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 →

Brookmont$7,970/mo

Typical home $1.36M (Census) · tax rate 0.73%+ · or rent about $2,878/mo · Housing →

The difference: $3,700 a month, about $44,400 a year, between Brookmont 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; “+” means the Census top-codes that town’s bill at $10,000, so its real rate is higher.

Report cards

Brookmont places higher on 13 of 18 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+BrookmontBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

A+PoolesvilleHealthier than 97% of U.S. towns A+BrookmontHealthier than 99% of U.S. towns

4Poolesville

13Brookmont

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 262 towns #232#32 Most trailsOutdoors · 190 towns #122#6 Cheapest rentCost of living · 252 towns #134#235 Fastest growingGrowth · 250 towns #49#108 Lowest depressionHealth · 262 towns #127#83 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 262 towns #53#12 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #222#184 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 262 towns #35#1

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

PoolesvilleBrookmont

Snow a year33″6″

January low—26°F

July high—88°F

Growing season (days)—202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)10th 9th

Outdoors & history

PoolesvilleBrookmont

Trails2 mi 7 mi

Conserved land18.2%27.3%

Settled1760 —

National Register places5 1

Archive photos18 12

Community

PoolesvilleBrookmont

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

20 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PoolesvilleBrookmont

Poolesville ↔ Brookmont20 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

PoolesvilleBrookmont

People

Population 5,764Highest 3,671Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +17.6%Highest MD: +7% +8.2%Lowest MD: +7%

Median age 41.9±11.5Lowest 6% above MD 43.1±5.8Highest 9% above MD

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

Kids under 18 22.6%±5.6Lowest MD: 22.2% 30.2%±6.4Highest MD: 22.2%

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

Age 65+ 16.2%±5.6Lowest MD: 16.7% 17.7%±4.3Highest MD: 16.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 63.7%Lowest MD: 43.4% 88.2%Highest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±1.5Lowest MD: 6.9% 4.5%±2.4Highest MD: 6.9%

Brookmont 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±$41kLowest 99% above MD $247,150±$17kHighest 138% above MD

Brookmont and Poolesville 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 $1,361,100±$264kHighest 224% above MD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,831±$689Lowest 7% above MD $2,878±$1kHighest 69% above MD

Brookmont and Poolesville 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 $10,000+Highest at least 144% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75.6%±46.5Highest MD: 51.5% 63%±30.4Lowest MD: 51.5%

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

Below poverty line 2.8% MD: 9.4% 2.8% MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 95%Highest MD: 67.6% 79.7%Lowest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1986Highest 7 yrs newer than MD 1965Lowest 14 yrs older than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 38 minHighest 23% above MD 25 minLowest 19% below MD

Work from home 36.2%±10.4Lowest MD: 19.3% 36.9%±7.4Highest MD: 19.3%

Brookmont 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 2.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miHighest 7.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Lowest 0.68Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rockville (10%)Washington (34%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrookmontFew work in Poolesville

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 18.2%Lowest 27.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miLowest 7.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 3.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.7Lowest 50.9Highest

Schools

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

School district Montgomery County Public Schools—

High school in town Poolesville High—

Students per teacherat that high school 20.3 —

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.

Brookmont neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brookmont’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Poolesville and Brookmont

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

Towns like Poolesville

+ Compare

Middletown5,014 people · $555K homes

+ Compare

Mount Airy9,805 people · $487K homes

+ Compare

University Park2,698 people · $635K homes

+ Compare

Myersville2,358 people · $526K 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.

Poolesville vs Brookmont

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $3,700 more a month in Brookmont

Brookmont places higher on 13 of 18 MD lists

What daily life feels like in each

20 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Poolesville and Brookmont

Towns like Poolesville

Post to Poolesville

Check your email