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Rockville Named One of the “7 Best Places To Live In Maryland In 2026”

Rockville exemplifies many of the key qualities that make Maryland communities great places to live

Rockville, Maryland has been named one of Maryland’s “Best Places to Live” for a second year in a row by WorldAtlas, one of the largest publishing resources in geography and related topics including sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics, and travel. This recognition reflects Rockville’s ongoing commitment to quality of life, economic opportunity, and vibrant community living.

According to WorldAtlas, Rockville exemplifies many of the key qualities that make Maryland communities great places to live:

  • Strong employment base and economic connectivity: Rockville is part of one of Maryland’s most dynamic job corridors with direct Metro access to Washington, D.C., and deep concentrations of federal agencies, healthcare, biotech, and tech employers.

  • High-performing public schools: The excellence of Rockville’s schools continues to be a draw for families and new residents alike.

  • Transit and infrastructure: Multiple Red Line Metro stations make commuting easy, while reliable local infrastructure supports everyday living and long-term growth.

  • Parks and outdoor lifestyle: With Rock Creek Regional Park on its doorstep and miles of trails, lakes, and green space, Rockville offers outdoor access that enriches daily life — not just weekend recreation.

  • A vibrant downtown: Rockville Town Square serves as a true civic and cultural center, bringing people together for everything from dining and shopping to public events and seasonal festivities.

Per WorldAtlas, Rockville is “a common choice for families and professionals” due to its powerful combination of community amenities, access, and infrastructure that supports a high quality of life. Rockville continues to grow and evolve while staying true to the qualities that make it special — strong neighborhoods, thriving local businesses, accessible transit, and a welcoming community for residents of all ages and backgrounds. This latest accolade follows other recent rankings that highlight Rockville’s strength as both a place to live and work; U.S. News & World Report also ranked Rockville among the top places to live in Maryland for 2025–2026, underscoring the city’s balanced lifestyle, economic opportunity, and quality amenities.

To read the entire list from WorldAtlas, click here: https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/8-best-places-to-live-in-maryland-2025.html 

Rockville ranks among America’s most livable communities in 2025

Rockville has earned national recognition as one of the most livable mid-size communities in the United States, according to the newly released 2025 AARP Livability Index.

The city ranked #5 among mid-size communities (population 25,000-99,999) nationwide, joining an elite group of cities recognized for services and amenities that improve residents’ quality of life. Montgomery County also placed #2 among very large communities (population 500,000+), trailing only San Francisco.

The AARP Livability Index evaluates communities across seven categories: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement, and opportunity. The tool draws from more than 50 national data sources and measures 61 indicators of livability—from monthly housing costs and environmental quality to opportunities for social connections and age-friendly planning.

The city’s strong transit connectivity, walkable neighborhoods, access to healthcare facilities, and robust community engagement all contribute to its high score. For businesses considering where to locate or expand, these livability factors directly translate to talent attraction and workforce retention advantages.

Explore AARP’s Livability Index Tool: https://livabilityindex.aarp.org/

Rockville among 8 Best Places to Live in Maryland in 2025

Aerial view of fall colors in Rockville, Maryland. Image credits: LionBird via Shutterstock

Rockville ranked 7th on World Atlas' list of Best Places to Live in Maryland in 2025

World Atlas has named Rockville one of the 8 Best Places to Live in Maryland (2025), placing it 7th among a curated list of cities and towns known for livability, opportunity, and charm.

With a population of over 67,000, Rockville offers the perfect blend of suburban charm and urban access. Just outside of Washington, D.C., residents enjoy both the comfort of quiet neighborhoods and proximity to the nation’s capital. The city’s vibrant Town Square, full of dining, shopping, and seasonal events, adds to its appeal.

The article recognizes Rockville for its vibrant community, strong job market, especially in biomed and tech, making it a great place for professionals and growing families alike. With everything it has to offer, Rockville truly stands out as a place where residents enjoy both comfort and connectivity.

World Atlas’ list of Best Places to Live in Maryland include:

  1. Havre de Grace

  2. Baltimore

  3. Annapolis

  4. Bel Air

  5. Gaithersburg

  6. Bethesda

  7. Rockville

  8. Columbia

Rockville named 4th safest suburb in the United States in 2025

Rockville placed 4th out of 360 suburbs in SmartAsset's 2025 report

SmartAsset, an online consumer-focused financial information website, has released its “America’s Safest Suburbs – 2025 Study,” ranking 360 U.S. suburbs (population ≥ 5,000, within 15–45 minutes of the 100 largest U.S. cities) by overall safety based on five key metrics. Rockville, MD comes in at #4, climbing eight spots from 12th in the 2023 report.

