City comparison
Potomac, MD is about 10 miles (10 km) from Silver Spring, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 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 Potomac, MD to Silver Spring, MD takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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 46,499 in Potomac — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Potomac covers about 25 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 | Potomac | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,584/mo | $1,826/mo | 41.5% higher in Potomac |
| Median home value | $1,044,900 | $606,100 | 72.4% higher in Potomac |
| Median household income | $218,710 | $95,213 | 129.7% higher in Potomac |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 105.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 102.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 101.6 | ≈ 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 Potomac, you'd need $98,183 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Silver Spring, MD is about 1.8% cheaper overall than Potomac, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Potomac than in Silver Spring. If you earn $80,000 in Potomac, you'd need about $78,547 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.