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%

Spring Ridge$2,920/mo

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

Middletown$3,460/mo

Typical home $564K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,813/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−Spring RidgeBetter than 80% of districts in the state A−MiddletownBetter than 80% of districts in the state

Health

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

8Spring Ridge

8Middletown

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

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

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

Spring RidgeMiddletown

Snow a year33″31″

January low—25°F

July high—84°F

Growing season (days)—196d

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

Outdoors & history

Spring RidgeMiddletown

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land6.4%19%

Settled—1833

National Register places1 4

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here—5

Community

Spring RidgeMiddletown

Library hours a week—51 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

11 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Spring RidgeMiddletown

Spring Ridge ↔ Middletown11 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

Spring RidgeMiddletown

People

Population 5,922Highest 5,014Lowest

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

Median age 37.4±5.1Lowest 5% below MD 40.8±2.9Highest 4% above 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 21.5%±4.2Lowest MD: 22.2% 27.2%±4.7Highest 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%±3.1 MD: 16.7% 14.6%±3.6 MD: 16.7%

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.3%±2.8Highest MD: 6.9% 4.4%±1.9Lowest 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 $145,625±$28kLowest 40% above MD $173,333±$35kHighest 67% 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 $489,000±$41kLowest 16% above MD $554,800±$39kHighest 32% 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 $1,667±$261Lowest about the MD average $1,813±$235Highest 6% above MD

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

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.7%±28.4Highest MD: 51.5% 34.9%±18.7Lowest 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 1.8%Highest MD: 9.4% 1.1%Lowest MD: 9.4%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 24.6%±5.3Lowest MD: 19.3% 29.3%±6.5Highest 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 2.2%Lowest 4.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miLowest 23.3 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MiddletownFew work in Spring Ridge

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.4%Lowest 19%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.3 miLowest 2.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 4Highest

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

Schools

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

School district Frederick County Public SchoolsFrederick County Public Schools

High school in town None in townMiddletown High

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.

Spring Ridge neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 4d

Local School Memories

1 neighbor in Spring Ridge can answer.

Middletown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Middletown’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Spring Ridge and Middletown

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

Bordering Spring Ridge

+ Compare

Linganore14,444 people · $534K homes

+ Compare

Bartonsville3,282 people · $622K homes

Towns like Spring Ridge

+ Compare

Mount Airy9,805 people · $487K homes

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Chesapeake Beach6,456 people · $445K homes

+ Compare

Sykesville4,491 people · $453K homes

+ Compare

Walkersville6,414 people · $488K 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.

Spring Ridge vs Middletown

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 Spring Ridge and Middletown

Bordering Spring Ridge

Towns like Spring Ridge

Post to Spring Ridge

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