Several Maryland communities, most of them in Montgomery County, have been recognized among the most livable places in the country in AARP’s latest Livability Index rankings, highlighting the region’s strong quality of life across communities of all sizes.
Montgomery County as a whole ranked second nationally in the very large community category for places with populations of 500,000 or more. The county finished between No. 1 San Francisco and No. 3 Seattle, earning one of the highest overall livability scores in the country.
In addition to the countywide ranking, multiple Montgomery County cities earned top national placements in their respective population categories. Rockville placed fifth overall in the United States in the mid-size community category for populations between 25,000 and 99,999, posting one of the strongest livability scores nationwide. Gaithersburg also ranked highly in the same category, coming in 15th nationally and being recognized as a new top performer. Takoma Park earned a top-10 national ranking as well, placing seventh overall in the small community category for populations between 5,000 and 24,999.
Outside Montgomery County, Howard County was also recognized, ranking 15th nationally in the large community category for populations between 100,000 and 499,999. The county was designated a new top performer and is part of the AARP Age-Friendly Network.
The rankings are based on the AARP Livability Index™, a first-of-its-kind, data-driven platform that evaluates every city, county, town, and neighborhood in the United States. The index draws from more than 50 data sources and measures communities across 61 indicators that influence quality of life, including housing, transportation, neighborhood design, health, environment, social and civic engagement, and educational and economic opportunity.
