City comparison
Frederick, MD is about 40 miles (60 km) from Silver Spring, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 46 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 Frederick, MD to Silver Spring, MD takes about 4 min, covering roughly 40 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.
Silver Spring has a population of 81,808, vs 78,390 in Frederick — about the same size. By land area, Frederick covers about 24 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 | Frederick | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,614/mo | $1,826/mo | 13.1% higher in Silver Spring |
| Median home value | $343,800 | $606,100 | 76.3% higher in Silver Spring |
| Median household income | $89,981 | $95,213 | 5.8% higher in Silver Spring |
| Groceries index | 103.8 | 104.3 | 0.5% higher in Silver Spring |
| Utilities index | 106.4 | 105.6 | 0.7% higher in Frederick |
| Transportation index | 102.0 | 102.2 | ≈ equal (Silver Spring slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.6 | ≈ equal (Silver Spring slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Frederick, you'd need $103,044 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Frederick, MD is about 3% cheaper overall than Silver Spring, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in Silver Spring than in Frederick. If you earn $80,000 in Frederick, you'd need about $82,435 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.