City comparison
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 | Columbia | Frederick | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,895/mo | $1,614/mo | 17.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $458,700 | $343,800 | 33.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $124,537 | $89,981 | 38.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 98.7 | 98.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 100.5 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Columbia, you'd need $85,172 in Frederick to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Frederick, MD is about 14.8% cheaper overall than Columbia, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% lower in Frederick than in Columbia. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $68,138 in Frederick to keep the same standard of living.