Towson Ranked One Of The Best Places To Live In MD

TOWSON, MD — A new ranking of the best places to live in Maryland puts Towson at No.22 on the list.

The website Niche.com released its 2021 ranking Monday of "Best Places to Live in Maryland."

Lutherville was the top town in Baltimore County, coming in at No. 19, with Towson close behind.

Rankings are based on a number of factors, including the cost of living, higher education, housing, public schools, diversity and nightlife. Each community is then assigned a grade, on a scale from A+ to D-.

Overall, Towson and Lutherville both earned a grade of A+.

Towson got its highest marks in the "good for families" and "health and fitness" categories, earning an A+ in both. To determine which areas are good for families, Niche.com looks at things like quality of schools and access to parks and libraries. Some reviewers said more green space was needed.

The lowest mark for Towson was a C+ in the cost of living category, determined by factors such as gas prices, housing cost-to-income ratio and grocery prices, among other things.

About 57 percent of residents own their homes, with the median home value in Towson standing at $363,800, according to Niche.com, which said the median rent was $1,438.

Here is what Niche.com said about Towson:

"Living in Towson offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents own their homes. In Towson there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Towson and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Towson are highly rated."

Niche.com uses data from dozens of public sources — such as the U.S. Department of Education, FBI and Census Bureau — to assess the overall livability of an area. The website compiles statistics throughout the year and also takes into account thousands of reviews.

"Our rankings are designed to help our users find the next place they want to call home based on their unique priorities," Niche.com CEO and founder Luke Skurman said in a statement. "In the past year, many people have become more mobile than ever before. Especially if they're able to work remotely, people are asking themselves where they really want to live."

Here are this year's top 10 communities to live in Maryland for 2021, according to Niche.com:

1. North Potomac
2. North Bethesda
3. South Kensington
4. Ellicott City
5. Potomac
6. Bethesda
7. Chevy Chase
8. Rockville
9. Columbia
10. Travilah

See the rest of the rankings here.

Read more about the Niche.com methodology and data.