Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 23,922.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Potomac grades A overall, ranked 48th of 259 in Maryland. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. The median household earns $187K. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $876K, 6.9 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. 77% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in North Potomac, above both Maryland’s towns (42%) and U.S. towns (29%). North Potomac is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. On history, just 18 of Maryland’s 329 towns do worse.
Where North Potomac beats most towns.
5.9% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far North Potomac is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 12,546 in 1970, 23,790 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1879 and 6 maps from 1908 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Potomac. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw18 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw18 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw18 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw18 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw18 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
North Potomac 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 North Potomac.
North Potomac has less tooth loss than most of Maryland and has household incomes well above the Maryland norm, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Maryland.
At 6.9 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, the typical home (about $876K) costs more against local pay than in 95% of Maryland towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $7,143, against $4,093 across Maryland, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in North Potomac is $2,413 a month.
| North Potomac | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,413 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Montgomery County Public Schools. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Mill ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 516 | A |
| Quince Orchard HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,100 | A |
| Travilah ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 372 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
15 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. North Potomac’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile. Muddy Branch Stream Valley Park, at 480 acres with 7.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| North Potomac | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Muddy Branch Stream Valley Park | 7.7 mi | 480 |
| 2. Quince Orchard Knolls Local Park | 0.3 mi | 10 |
| 3. Dufief Local Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Maryland is tooth loss: 4.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.9% statewide. Against the 1,211 U.S. towns with household incomes like North Potomac’s, it is healthier than 74%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
21% of North Potomac adults have obesity. North Potomac beats the Maryland average on 26 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 16% of North Potomac adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| North Potomac | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 23% |
| What stands out | North Potomac | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.2% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.6% | 8.4% |
| More adults with high cholesterol | 44.2% | 38.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in North Potomac.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
39.3% of workers work from home, against 19.3% across Maryland.
Most working residents leave North Potomac for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, North Potomac has added 439 jobs, to 3,768 in 2023. 5.3% of residents live below the poverty line in North Potomac.
| North Potomac | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $187,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.3% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 3.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
North Potomac has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 25° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
12 within 15 miles of the center of North Potomac
About 9 of every 100 North Potomac residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Where North Potomac’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place named North Potomac in Maryland, United States
North Potomac is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located less than 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the Potomac River, and is about 20 miles (32 km) from Washington, D.C. It has a population of 23,790 as of 2020. The region's land was originally used for growing tobacco, which was replaced by wheat and dairy farming after the soil became depleted. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was used by local farmers to ship their grain (or flour made from the grain at the local mills), and two former canal locks are located less than 5 miles (8.0 km) away in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. In addition, infrastructure …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with North Potomac.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Darnestown (A−) comes closest.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Potomac | #48 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Travilah | #80 | A− | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Darnestown | #74 | A− | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Gaithersburg | #91 | A− | C− | C+ | B+ | A |
| Rockville | #86 | A− | D | B− | B+ | A+ |
North Potomac, Travilah and Darnestown report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare North Potomac with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Potomac grades A overall, better than 91% of U.S. towns and #48 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
