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CITY

Silver Spring

Maryland · 81,462 residents · 7.88 sq mi
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The short version

With 81,462 people, Silver Spring is a city in Maryland. 61% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. 38% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 34%. That puts it in the top 8% of US cities for household income. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $643,300.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $99,860, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
61% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 93%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Silver Spring

What changed most since 1990

  • Homes owned by their occupants53.4% → 38.3% (−15.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
  • White share59.5% → 32.8% (−26.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Black share21.7% → 28.3% (+6.6 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts

Among the 357 cities and towns in the Washington metro

  • 250th in household income$99,860
  • 125th in share with a bachelor's degree60.6%
  • 107th in home value$643,300
  • 21st in diversity score92.7

Its weight in Montgomery County

Silver Spring's population equals 7.6% of Montgomery County's. Its number of households without a car equals 17% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 4.0% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
81,462
+6%since 2000
from 76,540 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
10,334 / sq mi
+6%since 2000
from 9,710 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.6
+4%since 2000
from 34.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
7.88 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
70K74K77K80K84K19902000201020202024Silver Spring
202481K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.4%(5,208)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.6%(6,184)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(4,486)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.5%(3,667)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(5,334)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.4%(14,999)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4417.1%(13,938)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.5%(9,352)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.4%(8,466)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.2%(6,662)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 842.8%(2,267)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.1%(899)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$99,860
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $51,653 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$57,635
+119%since 2000
from $26,357 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
61.2%
+14.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.449
+3%since 2010
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Wholesale trade7.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Information6.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food2.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Retail trade2%
US avg: 9.9%
Transportation & warehousing0.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$643,300
+93%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $183,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,913
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $803 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
38.3%
−5.4 ptssince 2000
from 43.7% in 2000
61.7% rent
Vacancy rate
5.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.39 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
20.3%
−9.1 ptssince 2009
from 29.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.6%
+7.0 ptssince 2009
from 44.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.4
−2%since 2009
from 6.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
50
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic38.7%(29,617)
Black27.3%(20,901)
Hispanic / Latino22.2%(17,004)
Asian8.2%(6,244)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic32.8%(26,722)
Black28.3%(23,052)
Hispanic / Latino24.5%(19,945)
Asian8.5%(6,936)
Other5.9%(4,807)
Diversity Score
93
+4%since 2009
from 89 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American15.9%(12,945)
Salvadoran7.4%(6,032)
Guatemalan6%(4,868)
Mexican2.2%(1,826)
South American2.1%(1,671)
Honduran1.4%(1,178)
Dominican1.2%(950)
Nicaraguan0.9%(734)
Peruvian0.6%(512)
Cuban0.6%(493)
Bolivian0.5%(444)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.5%(435)
Colombian0.3%(252)
Argentine0.3%(242)
Chilean0.2%(139)
Panamanian0.1%(110)
Ecuadorian0.1%(45)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.5%(2,019)
Vietnamese1.3%(1,073)
Filipino1%(802)
Korean0.8%(664)
Chinese0.7%(588)
Bangladeshi0.7%(568)
Japanese0.3%(263)
Kazakh0.3%(255)
Taiwanese0.2%(175)
Pakistani0.2%(162)
Cambodian0.1%(115)
Thai0.1%(58)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Sri Lankan0.1%(55)
Indonesian0.1%(49)
Nepalese0%(37)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(73)
Chamorro0%(21)
Ancestry
German8.2%(6,702)
Ethiopian7.1%(5,817)
Irish7%(5,710)
English6.9%(5,593)
Italian3.7%(3,011)
American3.2%(2,586)
West Indian3.1%(2,525)
Polish1.9%(1,565)
Scottish1.8%(1,450)
Russian1.4%(1,109)
Nigerian1.4%(1,104)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Jamaican1.3%(1,050)
Haitian1.2%(1,015)
French1.1%(929)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(719)
Dutch0.7%(598)
Swedish0.6%(521)
Arab0.5%(437)
Greek0.5%(414)
Norwegian0.5%(410)
British0.5%(386)
Hungarian0.4%(362)
Ukrainian0.4%(362)
Welsh0.4%(335)
Lithuanian0.4%(325)
Portuguese0.4%(296)
Danish0.3%(279)
Swiss0.3%(278)
Romanian0.3%(269)
Turkish0.3%(246)
Austrian0.3%(235)
Brazilian0.3%(227)
Guyanese0.3%(221)
Iranian0.3%(208)
Ghanaian0.3%(207)
Czech0.2%(179)
Canadian0.2%(175)
Slovak0.2%(173)
Belgian0.2%(168)
Lebanese0.2%(154)
Finnish0.2%(151)
Serbian0.1%(117)
Moroccan0.1%(65)
Iraqi0.1%(60)
Bulgarian0.1%(55)
Israeli0.1%(55)
Jordanian0.1%(51)
Croatian0.1%(50)
Slovene0%(38)
Egyptian0%(36)
Barbadian0%(32)
Latvian0%(30)
Syrian0%(19)
Kenyan0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
60.6%
+12.1 ptssince 2000
from 48.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.6%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 81.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
33.6%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 24.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
34.0 min
+43%since 2000
from 23.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
45.2%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.1%
−5.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
13.8%
−15.3 ptssince 2009
from 29.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
27.3%
+23.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
16.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 7.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
78.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 80.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
85.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 84.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
57.1%
+6.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Female
50.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Foreign born
33.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.2%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2012
from 6.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.9%
−9.9 ptssince 2013
from 19.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.4%
+10.4 ptssince 2017
from 85.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 96.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
84.4%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 80.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
56.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2016
from 54.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
21.9%
−2.6 ptssince 2016
from 24.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married44.3%(13,995)
Married46.9%(14,789)
Widowed1.4%(446)
Divorced7.4%(2,334)
Women 15+
Never married43.6%(14,837)
Married38.8%(13,194)
Widowed5.4%(1,838)
Divorced12.2%(4,151)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.9%
−9.9 ptssince 2013
from 19.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.7%
−2.1 ptssince 2020
from 59.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 9.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
11.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 10.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.0%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 20.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 0.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 67.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 29.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)43.1%(586)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.7%(377)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.3%(399)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(41)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,360 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Silver Spring, decade by decade

Silver Spring population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199076,046$101,660$428,89247.0%72.3
200076,540$94,094$333,90948.5%89.8
201071,452$97,705$665,19550.5%90.4
202081,015$106,992$637,89657.8%92.2
202481,462$99,860$643,30060.6%92.7

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

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Compare Silver Spring to nearby cities

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Income$203,125+103%
Home value$620,400−4%
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SILVER SPRING VS
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SILVER SPRING VS
Langley Park
Income$85,321−15%
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SILVER SPRING VS
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Income$210,953+111%
Home value$919,800+43%
Population8,148−90%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Silver Spring, Maryland?

Silver Spring, Maryland has about 81,462 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Silver Spring, Maryland?

The typical household in Silver Spring, Maryland earns about $99,860 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Silver Spring, Maryland expensive?

In Silver Spring, Maryland, the median home is worth about $643,300, and the typical rent is about $1,913 a month.

How educated are people in Silver Spring, Maryland?

About 60.6% of adults age 25 and over in Silver Spring, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Silver Spring, Maryland?

About 10.6% of people in Silver Spring, Maryland live below the federal poverty line.

Has Silver Spring, Maryland grown since 1990?

Yes, Silver Spring, Maryland has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,416 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →