La Vale Tollgate House · National Register of Historic Places
La Vale’s story
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La ValeMD
A town of 4,196.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
4,196
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$171K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
45.7
years
Jobs based here
2,259
Balanced
TownGrade
A−
#92 of 259 in MD
Is La Vale a good place to live?
La Vale gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $171K, 2.8 years of the Cumberland area’s $62K median household income. It grades A− overall, 92nd among Maryland's 259 graded towns. On hazard risk, just 13 of Maryland’s 329 towns do worse. La Vale Tollgate House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 3 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a lower January low than La Vale.
StrongestA−Cost of living
A growing town
La Vale has grown 18% from 2010 to 2020
3,551 counted in 2010 and 4,201 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How La Vale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far La Vale is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →Jobs & income2,259 jobs based hereB+Open →HealthWestern Maryland Regional Medical Center 5.2 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.1 of 20; 4.5% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 45 attractions →Fallingwater and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around La Vale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw26 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
20 mi MountainMount Davis
4 mi National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park4.6M visitors a year
32 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
4 mi LandmarkFort CumberlandSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park: Bonnachoven, CC0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Cumberland: Unknown, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to La Vale: who provides what
La Vale is unincorporated, so Allegany County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPotomac Edison15.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLavale Sanitary CommissionNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAllegany CountyAllegany County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Maryland you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAllegany County Board of ElectionsAllegany County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2150221502 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in La Vale.
La Vale has homes that are cheap against local pay and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Maryland; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Maryland (mostly inland flooding).
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 11% of La Vale
For La Vale, that is against 9.5% in Maryland’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. 5.0 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Lavale District Park, at 73 acres.
#118for trails in MD
| La Vale | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 11% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
11%
conserved · 639 of 5,802 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lavale District Park | 0.6 mi | 73 |
| 2. Lavale Community Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Holly Field | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
La Vale’s schools rank behind 56% of Maryland districts
Its public schools are run by the Allegany County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
44%of MD districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 266 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
Older than Maryland overall
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (40% statewide). 18% of La Vale residents are under 18, below both the Maryland town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). La Vale’s median age is 45.7 years.
45.7median age · MD 39.4
| La Vale | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 18% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 45.7 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 42% | 29% |
La ValeMarylandUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school27%
Some college24%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
About 112 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| La Vale | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.8% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.6% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.4% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.1% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,200, single groups can be off by several points
HealthB+
La Vale is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 59% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar.
82% of La Vale adults had a checkup this year.
66%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| La Vale | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 79% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
8 better19 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | La Vale | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.3% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.4% | 7.6% |
Western Maryland Regional Medical Center
5.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
41st
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in La Vale
La Vale has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–42°
Spring39–64°
Summer59–85°
Fall42–66°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
La Vale stands out in Maryland and nationally, with the average trip to work shorter than most
The average commute for its 1,658 working residents takes 19.7 minutes, against 31.1 across Maryland.
The average trip to work in La Vale is 20 minutes. Most working residents leave La Vale for work: only 10% work in town. The median household income in La Vale is $78,000.
10%work in town
| La Vale | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.9% | 3.1% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In La Vale10%
Cumberland31%
Frostburg5%
Cresaptown3%
Baltimore2%
4 mi
median commute distance
2,259
jobs based in La Vale
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in La Vale, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Maryland towns, with expected losses of about $356 per resident a year; that rating is what its B for hazard risk is built on.
Among 261 Maryland towns, just 7 have a higher FEMA risk score than La Vale. Since 1996, 30 flood insurance claims have been paid out in La Vale.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
30
paid flood claims since 1996
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
Compared with most of Maryland and the rest of the country, the median rent in La Vale is lower
At 2.8 years of the Cumberland area’s $62K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 87% of Maryland towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,824, against $4,093 across Maryland, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Only 7 of the 251 Maryland towns we compare have a lower median rent than La Vale. 84% of households own their home in La Vale. The median sale price was $220,000 in May 2026.
$220Kmedian sale price
| La Vale | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $871 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 74% | 73% |
Market temperature
14
days on market
97.9%
sale-to-list price
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about La Vale
17pages on La Vale
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of La Vale
Allegany College of MarylandCommunity college · Public · Cumberland5.3 mi$4,938 in-state tuitionFrostburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Frostburg5.9 mi$10,220 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 La Vale residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
About La Vale
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
LaVale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,201 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 784 ft
Questions about La Vale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Vale, MD a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. La Vale grades A− overall, better than 79% of U.S. towns and #92 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B+ for health and C+ for schools.
Is La Vale, MD expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $171,000, 60% below the Maryland typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.