Montgomery County vs Prince George's County
Montgomery County, Maryland versus Prince George's County, Maryland: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Montgomery County and Prince George's County score about the same overall (42 vs 40 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Montgomery County | Prince George's County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $126k | $98k |
| Cost of Living | $72k | $66k |
| Home Value | $589k | $381k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.87% | 1.19% |
| Income Tax | 8.84% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.92% | 15.59% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 6.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 35°F | 36°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.5 in | 45.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 22.1 in | 13.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 177 days | 222 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 76 days | 78 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 91.7 | 93.2 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 44 AQI |
| School Quality | 77.4 | 83.8 |
| Violent Crime | 606/100k | 642/100k |
| Property Crime | 1477/100k | 1973/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,056,910 | 957,189 |
| Median Age | 39.8 | 38.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.71 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+61 | D+82 |
| White (%) | 41.4% | 11.6% |
| Black (%) | 18.2% | 60.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 20.0% | 20.0% |
| Asian (%) | 15.2% | 4.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.2% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 33 min | 36 min |
| Walkability | 12.6/20 | 11.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 19 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.7% | 92.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 4.84 | 1.70 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Montgomery County or Prince George's County more affordable?
- Prince George's County has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Montgomery County's $72k and Prince George's County's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Montgomery County versus $2k in Prince George's County.
- Is Montgomery County or Prince George's County safer?
- Montgomery County has the lower violent crime rate. Montgomery County reports 606/100k and Prince George's County reports 642/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Montgomery County or Prince George's County?
- The median home value is $589k in Montgomery County and $381k in Prince George's County, so homes are more affordable in Prince George's County.