Residential comparison · 13 facts
Germantown, MD vs Silver Spring, MD
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Germantown needs about $86,500 in Silver Spring to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Silver Spring, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Germantown.
A few differences
- Germantown is higher on median household income ($117,546 vs $99,860).
- Germantown is lower on cost of living index (116 vs 127).
- Silver Spring is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,000/mo vs $2,077/mo).
Germantown vs Silver Spring · facet by facet
| Facet | Germantown, MD | Silver Spring, MD |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $422,400 | $643,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,077/mo | $2,000/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.05% | 1.05% |
| State & local income tax | 7.6% | 7.6% |
| Sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Cost of living index | 116 | 127 |
| Groceries index | 105 | 105 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $117,546 | $99,860 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.2/10 | 6.2/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days | 213 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Germantown, MD · Silver Spring, MD
Questions & answers
- Is Germantown cheaper than Silver Spring?
- Germantown has the lower day-to-day cost index (116 vs 127 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Silver Spring equals $85,000 in Germantown?
- A household earning $85,000 in Germantown needs about $86,500 in Silver Spring to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Silver Spring lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Germantown.