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 | Ellicott City | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,921/mo | $1,826/mo | 5.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $617,200 | $606,100 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $149,534 | $95,213 | 57.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 101.3 | 103.0 | 1.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 103.1 | 2.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 101.8 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 100.1 | 0.6% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ellicott City, you'd need $108,028 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ellicott City, MD is about 7.4% cheaper overall than Silver Spring, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Ellicott City than in Silver Spring. If you earn $80,000 in Ellicott City, you'd need about $86,423 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.