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Bowie vs Severna Park

Bowie, Maryland versus Severna Park, Maryland: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Bowie

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Severna Park

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Bowie and Severna Park score about the same overall (45 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorBowieSeverna Park
Affordability
Median Household Income$139k$164k
Cost of Living$66k$66k
Home Value$419k$614k
Monthly Rent$2k$2k
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$3k
Property Tax Rate1.22%0.77%
Income Tax8.61%8.61%
Sales Tax6.00%6.00%
Estimated total tax burden14.27%13.48%
Unemployment5.1%2.9%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)36°F36°F
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F79°F
Annual Precipitation45.0 in49.0 in
Annual Snowfall15.9 in19.3 in
Sunny Days222 days180 days
Summer Humidity66°F66°F
Comfortable Days77 days76 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk11.85.4
Air Quality49 AQI48 AQI
School Quality83.874.8
Violent Crime438/100k1270/100k
Property Crime1244/100k1574/100k
Community
Population57,92240,452
Median Age43.241.5
Racial Diversity0.580.23
Male/Female Ratio0.891.01
Political LeaningD+15D+15
White (%)27.3%86.4%
Black (%)55.8%3.0%
Hispanic (%)8.2%2.6%
Asian (%)3.4%3.0%
Other / Multiracial (%)5.3%5.0%
Getting Around
Commute Time36 min29 min
Walkability12.2/207.9/20
Airport Distance16 mi8 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access96.4%95.5%
Amenities Nearby19.3442.27
Park & Nature AccessModerateModerate

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Bowie or Severna Park more affordable?
Severna Park has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Bowie's $66k and Severna Park's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Bowie versus $2k in Severna Park.
Is Bowie or Severna Park safer?
Bowie has the lower violent crime rate. Bowie reports 438/100k and Severna Park reports 1270/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Bowie or Severna Park?
The median home value is $419k in Bowie and $614k in Severna Park, so homes are more affordable in Bowie.
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