City profile · Maryland · Census ACS 2023

Ferndale, MD

Ferndale's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

17,076
Residents
$92,391
Median income
$325,400
Median home
$1,657
Median rent (state)
View my watchlist

Compare or rank this city

Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

Compare with another city

Starting with Ferndale, MD - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Ferndale.

Place dossier plate

Sheet MD-FERNDALE-MD · Ferndale, MD 17,076 pop · income 73rd pct

POP-TOWN · INC-HIGH · COL-ABOVE · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-TOWN 17,076
  • INC-HIGH $92,391
  • COL-ABOVE 105.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 73rd
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Royal Palm Beach
  • HOME-MID $325,400
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Royal Palm Beach, FL ( $9 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Ferndale

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Ferndale on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Ferndale on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 17,076.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $92,391. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Ferndale - the verdict

Nationally, Ferndale sits in the 73rd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

73rd
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
84th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Ferndale, MD

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 17,076 residents in Ferndale, a small town within Maryland. The typical household in Ferndale brings in $92,391 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.5%. Home values in Ferndale run a median of $325,400, and the median resident age is 35.1 years. 25.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 67.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Maryland carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 105.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,657 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Maryland run around $255, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 60.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Ferndale's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Ferndale, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Ferndale?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within Maryland, the closest population matches are Easton (17,202 residents, $73,460 income); Adelphi (17,210 residents, $80,833 income); Damascus (16,864 residents, $153,994 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Pendleton, OR (17,070 residents); Sunland Park, NM (17,085 residents); New Port Richey, FL (17,057 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 2

What does the journey to work look like in Ferndale?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 68.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Compare commute patterns →

3. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Ferndale?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

17,076 residents

Small city (10k–49k)

Median Household Income

$92,391 /yr

Above median income · poverty 4.5% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.0 (US=100)

High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Maryland average

City profile score · Ferndale, MD

54/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Household income B
$92,391

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate B-
4.5%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share C-
25.4%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Cost of living F
105.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Ferndale profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Cost of living. Household incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ shareCost of living 54 C-
Ferndale profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Household income: 72/100 (B) · $92,391
  • Poverty rate: 69/100 (B-) · 4.5%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 50/100 (C-) · 25.4%
  • Cost of living: 21/100 (F) · 105.0 index

How does Ferndale compare to other US cities?

Ferndale measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 73% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 84% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Ferndale against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Maryland only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Maryland-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Ferndale near the bottom of Maryland's cities

Among the 479 Maryland cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Ferndale ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ferndale only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#254 of 445
43rd percentile in Maryland
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 479
0th percentile in Maryland
Median Home Value
#277 of 450
38th percentile in Maryland
Poverty Rate
#208 of 479
56th percentile in Maryland
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#305 of 479
36th percentile in Maryland
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Maryland only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

73rdIncome percentile
Gauge source note

73rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Ferndale's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$325,400 31st percentile more affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ferndale $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Ferndale's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,056 of 15,516
More affordable than 42% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,517 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)

At 3.5×, Ferndale sits in the moderate band: national rank #9,056 of 15,516 and #1,517 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$92,391 Ferndale, MD median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Ferndale, MD Ferndale, MD's median household income ($92,391) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Ferndale, MD-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Ferndale, MD median $92,391/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ferndale, MD median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Ferndale, MD.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 25.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
17,076
Median Income
$92,391
Median Home Value
$325,400
Median Age
35.1
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Labor force participation
67.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.4%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
68.7%
Carpool
18.0%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
0.2%
Work from Home
10.2%
Other
1.2%

Based on 8,786 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Maryland statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $255

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Maryland at $255 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $55 ).

These are Maryland statewide averages, not a meter reading for Ferndale. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Maryland's BEA cost-of-living index is 105.0 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Ferndale is $1,657/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Maryland statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 60.2 / 100 (Moderate).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Maryland statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Ferndale sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Ferndale compares to similar-size Maryland cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Ferndale (this city) 17,076 $92,391
Easton 17,202 $73,460
Adelphi 17,210 $80,833
Damascus 16,864 $153,994
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

Browse all city profiles → · Explore city rankings →

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Share or download this profile