Potomac is #1 in Maryland for fewest smokers
Potomac is ranked on 34 lists against the 262 Maryland towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 9 and the top quarter on 14.
Potomac is on Maryland’s podium 3 times
Each list ranks every MD town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Potomac marked.
Less snow than 95% of Maryland
Not better or worse, just Potomac’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
1 spot from the top 3 for household income
Lists where Potomac sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Potomac lands in the top half on 16 of 21 lists
Each dot is Potomac’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MD, the right end is last. Areas where Potomac does best come first.
Potomac out-ranks 5 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.
Every MD list, and where Potomac lands
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
#8
Lowest obesity#1 Travilah · 19%
#2
Fewest smokers#1 Chevy Chase · 5%
#1
Most active#1 Chevy Chase · 12%
#8
Fewest uninsured#1 Chevy Chase · 4%
#1
K
Lowest depression#1 Konterra · 13%
#47
Closest to a top hospital#1 Towson · 0.5 mi
#37 People
Most educated#1 Chevy Chase · 95.2%
#5
Youngest#1 Naval Academy · 21.0
#240
Oldest#1 Leisure World · 76.0
#22
Most residents 65+#1 Leisure World · 77.4%
#18
A
Most kids#1 Andrews AFB · 36.5%
#114 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Forest Heights · 49.9%
#32
Most trails#1 Hampton · 7.0 mi / sq mi
#26
Most walkable#1 Mount Rainier · 228 / sq mi
#178 
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Naval Academy · 7.2 min
#97 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Cumberland · 1.2 yrs
#255
Cheapest rent#1 Emmitsburg · $635/mo
#236
C
Lowest property tax#1 Cresaptown · $1,360/yr
#255
Rent easiest to afford#1 Mays Chapel · 27.2%
#20 
Climate
Snowiest#1 Frostburg · 72 in
#246
Least snow#1 Bethesda · 5.8 in
#1
Mildest winters#1 Ocean City · 29.8°
#118
Hottest summers#1 Brooklyn Park · 89.1°
#169
Coolest summers#1 Frostburg · 81.6°
#40
W
Longest growing season#1 Wildewood · 248 days
#150
Wettest#1 Rising Sun · 48 in
#179 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Ocean City · 83.1%
#48
Most new homes#1 Delmar · 19.9 per 1,000
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Snow Hill · +74.8%
#90
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Laurel · 21.9 per home
Safety
Safest#1 Frostburg · 3.3
The number on the right is Potomac’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.