: 19.3% 21%±2.4Highest 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 23.9%Highest 18.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 17.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AnnapolisFew work in Frederick

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7.3%Highest 3.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 21.5 miHighest 4.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 50Highest 6Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district Frederick County Public SchoolsAnne Arundel County Public Schools

High school in town Gov. Thomas Johnson HighPhoenix Academy

Students per teacherat that high school 17.4Highest 1.7Lowest

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.

Frederick neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Frederick’s Town Square.

Annapolis neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Annapolis’s Town Square.

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Bordering Frederick

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Ballenger Creek26,390 people · $387K homes

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Linganore14,444 people · $534K homes

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Hagerstown43,665 people · $225K 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.

Frederick vs Annapolis

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 Frederick and Annapolis

Bordering Frederick

Towns like Frederick

Post to Frederick

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