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Best Cities for Families in Maryland

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Maryland

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Maryland

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 85.2
Berlin, MD
5,161 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 62/100K
Home Affordability $345,100
#2
Score 85.2
Ellicott City, MD
73,737 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 45/100K
Home Affordability $644,300
#3
Score 84.4
Ocean Pines, MD
12,028 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 65/100K
Home Affordability $352,600
#4
Score 82.9
Eldersburg, MD
30,626 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 45/100K
Home Affordability $478,800
#5
Score 82.3
West Ocean City, MD
5,124 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 33/100K
Home Affordability $418,700
#6
Score 81.5
South Kensington, MD
8,057 residents
Schools 6.6
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $905,000
#7
Score 81.3
Fulton, MD
5,946 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 593/100K
Home Affordability $847,700
#8
Score 80.7
North Kensington, MD
8,980 residents
Schools 6.6
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $571,000
#9
Score 80.5
North Bethesda, MD
49,498 residents
Schools 6.6
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $712,100
#10
Score 80.3
Hillandale, MD
4,901 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 356/100K
Home Affordability $509,900
#11
Score 80.2
Randallstown, MD
35,975 residents
Schools 7.2
Safety 45/100K
Home Affordability $306,000
#12
Score 80.2
Leisure World, MD
8,693 residents
Schools 6.6
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $265,100

Full Ranking, Maryland

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Berlin MD 85.2
2 Ellicott City MD 85.2
3 Ocean Pines MD 84.4
4 Eldersburg MD 82.9
5 West Ocean City MD 82.3
6 South Kensington MD 81.5
7 Fulton MD 81.3
8 North Kensington MD 80.7
9 North Bethesda MD 80.5
10 Hillandale MD 80.3
11 Randallstown MD 80.2
12 Leisure World MD 80.2
13 Chevy Chase View MD 80.1
14 Mount Airy MD 79.8
15 Ilchester MD 79.7
16 North Laurel MD 79.7
17 Olney MD 79.5
18 Scaggsville MD 79.5
19 Long Beach MD 79.4
20 Myersville MD 79.4
21 Savage MD 79.3
22 North Potomac MD 79.1
23 Rockville MD 79.1
24 Redland MD 79
25 Potomac MD 78.9
26 Centreville MD 78.6
27 Friendship Heights Village MD 78.5
28 Columbia MD 78.5
29 Gaithersburg MD 78.3
30 Travilah MD 78.2
31 Owings MD 77.9
32 Damascus MD 77.9
33 Germantown MD 77.7
34 Kensington MD 77.6
35 Darnestown MD 77.5
36 Spring Ridge MD 77.4
37 Calverton MD 77.1
38 Derwood MD 77
39 Woodsboro MD 77
40 Stevensville MD 76.7
41 Laurel MD 76.6
42 Cloverly MD 76.4
43 Flower Hill MD 76.4
44 Colesville MD 76.3
45 New Market MD 76.3
46 Four Corners MD 76.2
47 Havre de Grace MD 76.2
48 Sykesville MD 76
49 Burtonsville MD 75.9
50 Montgomery Village MD 75.8

Berlin, MD tops the list with a composite score of 85.2 out of 100, followed by Ellicott City and Ocean Pines. MD dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →