Jefferson ranks #25 in Maryland for growth
Jefferson is ranked on 32 lists against the 262 Maryland towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 5.
The lists Jefferson does best on
Each list ranks every MD town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Jefferson marked.
Jefferson lands in the top half on 13 of 19 lists
Each dot is Jefferson’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MD, the right end is last. Areas where Jefferson does best come first.
More year-round than 93% of Maryland
Not better or worse, just Jefferson’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Where Jefferson 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
#105
Lowest obesity#1 Travilah · 19%
#126
Fewest smokers#1 Chevy Chase · 5%
#127
Most active#1 Chevy Chase · 12%
#77
Fewest uninsured#1 Chevy Chase · 4%
#68
K
Lowest depression#1 Konterra · 13%
#217
Closest to a top hospital#1 Towson · 0.5 mi
#240 
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Naval Academy · 7.2 min
#91 People
Most educated#1 Chevy Chase · 95.2%
#95
Youngest#1 Naval Academy · 21.0
#134
Oldest#1 Leisure World · 76.0
#132
Most residents 65+#1 Leisure World · 77.4%
#194
A
Most kids#1 Andrews AFB · 36.5%
#168 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Cumberland · 1.2 yrs
#199
Cheapest rent#1 Emmitsburg · $635/mo
#50
C
Lowest property tax#1 Cresaptown · $1,360/yr
#166
Rent easiest to afford#1 Mays Chapel · 27.2%
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Forest Heights · 49.9%
#190
Most trails#1 Hampton · 7.0 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Mount Rainier · 228 / sq mi
#230 Climate
Snowiest#1 Frostburg · 72 in
#19
Least snow#1 Bethesda · 5.8 in
#232
Mildest winters#1 Ocean City · 29.8°
#169
Hottest summers#1 Brooklyn Park · 89.1°
#182
Coolest summers#1 Frostburg · 81.6°
#36
W
Longest growing season#1 Wildewood · 248 days
#61
Wettest#1 Rising Sun · 48 in
#201 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Ocean City · 83.1%
#244
Most new homes#1 Delmar · 19.9 per 1,000
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Snow Hill · +74.8%
#149
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Laurel · 21.9 per home
Safety
Safest#1 Frostburg · 3.3
The number on the right is Jefferson’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.