7 Best Places to Live in Maryland in 2024

Looking for a new place to call home in 2024? Maryland offers a variety of safe, fun, and beautiful places to live, each with its unique “je ne sais quoi.” From the sophisticated urban oasis of Bethesda, just minutes from the heart of Washington, D.C., to the coastal paradise of Ocean City with its lively beachfront community, Maryland boasts an array of living options to suit every lifestyle. Explore the benefits of living in Bethesda, Annapolis, Frederick, Ellicott City, Towson, Rockville, and Ocean City, and discover why these towns stand out as top choices for residents in 2024.

Bethesda

Bethesda is located 7 miles outside Washington, D.C., and blends urban convenience with suburban tranquility. Renowned as the home of the nation’s medical research agency, the National Institutions of Health, some of the most prestigious private schools in the U.S. are in Bethesda, like the Landon School, Georgetown Preparatory School, and Sidwell Friends School, where the children of President Obama, Nixon, and Clinton, among others, were educated. In addition to its highly rated schools and low crime rate, Bethesda has upscale shops, cafes, restaurants, and a happening arts scene, making it an attractive yet pricier option for families and young professionals wishing to move there in 2024.

The Strathmore Music Center is a state-of-the-art 2,000-seat hall that promises an unforgettable experience during the 2024 season with performances by Chris Botti, Alex Cuba, and others. If theater is your passion, the Round House Theatre offers stage adaptations of renowned novels. The Bethesda Art Walk lets residents embark on a self-guided tour of local galleries every second Friday of the month, whereas the Bethesda Row Arts Festival transforms the streets of Bethesda Row into an outdoor art gallery featuring 14 media categories like watercolor, ceramics, metalwork, photography, and more.

Head outside to Cabin John Regional Park for fresh air and exercise. Year-round recreational opportunities include ice skating, hiking, bonfires, and barbecues. Four-legged friends will love the dog park, which is well-equipped with drinking fountains, climbing structures, and many spots for owners to sit and watch the pups play.

Annapolis

Maryland's capital city, Annapolis, is known for its rich history, waterfront location, and maritime heritage. During 1783-1784, it was very briefly the capital of the United States and is now home to the Maryland State House, the oldest state capital still in legislative use for 90 days from January to April. The State House is open to the public for tours every day in 2024, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The United States Naval Academy is also located in Annapolis, adding to the city's patriotic spirit.

The historic city of 40,000 residents has a relatively low crime rate and boasts a strong job market with employment in the technology, government, healthcare, and education sectors. Annapolis offers residents many attractions and activities like visiting Quiet Waters Park for ice skating, and weekly bird club walks, or soulful yoga sessions. The park hosts community events like the annual Fairy House Festival, where artists submit fairy houses made from natural materials to be displayed in the park during May 2024.

Popular Annapolis eateries include the Boatyard Bar & Grill on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, whose “all-lump” crabcakes have been voted “Baltimore’s Best Crab Cakes” for many years, Iron Rooster, which serves breakfast all day every day from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Chick & Ruth’s, an Annapolis deli staple since 1965.

Frederick

In the heart of Maryland's scenic countryside, Frederick offers a small-town feel with big-city appeal. The city's historic downtown area is home to boutique shops, like Curious Iguana, an independent bookstore featuring visiting writers and a regular bookclub, Earthly Elements, which bills itself as “more than a rock shop,” and The Little Pottery Shop on historic Shab Row in downtown Frederick.

Within a 20-mile radius, Frederick is proud of its distilleries, wineries, and breweries. Linganore Winecellars is the oldest family-owned winery in Maryland, and it hosts a 2024 Summer Reggae Wine & Music Festival, where residents can enjoy wine, music, and good vibes from a picnic blanket under the sun. It’s first come, first serve at Attaboy Beer- a taproom, dog-friendly garage, and beer garden that brews up IPAs, Pale Ales, and Sours- whose motto is “Day Done. Have One.”

Communing with nature is easy, and residents can enjoy hiking year-round in Frederick. The trails are well maintained and range from easy to strenuous, so choose wisely and spend the day outdoors at Catoctin Mountain, one of the oldest mountains in the U.S., or visit Cunningham Falls State Park, home of Maryland’s highest cascading waterfall.

Ellicott City

On the picturesque Patapsco River, Ellicott City, founded in 1772, is known for its historic architecture, charming Main Street, and scenic beauty. Ellicott City offers residents a tight-knit, safe community with easy access to a historic Main Street lined with cool cafes, pubs, and restaurants, including the Ellicott Distilling Co., a bar, restaurant, and distillery that offers tours and tastings, and the family-owned The Crazy Mason milkshake bar, which serves up signature shakes, desserts, and treats in a mason jar.

For history buffs, the Ellicott City Station, the oldest surviving railroad depot in America, is now a museum dedicated to the city’s role in the Industrial Revolution. The Ellicott City Firehouse Museum explores the challenges of fighting fires in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thanks to the city’s steep, sloping streets and wooden structures.

