North Laurel is #1 in Maryland for growth
North Laurel is ranked on 34 lists against the 262 Maryland towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 2 and the top quarter on 9.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every MD town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with North Laurel marked.
North Laurel lands in the top half on 16 of 21 lists
Each dot is North Laurel’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MD, the right end is last. Areas where North Laurel does best come first.
Fewer seniors than 87% of Maryland
Not better or worse, just North Laurel’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
3 spots from the top 3 for affordable rent
Lists where North Laurel sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
North Laurel out-ranks 3 of its 5 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 North Laurel 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
#44
Lowest obesity#1 Travilah · 19%
#79
Fewest smokers#1 Chevy Chase · 5%
#63
Most active#1 Chevy Chase · 12%
#39
Fewest uninsured#1 Chevy Chase · 4%
#112
K
Lowest depression#1 Konterra · 13%
#83
Closest to a top hospital#1 Towson · 0.5 mi
#170 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Naval Academy · 7.2 min
#58 People
Most educated#1 Chevy Chase · 95.2%
#65
Youngest#1 Naval Academy · 21.0
#38
Oldest#1 Leisure World · 76.0
#221
Most residents 65+#1 Leisure World · 77.4%
#229
A
Most kids#1 Andrews AFB · 36.5%
#121 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Forest Heights · 49.9%
#60
Most trails#1 Hampton · 7.0 mi / sq mi
#131
Most walkable#1 Mount Rainier · 228 / sq mi
#101 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Cumberland · 1.2 yrs
#149
Cheapest rent#1 Emmitsburg · $635/mo
#166
C
Lowest property tax#1 Cresaptown · $1,360/yr
#214
Rent easiest to afford#1 Mays Chapel · 27.2%
#6 Climate
Snowiest#1 Frostburg · 72 in
#148
Least snow#1 Bethesda · 5.8 in
#63
Mildest winters#1 Ocean City · 29.8°
#155
Hottest summers#1 Brooklyn Park · 89.1°
#132
Coolest summers#1 Frostburg · 81.6°
#81
W
Longest growing season#1 Wildewood · 248 days
#150
Wettest#1 Rising Sun · 48 in
#58 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Ocean City · 83.1%
#138
Most new homes#1 Delmar · 19.9 per 1,000
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Snow Hill · +74.8%
#59
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Laurel · 21.9 per home
Safety
Safest#1 Frostburg · 3.3
The number on the right is North Laurel’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.