Find a Job You Really Want In
Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Maryland where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Ilchester, MD
- Severna Park, MD
- Ellicott City, MD
- Travilah, MD
- South Kensington, MD
- Mays Chapel, MD
- Arnold, MD
- Lutherville, MD
- Potomac, MD
- Scaggsville, MD
These are the happiest places in Maryland. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Maryland?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 189 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Ilchester
Population: 26,647
Earners Over $75k: 75.7%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 16.0%
Ilchester is the happiest city in all of Maryland. What makes Ilchester residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Ilchester resident only drives 28.1 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Ilchester residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Severna Park
Population: 38,576
Earners Over $75k: 77.5%
Average Commute: 32
Marriage Rate: 22.0%
In 2nd place we have Severna Park. Residents of Severna Park are highly educated, with an impressive 61.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Severna Park have plenty of them.
3. Ellicott City
Population: 72,247
Earners Over $75k: 71.4%
Average Commute: 30
Marriage Rate: 14.0%
Ellicott City is the third happiest city in Maryland. Why so happy? 14.0% of Ellicott City residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Travilah
Population: 11,633
Earners Over $75k: 89.8%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 5.0%
Folks in Travilah have a lot to smile about. An impressive 89.8% of Travilah households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Travilah can afford peace of mind.
5. South Kensington
Population: 8,769
Earners Over $75k: 82.9%
Average Commute: 32
Marriage Rate: 9.0%
South Kensington is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. South Kensington residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Maryland city is only $736,300), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Mays Chapel
Population: 12,303
Earners Over $75k: 64.9%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 26.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Mays Chapel a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 64.9% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Mays Chapel home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Arnold
Population: 23,518
Earners Over $75k: 74.4%
Average Commute: 31
Marriage Rate: 22.0%
Arnold is the 7th happiest city. Arnold residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 31.8 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Lutherville
Population: 6,773
Earners Over $75k: 70.2%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 28.0%
Lutherville residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Potomac
Population: 45,824
Earners Over $75k: 81.1%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 6.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Maryland is Potomac. The average commute in Potomac is only 33.0 minutes. That means they are only 33.0 minutes away from the loving spouse 6.0% of them have.
10. Scaggsville
Population: 9,430
Earners Over $75k: 82.2%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 12.0%
In 10th place is Scaggsville, Maryland. What makes Scaggsville so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Maryland
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ilchester | 75.7% |
| 2 | Severna Park | 77.5% |
| 3 | Ellicott City | 71.4% |
| 4 | Travilah | 89.8% |
| 5 | South Kensington | 82.9% |
| 6 | Mays Chapel | 64.9% |
| 7 | Arnold | 74.4% |
| 8 | Lutherville | 70.2% |
| 9 | Potomac | 81.1% |
| 10 | Scaggsville | 82.2% |
| 11 | Chevy Chase | 82.6% |
| 12 | North Potomac | 80.3% |
| 13 | Elkridge | 65.2% |
| 14 | Darnestown | 93.4% |
| 15 | Crofton | 78.4% |
| 16 | Urbana | 85.1% |
| 17 | Olney | 76.9% |
| 18 | Poolesville | 85.9% |
| 19 | Cape St. Claire | 66.5% |
| 20 | Clarksburg | 80.4% |
| 21 | Fairwood | 86.6% |
| 22 | Ashton-Sandy Spring | 69.9% |
| 23 | Four Corners | 75.2% |
| 24 | Linganore | 75.7% |
| 25 | Spring Ridge | 70.2% |
| 26 | Stevensville | 69.1% |
| 27 | Timonium | 65.7% |
| 28 | Bethesda | 76.1% |
| 29 | Eldersburg | 68.8% |
| 30 | North Laurel | 68.2% |
| 31 | Fallston | 73.3% |
| 32 | Burtonsville | 66.6% |
| 33 | Damascus | 73.6% |
| 34 | Kemp Mill | 71.8% |
| 35 | Jessup | 88.9% |
| 36 | Mount Airy | 72.1% |
| 37 | Annapolis Neck | 75.2% |
| 38 | Bel Air North | 64.7% |
| 39 | Brock Hall | 86.1% |
| 40 | Columbia | 68.2% |
| 41 | North Kensington | 65.9% |
| 42 | White Marsh | 61.7% |
| 43 | Lake Shore | 65.5% |
| 44 | Glenn Dale | 73.1% |
| 45 | Redland | 70.2% |
| 46 | Bel Air South | 59.8% |
| 47 | Rockville | 64.8% |
| 48 | Severn | 65.3% |
| 49 | Towson | 54.2% |
| 50 | Linthicum | 62.6% |
| 51 | Catonsville | 56.4% |
| 52 | Pikesville | 57.6% |
| 53 | Odenton | 66.6% |
| 54 | Cloverly | 75.3% |
| 55 | Mayo | 68.6% |
| 56 | Savage | 62.1% |
| 57 | North Bethesda | 65.2% |
| 58 | Parole | 65.0% |
| 59 | Pasadena | 63.5% |
| 60 | Bensville | 77.4% |
| 61 | Annapolis | 53.4% |
| 62 | Gaithersburg | 57.5% |
| 63 | Germantown | 59.9% |
| 64 | Takoma Park | 55.0% |
| 65 | Forest Glen | 63.7% |
| 66 | Maryland City | 68.2% |
| 67 | Chesapeake Beach | 65.2% |
| 68 | Brandywine | 78.3% |
| 69 | California | 57.1% |
| 70 | Walkersville | 55.3% |
| 71 | Perry Hall | 56.4% |
| 72 | Hillandale | 71.2% |
| 73 | Riviera Beach | 57.3% |
| 74 | Colesville | 72.8% |
| 75 | Friendship Heights Village | 66.0% |
| 76 | Accokeek | 76.9% |
| 77 | La Plata | 52.9% |
| 78 | Aspen Hill | 56.3% |
| 79 | Bowie | 71.8% |
| 80 | Shady Side | 67.1% |
| 81 | Mitchellville | 74.6% |
| 82 | Glenmont | 62.7% |
| 83 | Havre De Grace | 49.8% |
| 84 | Wheaton | 54.1% |
| 85 | Owings Mills | 51.5% |
| 86 | Cockeysville | 39.6% |
| 87 | White Oak | 50.9% |
| 88 | South Laurel | 51.6% |
| 89 | Ocean Pines | 47.5% |
| 90 | Westphalia | 71.9% |
| 91 | Rosaryville | 80.1% |
| 92 | Silver Spring | 53.3% |
| 93 | Reisterstown | 45.4% |
| 94 | Arbutus | 51.1% |
| 95 | Garrison | 51.5% |
| 96 | Fruitland | 40.1% |
| 97 | Fairland | 56.9% |
| 98 | Joppatowne | 56.0% |
| 99 | Frederick | 47.7% |
| 100 | Bel Air | 47.1% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
