Mrs. Soper and her house, 1920
Olney’s story
194 years in pictures
Census counts: 31,438 in 2000, 35,820 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 6 maps from 1908 on.
- 1832Olney is settled
OlneyMD
A town of 35,797, settled in 1832.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
35,797
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$652K
+0.6% in a year
Household income
$171K
median
Median age
41.6
years
Jobs based here
7,642
A commuter town
TownGrade
A+
#18 of 259 in MD
Why does Olney grade so well?
Olney is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 18th of 259 graded towns in Maryland. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 97% of the country, the median household earns $171K, and natural-hazard risk is low. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $652K, 5.1 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Olney’s median household income is $171,000, above both the Maryland town median ($113,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Olney is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. North Branch Stream Valley Park, at 548 acres with 2.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Olney stand out
Where Olney beats most towns.
Get outside
17 miles of trails in Olney
19.2% of the town is conserved land, across 15 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Olney grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Olney is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 4% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →HealthMedstar Montgomery Medical Center 1 miles awayA+Open →Jobs & incomeAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.6 of 20; 1.6% of households have no car; 3.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsB+Open →
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.
Climate–Open →Housing market29 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.6; 65% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 319 attractions →White House and 284 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Olney. 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 yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
White 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
Getting set up
Moving to Olney: who provides what
Olney is unincorporated, so Montgomery County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPotomac Electric Power21.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWSSC WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesmontgomerycountymd.govMontgomery County provides services hereRegister 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 hereMontgomery County Board of ElectionsMontgomery County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP codes20832, 20833, 20853, 2090620832 72% · 20833 13% · 20853 10% · 20906 4%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 Olney.
Olney has less tooth loss than most of Maryland, has household incomes well above the Maryland norm and has an unusually large share working from home.
HealthA+
Olney earns an A+ for health
Its widest gap with Maryland is tooth loss: 4.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9.9% statewide. Against the 1,653 U.S. towns with household incomes like Olney’s, it is healthier than 77%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
25% of Olney adults have obesity. Olney beats the Maryland average on 25 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 12% of Olney adults report frequent mental distress.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Olney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.6% | 11% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 38% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
25 better5 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Olney | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.5% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.5% | 7.6% |
Medstar Montgomery Medical Center
1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
93rd
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
Public schools in Olney beat 72% of Maryland districts
Its public schools are run by the Montgomery County Public Schools. Three of its 13 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
72%of MD districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosa M. Parks MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 863 | A− |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel High School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,246 | – |
| Belmont ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 343 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA
19.2% of Olney is conserved land
17 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The trail density in Olney is 1.1 miles per square mile.
#62for trails in MD
19.2%
conserved · 1,981 of 10,328 acres
17 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Reddy Branch Stream Valley Park | 4 mi | 216 |
| 2. North Branch Stream Valley Park | 2.4 mi | 548 |
| 3. Olney Boys and Girls Community Park | 0.9 mi | 110 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Olney faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Olney.
4risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesHeat waves
3
paid flood claims since 2003
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Olney earns a C− for cost of living
Olney’s median rent is $2,404 a month. The typical Olney home is worth about $652,000, up 0.6% in a year, 53% above the Maryland typical home. 89% of households own their home in Olney.
$652KZillow home value
| Olney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,404 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 89% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Olney$652K
Maryland$425K
Market temperature
29
days on market
101.5%
sale-to-list price
+0.6%
value change, 1 year
31
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most of Olney’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
32.1% of workers work from home, against 19.3% across Maryland.
Most working residents leave Olney for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Olney grew to 7,642 in 2023, 607 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Washington (11%), Rockville (10%) and Bethesda (6%).
5%work in town
| Olney | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 32% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 3.1% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Olney5%
Washington11%
Rockville10%
Bethesda6%
North Bethesda4%
12 mi
median commute distance
7,642
jobs based in Olney
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Olney
Olney has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 25° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–44°
Spring43–64°
Summer64–84°
Fall47–66°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Olney
17pages on Olney
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
11 within 15 miles of the center of Olney
Montgomery CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rockville5.7 mi$5,394 in-state tuitionYeshiva College of the Nations CapitalUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Silver Spring7.4 mi$11,500 tuitionUniversity of Maryland-College ParkUniversity or college · Public · College Park12.8 mi$11,809 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Olney residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Olney for work
Where Olney’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
7,642jobs based in Olney
5%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Olney
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Olney is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located in the north central part of the county, thirteen miles (21 km) north of Washington, D.C. Olney was largely agricultural until the 1960s, when growth of Washington, D.C.'s suburbs led to its conversion into a mostly residential area. It has a total population of 35,820 as of the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1832
- Area
- 16 sq mi
- Elevation
- 541 ft
- ZIP code
- 20830, 20832
- Area code
- 301, 240
Olney’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Olney.
Ashton-Sandy SpringAspen HillBrookevilleLeisure WorldOlney
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olney | #18 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Ashton-Sandy Spring | #4 | A+ | C+ | — | B+ | A |
| Aspen Hill | #78 | A− | C | — | B+ | A− |
| Brookeville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leisure World | #95 | A− | B− | — | B+ | B |
Olney, Ashton-Sandy Spring, Aspen Hill and Leisure World report no FBI crime data of their own. Brookeville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Olney with a neighbor →
Questions about Olney
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Olney, MD a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Olney grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #18 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Olney, MD expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.