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%

Midland$680/mo

Typical home $111K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.09% · or rent about $696/mo · Housing →

Clear Spring$2,180/mo

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

The difference: $1,500 a month, about $18,000 a year, between Clear Spring and Midland.

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.

Life in each

Midland gets 41 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

MidlandClear Spring

Snow a year72″31″

January low19°F 23°F

July high79°F 85°F

Growing season (days)171d 188d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)42nd 10th

Outdoors & history

MidlandClear Spring

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land5.5%17.3%

Settled1850 1836

National Register places—1

Archive photos4 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

MidlandClear Spring

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

54 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MidlandMD Clear SpringMD

Midland ↔ Clear Spring54 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

MidlandClear Spring

People

Population 589Highest 342Lowest

Median age 28.8±11.6Lowest 27% below MD 29.6±7.8Highest 25% below MD

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

Kids under 18 38.4%±7Lowest MD: 22.2% 39.8%±12.6Highest MD: 22.2%

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

Age 65+ 13.8%±5.6Highest MD: 16.7% 13.7%±10.1Lowest MD: 16.7%

Midland 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+ 13.3%Highest MD: 43.4% 12.4%Lowest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.3%±5.5Highest MD: 6.9% 3.5%±5.6Lowest MD: 6.9%

Midland 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 $63,906±$17kHighest 38% below MD $47,375±$23kLowest 54% below MD

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $127,500±$28kLowest 70% below MD $175,000±$58kHighest 58% below MD

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $696±$62Lowest 59% below MD $1,352±$366Highest 21% below MD

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,394Lowest 66% below MD $1,432Highest 65% below MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 71%±94.9Highest MD: 51.5% 55.9%±24.7Lowest MD: 51.5%

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

Below poverty line 21.2%Highest MD: 9.4% 8.5%Lowest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 56.6%Highest MD: 67.6% 46.7%Lowest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1961Highest 18 yrs older than MD 1938Lowest 41 yrs older than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 min 23% below MD 24 min 23% below MD

Work from home 5.1%±4.3Lowest MD: 19.3% 8.9%±7.7Highest MD: 19.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 0.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miLowest 13.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.07Lowest 0.23Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Cumberland (21%)Hagerstown (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Clear SpringFew work in Midland

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.5%Lowest 17.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 128Highest 74.0Lowest

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.

Midland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Midland’s Town Square.

Clear Spring neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clear Spring’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Midland and Clear Spring

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

Bordering Midland

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Gilmore288 people

Towns like Midland

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Secretary635 people · $172K homes

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Cecilton820 people · $242K homes

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Accident351 people · $220K homes

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Trappe1,055 people · $243K 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.

Midland vs Clear Spring

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,500 more a month in Clear Spring

Midland gets 41 more inches of snow a year

54 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Midland and Clear Spring

Bordering Midland

Towns like Midland

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