Moving to
Gaithersburg.

All Gaithersburg data Compare Gaithersburg

69,825people live here $112,467median household income▲ 39% above US $2,058median rent per month▲ 46% above US $496,500median home value▲ 49% above US

What it's like to live in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg is a smaller city in Maryland with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

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

The good

Low unemployment
Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

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

How Gaithersburg compares

Median household income

Gaithersburg$112,467

Maryland avg$103,678

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Gaithersburg$2,058

Maryland avg$1,705

US$1,413

Median home value

Gaithersburg$496,500

Maryland avg$419,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Gaithersburg

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

To rent

$4,116

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $82,320 a year
46% of Gaithersburg renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$99,300

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $49,650
Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 46% above US

$2,058/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,058 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 $496,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $496,500 · 46% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▼ 14% below US

3.7% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 35% below US

216 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1047/100k · Gaithersburg Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 13% above US

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 29.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% take public transit; 26% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

52%

Work from home

26%

Carpool

11%

Public transit

7.1%

Other

2.7%

Walk

1.7%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 46% above US

53% 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

12 public schools inside the boundary

There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below 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 Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (9 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Gaithersburg's strongest points are 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 ($2,058/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (26% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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