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%

Poolesville$4,270/mo

Typical home $722K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $1,831/mo · Housing →

Ashton-Sandy Spring$4,810/mo

Typical home $809K (Census) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $1,369/mo · Housing →

The difference: $530 a month, about $6,400 a year, between Ashton-Sandy Spring and Poolesville.

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

Poolesville places higher on 9 of 19 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+PoolesvilleBetter than 72% of districts in the state B+Ashton-Sandy SpringBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

A+PoolesvilleHealthier than 97% of U.S. towns A+Ashton-Sandy SpringHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns

9Poolesville

8Ashton-Sandy Spring

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 250 towns #49#199 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 262 towns #53#165 Cheapest rentCost of living · 252 towns #134#44 Lowest depressionHealth · 262 towns #127#83 Most trailsOutdoors · 190 towns #122#96 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #222#254 Shortest commuteGetting around · 262 towns #232#203 Most activeHealth · 262 towns #11#39

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

PoolesvilleAshton-Sandy Spring

Snow a year33″16″

January low—25°F

July high—87°F

Growing season (days)—202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)10th 3rd

Outdoors & history

PoolesvilleAshton-Sandy Spring

Trails2 mi 8 mi

Conserved land18.2%23.7%

Settled1760 —

National Register places5 2

Archive photos12 —

Community

PoolesvilleAshton-Sandy Spring

Library hours a week46 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.

Where they are

22 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PoolesvilleAshton-Sandy Spring

Poolesville ↔ Ashton-Sandy Spring22 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

PoolesvilleAshton-Sandy Spring

People

Population 5,764Highest 5,630Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +17.6%Highest MD: +7% +2.1%Lowest MD: +7%

Median age 41.9±11.5Lowest 6% above MD 48.6±3.2Highest 23% above MD

Ashton-Sandy Spring and Poolesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.6%±5.6 MD: 22.2% 22.6%±4.2 MD: 22.2%

Age 65+ 16.2%±5.6Lowest MD: 16.7% 27.9%±5.9Highest MD: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 63.7%Lowest MD: 43.4% 66.1%Highest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±1.5Lowest MD: 6.9% 4.7%±2.7Highest MD: 6.9%

Ashton-Sandy Spring and Poolesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $205,919±$41kHighest 99% above MD $174,063±$34kLowest 68% above MD

Poolesville and Ashton-Sandy Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $752,300±$71kLowest 79% above MD $809,200±$90kHighest 93% above MD

Ashton-Sandy Spring and Poolesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,831±$689Highest 7% above MD $1,369±$143Lowest 20% below MD

Poolesville and Ashton-Sandy Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $6,056Lowest 48% above MD $6,759Highest 65% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75.6%±46.5Highest MD: 51.5% 27.4%±38.7Lowest MD: 51.5%

Poolesville and Ashton-Sandy Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 2.8%Highest MD: 9.4% 1.8%Lowest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 95%Highest MD: 67.6% 94%Lowest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1986 7 yrs newer than MD 1986 7 yrs newer than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 38 minHighest 23% above MD 36 minLowest 16% above MD

Work from home 36.2%±10.4Lowest MD: 19.3% 39.2%±8.7Highest MD: 19.3%

Ashton-Sandy Spring and Poolesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 5.6%Highest 4.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miHighest 12.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Lowest 0.86Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rockville (10%)Washington (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Ashton-Sandy SpringFew work in Poolesville

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 18.2%Lowest 23.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miLowest 7.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.7Highest 16.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #2 of 235 in MD #8 of 235 in MD

School district Montgomery County Public SchoolsMontgomery County Public Schools

High school in town Poolesville HighSherwood High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.3Highest 16.3Lowest

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.

Poolesville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Poolesville’s Town Square.

Ashton-Sandy Spring neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ashton-Sandy Spring’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Poolesville

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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.

Poolesville vs Ashton-Sandy Spring

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $530 more a month in Ashton-Sandy Spring

Poolesville places higher on 9 of 19 MD lists

What daily life feels like in each

22 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Poolesville and Ashton-Sandy Spring

Towns like Poolesville

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