City comparison
Baltimore, MD is about 30 miles (50 km) from Silver Spring, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 37 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Baltimore, MD to Silver Spring, MD takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Baltimore has a population of 584,548, vs 81,808 in Silver Spring — about 7.1× larger by population. By land area, Baltimore covers about 81 sq mi vs 7.9 sq mi for Silver Spring.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Baltimore | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,235/mo | $1,826/mo | 47.9% higher in Silver Spring |
| Median home value | $202,900 | $606,100 | 198.7% higher in Silver Spring |
| Median household income | $58,349 | $95,213 | 63.2% higher in Silver Spring |
| Groceries index | 102.7 | 104.3 | 1.5% higher in Silver Spring |
| Utilities index | 108.6 | 105.6 | 2.8% higher in Baltimore |
| Transportation index | 100.8 | 102.2 | 1.3% higher in Silver Spring |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 101.6 | 1.0% higher in Baltimore |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Baltimore, you'd need $113,473 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Baltimore, MD is about 11.9% cheaper overall than Silver Spring, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Silver Spring than in Baltimore. If you earn $80,000 in Baltimore, you'd need about $90,778 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.