To determine the safest suburbs, SmartAsset evaluated each location on:

  • Violent crime rate (incidents per 100,000 residents)

  • Property crime rate (incidents per 100,000 residents)

  • Vehicular mortality rate (traffic accident deaths per 100,000 residents)

  • Drug poisoning mortality rate (overdose deaths per 100,000 residents)

  • Percentage of adults engaging in excessive drinking

All public-safety data come from the FBI’s 2023 Uniform Crime Reporting database (city-level) and the 2025 County Health Rankings (county-level), supplemented as needed by NeighborhoodScout.com

Learn more about the City of Rockville by visiting explorerockville.org and  rockvillemd.gov

Rockville ranked 3rd Best Place to live in Maryland in U.S. News 2025-2026 report

Rockville Makes US News' "Best Places to Live in Maryland in 2025-2026" List

U.S. News & World Report has named Rockville the 3rd Best Place to Live in Maryland for 2025–2026, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a thriving, family-friendly community with access to top amenities.

Rockville stands out for its balance of suburban charm and urban convenience, with a vibrant mix of local businesses, green spaces, and cultural offerings. The report also highlights the city’s strong job market, high-quality public schools, and accessible transportation.

Key stats:

  • Median Home Value: $636,683

  • Median Monthly Rent: $1,849

  • Median Household Income: $127,516

  • Average Commute Time: 28 minutes

Maryland’s Top 5 Best Places to Live (2025–2026):

  1. Ellicott City

  2. Bethesda

  3. Rockville

  4. Columbia

  5. Towson

This recognition reflects Rockville’s commitment to being a welcoming, opportunity-rich community for residents, workers, and business owners alike.

View U.S. News full article at https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live/best-places-to-live-in-maryland

Rockville Ranks 6th among Safest Cities in Maryland for 2025

Rockville Makes Safewise's "Maryland's Safest Cities of 2025" List

Rockville continues to earn recognition as one of Maryland’s most desirable places to live, this time for its safety. According to SafeWise’s 2025 Safest Cities Report, Rockville is ranked the 6th safest city in Maryland.

SafeWise evaluates cities across the country based on the latest FBI crime statistics and population data. The rankings are determined by analyzing violent crime and property crime rates per 1,000 residents, offering a comparison of safe communities across the nation. This year, 28 Maryland cities met the criteria for evaluation.

Rockville’s inclusion on SafeWise’s list is a result of its strong public safety efforts, well-maintained neighborhoods, and community-oriented policing. While Maryland remains one of the most concerned states when it comes to gun violence, SafeWise found that overall crime rates—including violent crime and property crime—are on the decline, with Rockville leading in that positive trend.

In its 11th year of rankings, SafeWise named the top five safest cities in Maryland as Ocean Pines, Frostburg, Thurmont, Brunswick, and Hampstead—with Rockville close behind at number six.

As a thriving hub for families, businesses, and professionals, Rockville continues to balance its growth with a strong commitment to safety and quality of life.

View SafeWise’s full report at https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-maryland/ 

Rockville Ranks 9th Most Ethnically Diverse City in the U.S. for 2025

Global Bites Fest 2025 (Image Credit: Nick Piacente)

Rockville Makes Top 10 List of Most Diverse Cities in the Country

In order to determine the most ethnically diverse places in America, WalletHub compared 501 of the most populated U.S. cities across three key metrics: ethnoracial diversity, linguistic diversity, and birthplace diversity.

Since 2018, Rockville has consistently placed in the top 20 most ethnically diverse cities in the U.S., ranking in 5th place in the small cities category, 9th in linguistic diversity, and 9th overall for 2025. Out of over 500 cities, Rockville is one of four in Montgomery County to place in the top 10 overall this year.

Most Culturally Diverse Cities in the U.S.

  1. Germantown, MD
  2. Jersey City, NJ
  3. Gaithersburg, MD
  4. Silver Spring, MD
  5. Kent, WA
  6. New York, NY
  7. Spring Valley, NV
  8. Federal Way, WA
  9. Rockville, MD
  10. Oakland, CA

“Living in an ethnically diverse city can be an economic benefit, as people bring a wide range of skillsets and approaches to solving problems from their own cultures and national origins. Residents can also establish unique types of businesses, such as restaurants serving cultural dishes. People who live in ethnically diverse cities have the opportunity to learn a lot about people different from themselves, which is not only an enriching experience but also a good way to break down walls of prejudice.” -Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

View WalletHub’s full 2025 report: https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-with-the-most-and-least-ethno-racial-and-linguistic-diversity/10264

Rockville’s metropolitan area named one of the best-performing in the U.S. for 2025

Photograph of a street intersection in Rockville Town Square flanked by multi-story buildings

The Milken Institute's 2025 Best Performing Cities index ranks a total of 403 cities split between small and large cities

Article originally published by Bethesda Magazine on January 20, 2025.

