Town · Montgomery County, Maryland

Poolesville, Maryland

Poolesville is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. It has 5,764 residents. Poolesville, Maryland has a quality-of-life score of 96 out of 100 (very high), ranking #669 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Maryland it ranks #28 of 334 cities and towns. It ranks best on access to exercise opportunities (high), dentists (high) and natural hazard risk (low). It ranks worst on rent as share of income (high), average commute time (high) and job growth (low).

96Very high

Quality-of-life score: #669 of 15,651 cities and towns
Maryland: #28 of 334 in MD
Population: 5,764 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 1,522.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 2462850

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety74#4,082/15,637
Economy95#789/15,631
Housing21#11,831/14,977
Health98#339/15,609
Healthcare96#581/15,650
Environment92#1,252/15,453
Education93#1,034/15,649
Infrastructure92#1,322/15,650
Community86#2,169/15,651
Leisure & amenities56#6,928/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Poolesville, Maryland ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Montgomery County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Access to exercise opportunities · high99.8%
99/100Maryland 92.1%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMontgomery County value
Dentists · high130 /100k
99/100Maryland 82 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMontgomery County value
Natural hazard risk · low1.4
99/100Maryland 4.72025Federal Emergency Management AgencyMontgomery County value
Life expectancy · high83.8 yrs
99/100Maryland 78.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMontgomery County value
Broadband subscriptions · high99.4%
98/100Maryland 92.4%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Median household income · high$205,919
98/100Maryland $102,835United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013

Weaknesses

Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100Maryland 30.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071At least this value: the publisher's top bracket is open-ended
Average commute time · high38.2 min
3/100Maryland 31.0 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Job growth · low-4.2%
3/100Maryland -1.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMontgomery County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high245 min
4/100Maryland 246 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMontgomery County value
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
9/100Maryland 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMontgomery County value
Drought exposure · high80%
12/100Maryland 64%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAMontgomery County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
5,191 (2015-2019) → 5,764 (2020-2024)
+11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
12.0% (2015-2019) → 75.6% (2020-2024)
+64 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
21.4% (2015-2019) → 51.0% (2020-2024)
+30 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.6× (2015-2019) → 3.7× (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
58.2% (2015-2019) → 63.7% (2020-2024)
+5.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.280 (2015-2019) → 0.350 (2020-2024)
+25%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Poolesville, Maryland improved on 1 of 9 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 5 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+3.9 points95.5% → 99.4%

Declined3

Rent / income+30 points21.4% → 51.0%
Inequality+0.0700.280 → 0.350
Price / income+1.0×2.6× → 3.7×

All 9 measures

Change of every measure of Poolesville, Maryland between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	38.5 min2015-2019	38.2 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	50%
Bachelor's degree or higher	58.2%2015-2019	63.7%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Broadband subscriptions	95.5%2015-2019	99.4%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	25%
Effective property tax rate	0.96%2015-2019	0.89%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	30%
High school diploma or higher	95.1%2015-2019	95.2%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	21%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.2802015-2019	0.3502020-2024	+0.070	Declined	10%
Median household income	$180,5242015-2019	$205,9192020-2024	+14%	Within the margin of error	22%
Rent as share of income	21.4%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	+30 points	Declined	0%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Poolesville, Maryland five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Poolesville, Maryland in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Poolesville, Maryland itself moved −14 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,764 residents (±17)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,034 households (±173)

Poolesville, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $25k3.7%†75
$25k–50k2.8%†57
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,034 households (±173)

Poolesville, Maryland
Maryland share

Own95%1,933
Rent5.0%†101

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+9.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,160 workers (±230)

Poolesville, Maryland
Maryland share

Drive alone57%1,817
Carpool4.7%†148
Public transit0.9%†28

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Montgomery County, the county holding most of Poolesville's residents.

Montgomery County has 27,677 employer establishments, 260 for every 10,000 residents (1.05× the US rate of 248; 1.13× Maryland's), with 439,792 paid employees at an average annual pay of $81,041. The Census Bureau also counts 133,803 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 27,677; 133,803 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 260; US 248 · Maryland 230
Paid employees: 439,792
Average annual pay: $81,041; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Montgomery County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	2,958	27.8	1.33×More than typical	35,084	$76,590	8,673
Restaurants and other eating places	1,719	16.2	0.88×About typical	30,857	$27,757	657
Computer systems design and related services	1,573	14.8	3.41×More than typical	26,526	$109,014	2,333
Lessors of real estate	1,524	14.3	1.16×About typical	9,366	$114,370	11,797
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,455	13.7	2.04×More than typical	15,375	$105,812	8,704
Specialty trade contractors	1,233	11.6	0.75×Fewer than typical	15,437	$77,053	6,744
Offices of physicians	1,039	9.8	1.51×More than typical	12,059	$97,603	1,576
Construction of buildings	991	9.3	1.23×About typical	8,849	$102,313	4,088
Limited-service restaurants	844	7.9	0.99×About typical	13,894	$24,617	238
Services to buildings and dwellings	803	7.5	1.12×About typical	18,441	$37,236	6,480
Legal services	753	7.1	1.32×More than typical	4,826	$103,381	1,940
Offices of dentists	746	7	1.74×More than typical	4,808	$66,764	428

Rank places for an industry Open Montgomery County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,064,369 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Poolesville, Maryland: $345 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2M; −47% vs FY2025
Per resident: $345; US $1,994
Sole-source: 52%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.5%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Institutes of Health$1.9M94%
Offices, Boards and Divisions$107.9K5.4%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources$15.8K0.8%
Indian Health Service$4,5130.2%

Top recipients

SKOOKUM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS$579.3K29%
HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO$501.7K25%
NEW AGE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC$285.3K14%
AMVET RITZ JV LLC$281.9K14%
STANDARD PETROLEUM LOGISTICS INC$170.8K8.6%

Spending by fiscal year

131.4KFY2017
423.8KFY2018
775.2KFY2019
697.5KFY2020
200.7KFY2021
8KFY2022
59.4KFY2023
11.9MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.1M54%
Facilities support services · 5612$583.1K29%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$170.8K8.6%
Office administrative services · 5611$61.6K3.1%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$46.3K2.3%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Poolesville, Maryland, so they do not add up across cities.

Poolesville, Maryland's figures are part of those of Montgomery County, MD ($10.7B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Poolesville is mostly in Montgomery County.

See federal money in Montgomery County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Poolesville, Maryland is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Angela D. Alsobrooks

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Montgomery County92100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV86

Other cities and towns in Montgomery County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2462850

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends