Happiness means different things to many people. According to Zippia.com, some of the things that may contribute to happiness are the following:
Being educated
Having a job
A tolerable work commute
Low cost of living
Family
Owning a home
Low poverty rate
Based on the above criteria, Zippia gathered data from 184 Maryland places with a population of over 2,000 residents. They ranked these spots in order of how they scored for each category. Below are the top 10.
This unincorporated community in Baltimore County has a population of around 11,000 residents, with 80.5% of those owning a home. Median household income is $71,786 and the poverty rate is 2.4% of the population.
You can find this unincorporated area in Montgomery County. Around 8,000 people live in this 2.1 square-mile community, with a median household income of $102,048. Speaking of households, a whopping 86.3% of residents own a home and the poverty rate is a mere 1.5%.
With both a town and surrounding villages claiming the name Chevy Chase, the borders of this Montgomery County area can get a bit tricky. However, on average, 70.3% of residents are homeowners and the median household income is over $100,000.
Severna Park is located in Anne Arundel County and it boasts a population of around 38,000 people. Of those, 88.4% of residents are homeowners, with a median household income of $106,983. The poverty rate is 1.2%.
This Harford County spot has around 9,000 residents and a massive 91.2% of them own a home. Median household income is $87,686, with a poverty rate of 2.3%.
Carroll County is home to this unincorporated community, with a population around 32,000 people. 88.2% are homeowners, earning a median household income of $70,851. The poverty rate is 2.4%.
Howard County makes the list with the unincorporated community known as Scaggsville. Scaggsville stats are usually included within the North Laurel census, so exact numbers can be a bit off. On average, the percentage of homeowners in the general area is 88.7%.
Potomac is located in Montgomery County and is known for both its scenery and mansions that are sprinkled around the area. The median household income is $181,385 and out of the nearly 45,000 people living there, 83.2% are homeowners. The poverty rate is 3.3%.
Darnestown's boundaries aren't officially defined but the approximate area is 17.7 square miles, with just under 7,000 residents sprawling this space. Homeowners make up 93.3%, with the median household income at $173,326. The poverty rate is 2.2% of the population.
This Harford County area has a population of 30,568 people, with 86.4% of those being homeowners. Median household income is $86,881 and the poverty rate is 1.7%.
For Zippia.com’s full list of happiest places in Maryland, click here.
Happiness can mean much more than the above things. Where is YOUR happy place in Maryland? Let us know below, and if you’d like to show off just how happy Maryland makes you, check out this super soft, prideful shirt.
