Boston, MA vs Bowie, MD

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Boston

66.2

#1568 nationally

vs

Bowie

69.4

#1212 nationally

Boston leads in walk score (83 vs 25). Bowie leads in median household income ($138,797 vs $81,744). Boston leads in average commute (30.2 min vs 36.1 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Boston, MA Bowie, MD
WhereAtHome Score 66.2 (#1568) 69.4 (#1212)
Population 684,379 57,254
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $787,763 $526,880
Median Household Income $81,744 $138,797
Average Commute 30.2 min 36.1 min
Walk Score 83 25
Crime Level Moderate 5.3
School Rating 7.2 N/A
Cost of Living Index 155 134
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+52.5 D+75.2
Boston, MA
D
66.2 Score

Boston, MA

Innovation hub with historic charm

Median Home

$787,763

Population

684,379

Crime

Moderate

Schools

B

Northeast View Boston, MA →
Bowie, MD
D+
69.4 Score

Bowie, MD

Maryland community balancing growth and livability

Median Home

$526,880

Population

57,254

Crime

Moderate-Low

Walk Score

25

Northeast View Bowie, MD →

Try a different matchup

Swap Boston for:

Somerville, MA vs Bowie Cambridge, MA vs Bowie Chelsea, MA vs Bowie Everett, MA vs Bowie Revere, MA vs Bowie

Swap Bowie for:

Greenbelt, MD vs Boston Laurel, MD vs Boston College Park, MD vs Boston Hyattsville, MD vs Boston Annapolis, MD vs Boston

Similar score matchups

Alpharetta, GA vs Boston, MA

Boston, MA vs Coeur d'Alene, ID

Boston, MA vs Danbury, CT

Bowie, MD vs Durham, NC

Bowie, MD vs East Point, GA

Bowie, MD vs Farmington, NM