Rockville and Frederick 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
Rockville
Frederick
Opportunity
58 · Top 45%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
56 · Top 41%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
72 · Top 42%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 17%
vs89 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 32%
vs78 · Bottom 47%
Schools
85 · Top 8%
vs58 · Top 41%
Access
91 · Bottom 48%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Rockville | Frederick | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,671 | 83,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $128,649 | $97,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,900 | $49,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,988/sq mi | 3,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $682,300 | $401,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,274 | $1,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.6% | 58.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.6% | 43.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 186 | 513 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 6.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 31.0% | -56.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.8" | 35.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 32.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.6 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.48 | 15.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.2% | 16.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.0% | 24.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.0% | 51.0% | 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: Rockville, MD · Frederick, MD · How this is calculated: methodology