Clarksburg is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, MD. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Clarksburg

Clarksburg is an unincorporated community in Maryland with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clarksburg deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.

The good

  • Low unemployment in the county
  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Clean air
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Average class sizes

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Above-average commute times
  • Cold winters

How Clarksburg compares

Median household income

Clarksburg$176,678
Maryland avg$103,678
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Clarksburg$2,495
Maryland avg$1,705
US$1,413

Median home value

Clarksburg$679,400
Maryland avg$419,900
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Clarksburg

Based on Clarksburg's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,990

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $99,800 a year
  • 48% of Clarksburg renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$135,880

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $67,940
  • Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 77% above US

$2,495/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,495 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $679,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $679,400 · 48% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Montgomery County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Montgomery County (county-wide)

Safety

167 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Clarksburg doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Montgomery County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 1571/100k · Policed by Montgomery County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 32% above US

34 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 34.4 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 31% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
59%
Work from home
31%
Carpool
6.7%
Other
1.6%
Public transit
1.2%
Walk
0.6%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°5"Jan: 3.41" precipitationFeb: 2.98" precipitationMar: 4.04" precipitationApr: 3.62" precipitationMay: 4.35" precipitationJun: 4.67" precipitationJul: 4.49" precipitationAug: 4.18" precipitationSep: 4.76" precipitationOct: 4.01" precipitationNov: 3.49" precipitationDec: 3.89" precipitation25°JJan: high 39°F, low 25°FFFeb: high 43°F, low 26°FMMar: high 52°F, low 33°FAApr: high 64°F, low 43°FMMay: high 73°F, low 53°FJJun: high 80°F, low 62°F84°JJul: high 84°F, low 66°FAAug: high 83°F, low 65°FSSep: high 76°F, low 58°FOOct: high 65°F, low 47°FNNov: high 53°F, low 36°FDDec: high 44°F, low 30°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 92% above US

69% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

8 public schools inside the boundary

There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Monocacy National Battlefield (12 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Clarksburg's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,495/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (31% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.

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