Should I Move To
Bowie, Maryland comes in at about 57,922 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 24% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,167/mo, and the median household income is about $138,797. Overall, 51/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C-, putting it at #444 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 124 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $2,167/mo and median household income at $138,797, housing takes about 19% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $419,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 88°F, winters around 32°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 42 inches annually. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 38).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Bowie is a tougher sell for families. It earns 48/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (81/100); weakest on walkability (7/100).
Bowie is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (81/100); weakest on walkability (7/100).
Bowie is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 40/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (81/100); weakest on walkability (7/100).
Bowie is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (81/100); weakest on walkability (7/100).
Bowie, Maryland pulls a 51/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #444 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Bowie's cost-of-living index is 124 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 24% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,167/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 88°F, winter averages around 32°F, with about 42 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 7/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Bowie has about 57,922 residents, 49% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 43.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Bowie head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Bowie stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Bowie with other Maryland cities scored on UrbRank.
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