Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 17,640, settled in 1816.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Damascus earns an A+, 1st among Maryland's 259 graded towns. The median household earns $159K, CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country, and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. Damascus’ median household income is $159,000, where Maryland’s towns sit at $113,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. The biggest park or preserve is Great Seneca Stream Valley Park, at 638 acres. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 5 have a lower July high than Damascus.
Where Damascus beats most towns.
15,257 counted in 2010 and 17,224 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Damascus is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 11,430 in 2000, 17,224 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 5 maps from 1909 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Damascus. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw28 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw28 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw28 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw28 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw28 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Damascus is unincorporated, so Montgomery County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Damascus.
Damascus has less tooth loss than most of Maryland, sends most of its workers to Rockville and beyond and has household incomes well above the Maryland norm.
Its widest gap with Maryland is tooth loss: 6.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.9% statewide. Against the 2,236 U.S. towns with household incomes like Damascus’s, it is healthier than 68%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
27% of Damascus adults have obesity. Damascus beats the Maryland average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 14% of Damascus adults report frequent mental distress.
| Damascus | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Damascus | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.1% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults getting a yearly checkup | 75.6% | 79.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Montgomery County Public Schools. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Damascus High, with 1,390 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John T. Baker Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 841 | B+ |
| Damascus HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,390 | A |
| Clearspring ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 541 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 2012, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Damascus.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Damascus has 2,413 jobs for its 8,378 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Damascus for work: only 4% work in town. Damascus’ average trip to work is 38 minutes. The top destinations are Rockville (12%), Gaithersburg (7%) and Washington (6%).
| Damascus | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 27% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 3.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
4.7 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oak Ridge Conservation Park | 2.3 mi | 180 |
| 2. Damascus Recreational Park | 1 mi | 280 |
| 3. Magruder Branch Stream Valley Park | 0.3 mi | 301 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
66.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.5% across Maryland.
The typical Damascus home is worth about $550,000, about the same as a year ago, 30% above the Maryland typical home. 90% of households own their home in Damascus.
| Damascus | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,792 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Damascus has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 25° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median household earns $158,883, against $103,678 across Maryland, one input to its A+ for jobs and income.
Adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (40% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). 49% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| Damascus | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 49% | 42% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.5 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 23% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.4, men 40.7.
| Damascus | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.5% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.2% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.8% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16.3% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.2% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.4% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
1 within 15 miles of the center of Damascus
About 7 of every 100 Damascus residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
Where Damascus’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Damascus.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Damascus is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. In the early 20th century, there existed an incorporated municipality lasting a quarter century. It had a population of 17,224 as of the 2020 census. Damascus is located at the intersection of three major roads in upper Montgomery County: Ridge Road (currently Rt. 27), Damascus Road (currently Rt. 108) and Woodfield Road (currently Rt. 124).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Damascus.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damascus | #1 | A+ | B− | — | B+ | A |
| Clarksburg | #45 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
Damascus and Clarksburg report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Damascus with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Damascus grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #1 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A for health and B+ for schools.
That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($126,684 across the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area).
3 notable people were born here, including Brian Stelter and Bryan Bresee.
