Should I Move To
Roughly 81,808 people live in Silver Spring, Maryland. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,826/mo; the typical household pulls in $95,213. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 66/100 — a B-, putting it at #47 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.
By the composite index, Silver Spring sits at 123 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,826/mo against $95,213 median household income), housing eats roughly 23% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $606,100.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 88°F in summer, 32°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 42 inches. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. AQI runs about 38 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Silver Spring is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 63/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is education (89/100); the soft spot is affordability (24/100).
For retirees, Silver Spring is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 61/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is education (89/100); the soft spot is affordability (24/100).
For remote workers, Silver Spring is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 55/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is education (89/100); the soft spot is affordability (24/100).
For young professionals, Silver Spring is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 64/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is education (89/100); the soft spot is affordability (24/100).
Our overall score for Silver Spring is 66/100 — a B-, sitting at #47 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Silver Spring sits at 123 — expensive, 23% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,826 a month.
Silver Spring runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 88°F, winter's near 32°F; 42 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 76/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 81,808 people live here, with 59% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 35.
Drop Silver Spring into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
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 Silver Spring with other Maryland cities scored on UrbRank.
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