Smithsburg ranks #6 in Maryland for safety
Smithsburg is ranked on 34 lists against the 262 Maryland towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 1 and the top quarter on 5.
Cooler summers than 100% of Maryland
Not better or worse, just Smithsburg’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Smithsburg does best on
Each list ranks every MD town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Smithsburg marked.
1 spot from the top 10 for cheap rent
Lists where Smithsburg sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Smithsburg lands in the top half on 8 of 21 lists
Each dot is Smithsburg’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MD, the right end is last. Areas where Smithsburg does best come first.
Every MD list, and where Smithsburg lands
38 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Cumberland · 1.2 yrs
#60
Cheapest rent#1 Emmitsburg · $635/mo
#11
C
Lowest property tax#1 Cresaptown · $1,360/yr
#27
Rent easiest to afford#1 Mays Chapel · 27.2%
Safety
Safest#1 Frostburg · 3.3
#6 
Health
Healthiest#1 Bethesda · 100 / 100
#201
Lowest obesity#1 Travilah · 19%
#160
Fewest smokers#1 Chevy Chase · 5%
#235
Most active#1 Chevy Chase · 12%
#193
Fewest uninsured#1 Chevy Chase · 4%
#112
K
Lowest depression#1 Konterra · 13%
#251
Closest to a top hospital#1 Towson · 0.5 mi
#70 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Ocean City · 83.1%
#246
Most new homes#1 Delmar · 19.9 per 1,000
#18
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Snow Hill · +74.8%
#85
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Laurel · 21.9 per home
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Forest Heights · 49.9%
#200
Most trails#1 Hampton · 7.0 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Mount Rainier · 228 / sq mi
#169 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Naval Academy · 7.2 min
#197 
The number on the right is Smithsburg’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.