Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Frostburg's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades B+, 108th of 259 graded towns in Maryland. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 96% of U.S. towns and it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $53K, and 29% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Frostburg, where Maryland’s towns sit at 7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 13 of Maryland’s 329 towns score higher on history. Frostburg is home to Frostburg State University.
Where Frostburg beats most towns.
9,002 counted in 2010 and 7,027 in 2020; an estimated 6,979 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Frostburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,804 in 1890, 7,027 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 7 maps from 1898 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Frostburg. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw27 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
16 mi MountainMount Davis
27 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
36 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
8 mi National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park4.6M visitors a yearFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park: Bonnachoven, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Frostburg, 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 Frostburg.
Frostburg is shaped by its college students, has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
35.4% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.9% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $52,977, against $103,678 across Maryland, one input to its C− for jobs and income.
Frostburg’s median age is 25.6 years. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 10 have a lower share of children under 18 than Frostburg. Adults 18 to 34 are 49% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 21% of residents (40% statewide).
| Frostburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.6 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 42% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 16% | 18% |
58% women, 42% men
About 73 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.8 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Frostburg | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 35.5% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.3% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.9% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.1% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.5% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Allegany County Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Mountain Ridge High School, with 743 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beall ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 415 | B |
| Mountain Ridge High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 743 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Frostburg is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. Among 55 Maryland towns, just 3 have a lower violent crime rate than Frostburg.
| Frostburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 14.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Parris N. Glendening Recreational Area, 41 acres with 1 miles of trail.
| Frostburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Parris N. Glendening Recreational Area | 1 mi | 41 |
| 2. Hoffman Park | 0.1 mi | 17 |
| 3. Frostburg Community Park | 0.1 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 2.9 years of the Cumberland area’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $178K) costs less against local pay than in 84% of Maryland towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,952, against $4,093 across Maryland, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Frostburg home is worth about $178,000, up 3% in a year, 58% below the Maryland typical home. 49% of Frostburg households own their home.
| Frostburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $945 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Frostburg since 1996.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Frostburg 2 weather station records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Frostburg has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 20° and about 72 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Frostburg has about as many jobs (2,178) as working residents, but only 422 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Frostburg for work: only 19% work in town. Since 2013, Frostburg has lost 270 jobs, to 2,178 in 2023. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Frostburg.
| Frostburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 6,779 U.S. towns with household incomes like Frostburg’s, it is healthier than 87%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Maryland it is less healthy than 73% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar.
Frostburg beats the Maryland average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Frostburg.
| Frostburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 20% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Frostburg | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.5% | 12.5% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 33.3% | 38.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.9% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Frostburg
College town 35 of every 100 Frostburg residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
12 notable people were born in Frostburg.
City in Maryland, United States
Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It is located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley, 8 miles (13 km) west of the county seat of Cumberland. The town is one of the first cities on the "National Road", US 40, and the western terminus of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. It is part of the Cumberland metropolitan area. Frostburg was originally called Mount Pleasant until 1820, when the government developed a postal service. Since 1973, the city has been served by what is now Interstate 68. As of the 2020 census, Frostburg had a population of 7,027. In addition, 5,400 students attend Frostburg State University, a public university within the University Syst…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Frostburg.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frostburg | #108 | B+ | B− | A+ | C+ | B− |
| Grahamtown | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eckhart Mines | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zihlman | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Grahamtown, Eckhart Mines and Zihlman aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Frostburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Frostburg grades B+ overall, better than 74% of U.S. towns and #108 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B− for health, A+ for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 2.9 years of the area's median household income ($62,091 across the Cumberland, MD-WV area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
12 notable people were born here, including Lenore Kight and J. Glenn Beall.
