Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Emmitsburg earns an A, ranked 27th of 259 in Maryland. Its public schools beat 76% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation, a typical home costs about $367K, 2.9 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in health. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Only 26 of Maryland’s 329 towns score higher on history. Emmitsburg is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. Only 8 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a lower January low than Emmitsburg.
Where Emmitsburg beats most towns.
Census counts: 812 in 1850, 2,770 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 6 maps from 1911 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Emmitsburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Emmitsburg. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi LandmarkRaven Rock Mountain Complex
35 mi National MonumentCarlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
9 mi Ancient siteGettysburg Battlefield
6 mi National Military ParkGettysburg National Military Park730K visitors a year
9 mi LandmarkGettysburg National Cemetery
6 mi National Historic SiteEisenhower National Historic Site75K visitors a yearRaven Rock Mountain Complex: US Government, Public domain · Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Gettysburg Battlefield: Veggies, Public domain · Gettysburg National Military Park: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gettysburg National Cemetery: Photo: Henryhartley at en.wikipedia Statue: Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), Public domain · Eisenhower National Historic Site: Jack E. Boucher, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Emmitsburg, and how to reach them.
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 Emmitsburg.
Emmitsburg pairs an A overall with homes cheaper than the Maryland norm, pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and trades workers with Frederick and other neighbors.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Emmitsburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its A− for schools comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $367K.
Its public schools are run by the Frederick County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmitsburg ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 211 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
1.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. E. Eugene Myers Community Park, at 54 acres with 1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Emmitsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.4% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. E. Eugene Myers Community Park | 1 mi | 54 |
| 2. Emmitsburg Memorial Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Emmitsburg has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 23° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Emmitsburg has about as many jobs (1,139) as working residents, but only 53 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Emmitsburg for work: only 5% work in town. Emmitsburg’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Emmitsburg fell to 1,139 in 2023, 148 fewer than in 2013.
| Emmitsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Emmitsburg grades A overall with a typical home of about $367K, below the Maryland typical value; only 13 of the 54 Maryland towns graded A− or better can say that. Homes are within reach (about $367K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles.
The typical Emmitsburg home is worth about $367,000, up 2% in a year, 14% below the Maryland typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
25% of Emmitsburg adults have been diagnosed with depression, above both Maryland’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (23%). 38% of Emmitsburg adults have high blood pressure. Emmitsburg beats the Maryland average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Emmitsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Emmitsburg | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.2% | 13.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.6% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Emmitsburg
About 9 of every 100 Emmitsburg residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
3 places in Emmitsburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Maryland, United States
Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, 0.3 miles (0.5 km) south of the Mason–Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is in proximity to Mount St. Mary's University. The Basilica and National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized as a saint, is in the city limits, while National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, another Catholic pilgrimage site, is on the university property. The Seton Shrine is one of the top eight Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the United States. The National Emergency Training Center (NETC) campus is in Emmitsburg, located on the form…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Emmitsburg grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #27 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B− for health and A− for schools.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
