Frederick and Rockville receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Frederick
Rockville
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs58 · Top 45%
Growth
54 · Top 44%
vs56 · Top 41%
Climate
71 · Top 49%
vs72 · Top 42%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 13%
vs85 · Top 17%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 47%
vs68 · Bottom 32%
Schools
58 · Top 41%
vs85 · Top 8%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs91 · Bottom 48%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Frederick | Rockville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 83,395 | 67,671 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,069 | $128,649 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,823 | $64,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,480/sq mi | 4,988/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $401,500 | $682,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,764 | $2,274 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.8% | 52.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.2% | 65.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 7.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 513 | 186 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.2 | 2.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -56.2% | 31.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.6" | 41.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.1 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 39.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 19 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.43 | 14.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.2% | 28.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.2% | 43.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.0% | 33.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Frederick, MD · Rockville, MD · How this is calculated: methodology