The metropolitan area including Silver Spring, Rockville and Frederick ranked No. 123 out of 200 large cities included in The Milken Institute’s 2025 Best Performing Cities index after making small improvements in employment and wages, according to a report released Jan. 14 from the nonpartisan think tank. 

The area’s 2025 ranking is an improvement from the 2024 ranking at No. 147, but a decrease from the No. 100 ranking in 2023. The metropolitan area, which includes Montgomery and Frederick counties, ranked in the fourth tier out of five of the index’s Best Performing Cities.

According to its website, the Milken Institute’s 2025 Best Performing Cities index ranks a total of 403 cities, split between small and large cities, using 13 metrics, including labor market conditions, high-tech industry growth and access to economic opportunities, to create its annual ranking.

According to the institute’s data, the area including Silver Spring, Rockville and Frederick saw a 1.3% increase in job growth from 2022 to 2023. The area also saw a 4.8% wage increase from 2022 to 2023. Short-term job growth from July 2023 to July 2024 was 0.4%.

When considering access to economic opportunity, 95.5% of households in the area have broadband internet and 70% have affordable housing, according to the institute’s data.

The neighboring Washington, D.C., metro area ranked No. 62 among large cities in 2025, an improvement from No. 134 in 2023 and No. 98 in 2024. The top-ranked large city was Raleigh, North Carolina, followed by the Ogden-Clearfield area and Salt Lake City, both in Utah. The top small cities included Gainesville, Georgia, and St. George in Utah.

Link to article: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/01/20/silver-spring-rockville-ranked-best-performing-cities/

 

Rockville named No. 1 Small City in Maryland

Photograph of a street intersection in Rockville Town Square flanked by multi-story buildings

WalletHub's 2024 study compared more than 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000

Article originally published by Rockville Reports on October 2, 2024

Rockville has been named the best small city for livability in Maryland, according to WalletHub rankings released this week.

WalletHub compared 1,318 cities in the U.S. across five key dimensions: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Those five dimensions were further evaluated through 45 relevant metrics, each on a 100-point scale, such as median household income, home ownership, school system quality, health, crime rates and quality of life.

In all, 37 towns and cities in Maryland were ranked, of which the top five by percentile score were Rockville, Annapolis, Frederick, Bethesda and Ellicott City.

Cities were selected with population sizes between 25,000 and 100,000 that are considered the “city proper” in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Rockville has ranked highly in previous WalletHub and other studies for its ethnic diversity and livability, as well as by its own residents in biennial community surveys the city conducts.

Read about the study on WalletHub’s website.

 

Montgomery College maintains top 10 rank on 2024 Best U.S. Community College report; leads State of Maryland rankings

Photo of a large silver lettered 'Montgomery College' sign outdoors
Image credit: Montgomery College

WalletHub's 2024 rankings named Montgomery College the top two-year school in Maryland

Montgomery College has once again secured its place among the nation’s leading community colleges, maintaining its position in the top 10 of WalletHub’s 2024 Best Community Colleges in the United States report. This accolade highlights Montgomery College’s ongoing commitment to offering affordable pathways to quality higher-education.

Maryland’s community college system ranked 1st in WalletHub’s 2024 report of state systems, moving up two spots from its rank in 2023.

WalletHub’s Best and Worst Community College report is a comprehensive evaluation of over 650 community colleges across the country. Per WalletHub, data from a wide array of sources, including the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and Council for Community and Economic Research is analyzed to determine the best community colleges.

Colleges are scored across three key dimensions:

  1. Cost & Financing (33.33%): Factors include tuition fees, financial aid availability, and student loan default rates.

  2. Education Outcomes (33.33%): Metrics like graduation and retention rates, along with student-faculty ratios, measure academic performance.

  3. Career Outcomes (33.33%): This dimension assesses graduates’ earning potential, job placement rates, and overall return on investment.

View the 2024 Best and Worst Community College list: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-worst-community-colleges/15076

 
About Montgomery College

Montgomery College is a public, fully accredited institution dedicated to student success and widely recognized for the quality and scope of its academic programs. MC has campuses in Rockville, Gaithersburg and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus training and community engagement centers, and off-site programs throughout the county. Learn more at https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/