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%

Middletown$3,460/mo

Typical home $564K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,813/mo · Housing →

Spring Ridge$2,920/mo

Typical home $489K (Census) · tax rate 0.88% · or rent about $1,667/mo · Housing →

The difference: $540 a month, about $6,500 a year, between Middletown and Spring Ridge.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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

A−MiddletownBetter than 80% of districts in the state A−Spring RidgeBetter than 80% of districts in the state

Health

AMiddletownHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns A+Spring RidgeHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns

8Middletown

8Spring Ridge

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

Fastest growingGrowth · 250 towns #38#183 Most conserved landOutdoors · 260 towns #37#162 Best schoolsSchools · 235 towns #16#106 Lowest property taxCost of living · 259 towns #225#134 Most trailsOutdoors · 190 towns #74#133 Shortest commuteGetting around · 262 towns #160#120 Cheapest rentCost of living · 252 towns #130#96 Highest incomeIncome · 262 towns #26#61

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

MiddletownSpring Ridge

Snow a year31″33″

January low25°F —

July high84°F —

Growing season (days)196d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)3rd 8th

Outdoors & history

MiddletownSpring Ridge

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land19%6.4%

Settled1833 —

National Register places4 1

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here5 —

Community

MiddletownSpring Ridge

Library hours a week51 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

11 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MiddletownSpring Ridge

Middletown ↔ Spring Ridge11 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

MiddletownSpring Ridge

People

Population 5,014Lowest 5,922Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +19.5%Highest MD: +7% +3.6%Lowest MD: +7%

Median age 40.8±2.9Highest 4% above MD 37.4±5.1Lowest 5% below MD

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

Kids under 18 27.2%±4.7Highest MD: 22.2% 21.5%±4.2Lowest MD: 22.2%

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

Age 65+ 14.6%±3.6 MD: 16.7% 14.6%±3.1 MD: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 58.2%Highest MD: 43.4% 54.7%Lowest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.4%±1.9Lowest MD: 6.9% 7.3%±2.8Highest MD: 6.9%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $173,333±$35kHighest 67% above MD $145,625±$28kLowest 40% above MD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $554,800±$39kHighest 32% above MD $489,000±$41kLowest 16% above MD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,813±$235Highest 6% above MD $1,667±$261Lowest about the MD average

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,963Highest 46% above MD $4,288Lowest 5% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 34.9%±18.7Lowest MD: 51.5% 57.7%±28.4Highest MD: 51.5%

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

Below poverty line 1.1%Lowest MD: 9.4% 1.8%Highest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.7%Lowest MD: 67.6% 87.4%Highest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1997Highest 18 yrs newer than MD 1996Lowest 17 yrs newer than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 6% above MD 31 minLowest about the MD average

Work from home 29.3%±6.5Highest MD: 19.3% 24.6%±5.3Lowest MD: 19.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.7%Highest 2.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 21.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.53Highest 0.37Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Frederick (18%)Frederick (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Spring RidgeFew work in Middletown

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 19%Highest 6.4%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miHighest 1.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 63.8Lowest 70.9Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #16 of 235 in MD #106 of 235 in MD

School district Frederick County Public SchoolsFrederick County Public Schools

High school in town Middletown HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 19.8 —

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.

Middletown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Middletown’s Town Square.

Spring Ridge neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 5d

Local School Memories

1 neighbor in Spring Ridge can answer.

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Towns like Middletown

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Poolesville5,764 people · $752K 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.

Middletown vs Spring Ridge

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $540 more a month in Middletown

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

11 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Local School Memories

Set another town beside Middletown and Spring Ridge

Towns like Middletown

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