Darnestown makes Maryland’s top 10 on 6 lists
Darnestown is ranked on 34 lists against the 262 Maryland towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 6 and the top quarter on 9.
The lists Darnestown does best on
Each list ranks every MD town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Darnestown marked.
2 spots from the top 3 for household income
Lists where Darnestown sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Darnestown lands in the top half on 14 of 20 lists
Each dot is Darnestown’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MD, the right end is last. Areas where Darnestown does best come first.
Drier than 94% of Maryland
Not better or worse, just Darnestown’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Darnestown out-ranks 2 of its 6 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Where Darnestown lands in every MD ranking
38 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Bethesda · 100 / 100
#7
Lowest obesity#1 Travilah · 19%
#7
Fewest smokers#1 Chevy Chase · 5%
#9
Most active#1 Chevy Chase · 12%
#6
Fewest uninsured#1 Chevy Chase · 4%
#10
K
Lowest depression#1 Konterra · 13%
#83
Closest to a top hospital#1 Towson · 0.5 mi
#106 People
Most educated#1 Chevy Chase · 95.2%
#14
Youngest#1 Naval Academy · 21.0
#238
Oldest#1 Leisure World · 76.0
#25
Most residents 65+#1 Leisure World · 77.4%
#87
A
Most kids#1 Andrews AFB · 36.5%
#119 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Forest Heights · 49.9%
#81
Most trails#1 Hampton · 7.0 mi / sq mi
#19
Most walkable#1 Mount Rainier · 228 / sq mi
#260 
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Naval Academy · 7.2 min
#214 
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Cumberland · 1.2 yrs
#254
Cheapest rent#1 Emmitsburg · $635/mo
#250
C
Lowest property tax#1 Cresaptown · $1,360/yr
#251
Rent easiest to afford#1 Mays Chapel · 27.2%
Climate
Snowiest#1 Frostburg · 72 in
#57
Least snow#1 Bethesda · 5.8 in
#204
Mildest winters#1 Ocean City · 29.8°
#134
Hottest summers#1 Brooklyn Park · 89.1°
#162
Coolest summers#1 Frostburg · 81.6°
#58
W
Longest growing season#1 Wildewood · 248 days
#243
Wettest#1 Rising Sun · 48 in
#203 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Ocean City · 83.1%
#201
Most new homes#1 Delmar · 19.9 per 1,000
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Snow Hill · +74.8%
#98
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Laurel · 21.9 per home
Safety
Safest#1 Frostburg · 3.3
The number on the right is Darnestown’s spot. All of Maryland’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every MD list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.