City profile · Maryland · Census ACS 2023

Silver Spring, MD

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Silver Spring - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

82,129
Residents
$98,880
Median income
$619,400
Median home
$2,246
Median rent (state)

Silver Spring - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Silver Spring lands in the 77th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

77th
percentile, household income
90th
percentile, home value
87th
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: Silver Spring, MD

Silver Spring is a small city in Maryland, home to 82,129 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Silver Spring brings in $98,880 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.5%. Silver Spring's housing stock carries a median value of $619,400, and the median resident age is 35.2 years. 59.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 74.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 52 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,246 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Maryland run around $255, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 25.1 minutes, with 45.9% driving alone and 23.8% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 91.7 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

82,129 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Maryland

Median Household Income

$98,880 /yr

Poverty 7.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Maryland average

How does Silver Spring compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 77% higher than other cities
Home value 90% pricier than other cities
Median rent 87% 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 Silver Spring against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Maryland only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Maryland-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Silver Spring toward the top of Maryland's cities

Among the 450 Maryland cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Silver Spring ranks #50 - the 89th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Silver Spring only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#222 of 445
50th percentile in Maryland
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 479
66th percentile in Maryland
Median Home Value
#50 of 450
89th percentile in Maryland
Poverty Rate
#131 of 479
72nd percentile in Maryland
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#66 of 479
86th percentile in Maryland

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.

77thIncome percentile

77th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Silver Spring's home value compares nationally

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

$619,400 10th percentile more affordable than 10% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Silver Spring $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Silver Spring, MD Silver Spring, MD's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Silver Spring, MD-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Silver Spring, MD median $98,880/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%
Silver Spring, MD's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Silver Spring, MD. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 59.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 74.2%

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

Population
82,129
Median Income
$98,880
Median Home Value
$619,400
Median Age
35.2
Poverty Rate
7.5%
Labor force participation
74.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
59.8%

Schools

Total Schools
52
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
25.1 minutes
Drive Alone
45.9%
Carpool
7.6%
Public Transit
16.0%
Walk
2.9%
Work from Home
23.8%
Other
3.8%

Based on 47,189 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Maryland - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$255
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Maryland state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Maryland state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Silver Spring sits in

Cost of Living Index
105.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,246/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
91.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Maryland

Waldorf
82,541 people
Frederick
80,617 people
Ellicott
73,737 people
Germantown
90,521 people
Glen Burnie
72,772 people
Gaithersburg
69,225 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Silver Spring's 82,129 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Folsom, CA
82,140 people
Johns Creek, GA
82,115 people
The Villages, FL
82,108 people
Pine Hills, FL
82,264 people
Redwood City, CA
82,423 people
Largo, FL
82,506 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Silver Spring's $98,880 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Shanor-Northvue, PA
$98,878 median income
Lake Orion, MI
$98,871 median income
Bloomingdale, IL
$98,891 median income
Sudden Valley, WA
$98,865 median income
Sea Isle City, NJ
$98,860 median income
Lemont, PA
$98,847 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Silver Spring, MD Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Silver Spring, MD - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 36.5% 28.4% 8.2% 16.9% 9.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 25.0% White 36.5% Black or African American 28.4% Asian 8.2% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 16.9% Two or more races 9.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Silver Spring compares to nearby Maryland cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Silver Spring (this city) 82,129 $98,880
Waldorf 82,541 $115,453
Frederick 80,617 $95,150
Ellicott 73,737 $157,891
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MD NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Silver Spring, MD?

What is the population of Silver Spring, MD? +

The population of Silver Spring, MD stands at 82,129 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Silver Spring, MD? +

The median household income in Silver Spring is $98,880 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Silver Spring? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Silver Spring; the closest available measure is the Maryland state average, a cost of living index of 105.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Maryland vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Silver Spring, MD? +

A typical home in Silver Spring is worth $619,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, 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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.