Olney 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 Olney

Olney 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. Olney 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 in the county
  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • 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 Olney compares

Median household income

Olney$171,458
Maryland avg$103,678
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Olney$2,404
Maryland avg$1,705
US$1,413

Median home value

Olney$656,600
Maryland avg$419,900
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Olney

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

To rent

$4,808

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

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $96,160 a year
  • 44% of Olney renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$131,320

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $65,660
  • 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▲ 70% above US

$2,404/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,404 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 $656,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $656,600 · 44% 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

Olney 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▲ 22% above US

32 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.8 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. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 32% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
57%
Work from home
32%
Carpool
5.7%
Public transit
1.9%
Walk
1.9%
Other
1.0%

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)
10°30°50°70°90°4.5"Jan: 3.11" precipitationFeb: 2.60" precipitationMar: 3.66" precipitationApr: 3.23" precipitationMay: 3.55" precipitationJun: 3.96" precipitationJul: 3.98" precipitationAug: 3.05" precipitationSep: 4.01" precipitationOct: 3.52" precipitationNov: 3.27" precipitationDec: 3.38" precipitation27°JJan: high 42°F, low 27°FFFeb: high 45°F, low 28°FMMar: high 54°F, low 36°FAApr: high 66°F, low 46°FMMay: high 74°F, low 55°FJJun: high 82°F, low 64°F87°JJul: high 87°F, low 69°FAAug: high 85°F, low 67°FSSep: high 78°F, low 60°FOOct: high 66°F, low 48°FNNov: high 56°F, low 38°FDDec: high 46°F, low 31°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 81% above US

65% 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

7 public schools inside the boundary

There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Civil War Defenses of Washington (13 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Olney'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 ($2,404/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (32% 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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