Places › Maryland › Chillum

Living in Chillum, MD

Suburb in Maryland

Chillum is a suburb in Maryland, home to about 35,000 people, with 6.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Chillum a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Lots of culture: museums, zoos and attractions nearby
  • Low natural disaster risk: 6 federally declared disasters since 2000
  • Great outdoors: plenty of parks

👎 Cons

  • Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Chillum ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
35,000
6.5 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
47°F / 88°F
Average daily highs · 10″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$405k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$2,840/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
109
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,897
State income tax per resident · 1.03% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
6 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, heat waves
Top-rated hospitals
11
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 13 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
24%
8 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
DCA
9 mi away

Living in Chillum: common questions

What is the cost of living in Chillum?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $405k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,840 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Chillum?

Maryland collects about $1,897 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.03% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Chillum safe?

Chillum isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in Chillum?

Public schools in Chillum test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Chillum?

Chillum has cool winters: winter days average around 47°F and summer days around 88°F, with roughly 10″ of snow a year.

Does Chillum get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 6 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.31 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Chillum?

The nearest major airport is DCA, about 9 mi away.

How Chillum scores

Each bar compares Chillum with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeBig city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietDense & urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundWalk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureStrong culture scene Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingExpensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceVery fast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingAverage
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketGood
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationAverage
🧸Kids & familyGood
🐕Dog-friendlyAverage
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CultureExcellent
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportGood

Places like Chillum

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Woodlawn, MDSuburb64 $365k$2,360/moNo crime data South Laurel, MDSuburb64 $515k$2,840/moNo crime data College Park, MDSuburb67 $426k$2,840/moNo crime data Dundalk, MDSuburb62 $230k$2,360/moNo crime data Laurel, MDSuburb63 $442k$2,840/moModerate crime Milford Mill, MDSuburb61 $314k$2,360/moNo crime data

Nearby

College Park, MDSuburb · 3 mi away67 $426k$2,840/moNo crime data Silver Spring, MDSuburb · 3 mi away71 $523k$2,840/moNo crime data Washington, DCMajor city · 5 mi away60 $638k$2,840/moHigher crime Wheaton, MDSuburb · 7 mi away74 $562k$2,840/moNo crime data Bethesda, MDSuburb · 8 mi away75 $1.02M$2,840/moNo crime data North Bethesda, MDSuburb · 9 mi away74 $828k$2,840/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in Maryland.

Is Chillum right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.