Fans of the podcast “Serial” might recall a sketchy scene set in Patapasco Valley State Park, but the park is really an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. The park follows the Patapsco River for 32 miles, encompassing 16,000 acres, 200 miles of hiking, biking, horseback riding trails, and five developed recreational areas. Fishing is a favorite pastime in the river, where residents can hook smallmouth bass, redbreast sunfish, and white suckers if they’re patient and lucky.

Towson

Located just north of Baltimore City, Towson offers a suburban setting with urban conveniences. Towson is a popular choice for families due to its excellent public schools and proximity to parks and recreational facilities. The city is known as a college town due partly to the 328-acre campus that makes up top-ranked Towson University. (#21 out of 178 Regional Universities North in 2024, according to U.S. News & World Report). Towson's proximity to Baltimore is one of the main reasons people love living there, as residents have easy access to the city's cultural scene while maintaining a sense of community and safety in the smaller town of Towson.

It’s a little-known fact that Maryland has no natural lakes, even though some are called lakes. Loch Raven Reservoir, where parts of the mockumentary “The Blair Witch Project” were filmed, is the largest body of water in Baltimore County and holds 23 billion gallons. Thanks to the hundreds of forest acres surrounding the watershed, the city of Baltimore is credited with having some of the best drinking water in the U.S. Loch Raven Reservoir has over 60 miles of hiking trails and is a regular destination for residents and visitors interested in stunning water vistas and a wide array of plants, insects, and wildlife. On any given day, birders can expect to see woodpeckers, osprey, great blue herons, and, what else, Baltimore Orioles. Lucky hikers can often spot a variety of mammals in the reservoir, including foxes, beavers, white-tailed deer, and muskrats.

Rockville

Rockville offers residents a blend of urban amenities and suburban charm in Montgomery County. With its highly-rated schools, diverse neighborhoods, and vibrant downtown area, living in Rockville is a popular choice for families and professionals. The city also boasts a variety of parks and recreational opportunities like Rock Creek Regional Park, where families meander along 7 miles of trails along Lake Frank and enjoy hiking, biking, and rollerblading. The park is also home to Zip It—an outdoor 2-3 hour aerial experience where visitors aged 10+ climb ropes, cross wobbly bridges and ride a zipline to the forest floor to start all over again.

Rockville Town Square is a lively hub of activity and a popular gathering spot for community events. It also has a 7,200-square-foot outdoor ice rink. Rockville celebrates events in 2024 in the square, like the Lunar New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, Pride Month, Summer in Square, and more. Dawson’s Market, named after an influential farming family in the community, is a natural foods grocery store with a strong commitment to bringing local and organic food to the families of Rockville. It is just one of the unique shops in the square. The market also hosts Cooking Classes for Kids, Cellar Wine Tastings, and Grilled Cheese and Wine Pairing Workshops.

Ocean City

With only 6,800 full-time residents, Ocean City is a coastal destination with a lively beachfront community and an array of entertainment options, including restaurants, shops, amusement parks, and nightlife venues. An Ocean City landmark since 1976, the line-up for fresh donuts starts early every morning at the Fractured Prune. Make your own creation or choose a suggested combination from the bakers like the O.C. Sand—a honey glaze and cinnamon sugar nod to Ocean City. Thrasher’s French Fries has been an Ocean City staple since 1929, and the current general manager, known to locals as “Lord of the Fries”-has worked at Thrasher’s for 44 years.

Many top attractions are on or near the boardwalk, like the Ocean City Life-Saving Museum, which is as popular for its “Sands From Around the World” exhibit as for its air conditioning. On rainy afternoons, residents interested in oddities like two-headed animals and shrunken heads can head over to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, which is easy to spot with the giant Great White crashing out of the siding. Since the 1800s, Trimper’s Rides and Amusements has been a mainstay of Ocean City’s entertainment scene,

By far, Ocean City's main attraction is the beach and the miles of clean white sandy beaches, where residents can swim, surf, play Shell Toss, or relax in the sunshine under an umbrella with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 50. On any given day, there are numerous free activities on the beaches- from free concerts and movies to beach Olympics- to participate in. Ocean City ranked number 10 out of 25 for best beaches in the U.S. in Trip Advisor’s 2024 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best.

Discover Your Ideal Maryland Locale in 2024

These are just a few of the many great places to live in Maryland, each offering its own unique blend of safety, fun, and natural beauty, catering to a wide range of lifestyles and preferences. Whether it’s the urban sophistication of Bethesda, the historic charm of Annapolis, the scenic beauty of Frederick, or the coastal paradise of Ocean City, there's something for everyone in the Old Line State. From top-rated schools and low crime rates to vibrant cultural scenes and abundant recreational opportunities, these towns exemplify the very best of Maryland living in 2024.