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2019 Best Places to Live in Carroll CountyAbout this List

Explore the best places to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 9 of 9
Best Places to Live
9 results

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  1. Sykesville

    • Suburb of Baltimore, MD
    • 35 reviews
    #1 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Current Resident: Sykesville is a very small and comfy town. I have lived in Sykesville for most of my life and I am proud of it. Over the years, Sykesville has made many improvements such as adding retail and food options. One of my favorite things about Sykesville is Main Street. Main Street holds events at least once a month. They are family friendly and really bring the community together. Another great aspect of Sykesville of its School System. Sykesville has many Blue Ribbon schools at all levels of schooling. I have attended two of them and I can say that they have successfully prepared me for college and life afterwards. Sykesville does have room for improvement, the infrastructure for example, but the local government acknowledges this and actively works with the community to fix this. Overall, Sykesville is an amazing town and I love living in it!
    Read 35 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 3,921 Population
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  2. Eldersburg

    • Suburb of Baltimore, MD
    • 95 reviews
    #2 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Current Resident: Eldersburg is a great small town to raise a family in! The public schools in Eldersburg are great and have prepared me for college. There are many different things to do around the town, such as locally-owned restaurants and stores in the downtown area. Great community and easy to meet people with similar interests to you.
    Read 95 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 32,064 Population
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  3. Hampstead

    • Town in Maryland
    • 27 reviews
    #3 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Former Resident: Having spent the entirety of my formative years there, not a moment goes by that I'm don't thank my lucky stars to have grown up in as amazing a town as Hampstead, Maryland. My neighborhood sat at the town's northern end, abutting an 18-hole golf course as well as a constantly developing shopping center containing everything from hair salons to upscale restaurants. A mere two-minute drive from my house lay a Walmart Supercenter where my family ran many an errand over the years. But amenities are hardly limited to big-box stores around Hampstead, as I just as frequently got to experience the innumerable and thriving businesses in the historical downtown. As for academics, the district's public schools afforded me such an amazing education that I went from having a phobia of the school bus to being the first one to board it every morning. I've since moved elsewhere within Maryland, but I wouldn't have minded living out the rest of my years among Hampstead's peaceful, small-town bustle.
    Read 27 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 6,331 Population
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  4. Mount Airy

    • Town in Maryland
    • 58 reviews
    #4 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Current Resident: Mount Airy is a small town in carroll county maryland filled with great schools as well as many friendly people. There are lots of great resturaunts here like Mount Airy In, J&P Pizza, Katana, Laurenzios, Cryin Johnnies, and many more. There are lots of great neighborhoods as well like the paddocks, summit ridge, and nottingham that are all free of crime and offer safe places to raise children. The public schools are mostly brand new like Parrs Ridge Elementary school as well as mount airy middle. All of the schools offer a great education before heading off to high school at either Liganore or South Carroll High School.
    Read 58 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 9,387 Population
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  5. Westminster

    • Town in Maryland
    • 72 reviews
    #5 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Current Resident: Lifetime resident. For what it is, a medium sized commuter town, Westminster is a great place. Good schools, nice people, plenty of stores. The low points here like night life have gradually improved past few years.

    One thing to note I didn’t see mentioned is that Westminster has absurdly small city lines so the population numbers you see of 18K are very low. This also causes the property crime stats to look artificially high.

    Biggest problem: aging population. Reacting to swift growth in the 80’s and 90’s the county sharply restricted new development so most jobs are toward Baltimore, and lack of young families with kids is becoming a general trend here as a whole.
    Read 72 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 18,557 Population
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  6. Manchester

    • Town in Maryland
    • 14 reviews
    #6 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Current Resident: Manchester, Maryland is the definition of small-town America. From the locally owned shops to the famous Dutch Corner, a Sunday morning breakfast stop that everyone goes to, Manchester has the vibe of everyone knowing everyone. Overall, Manchester was a great place to grow up, allowing my parents to be free of worry about young children growing up in a big city. Instead, my sister and I were nurtured by the friendly, small town of Manchester.
    Read 14 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • 4,825 Population
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  9. Taneytown

    • Town in Maryland
    • 21 reviews
    #7 Best Places to Live in Carroll County

    Current Resident: Great small town to live in! Great place to raise a family. Not much employment opportunities but taneytown is close to frederick, baltimore, and Gettysburg. I have lived here my whole life and crime is not an issue. There is a variety of places to eat and the public library is great! Not really any night life, but you are so close to other locations that its not an issue. Taneytown also has historic charm to it and lots to learn about the history of the town. The schools are great and provide exceptional education to the community. Taneytown is a great place to raise a family as well. There are lots of local parks and events happening for the whole family to enjoy!
    Read 21 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • 6,762 Population
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  10. New Windsor

    • Town in Maryland
    • 7 reviews

    Current Resident: New Windsor is a nice, small community surrounded by farms and farmers. This means nightlife in town consists of a single bar that is almost always packed on the weekends. Many businesses are open in the town itself and provide ample job openings, although many people commute to nearby towns. Violent crime is not really an issue, and I would consider it to be a good area to raise children. Plenty of room to grow and play!
    Read 7 Reviews

    • B-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • 1,380 Population
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  11. Union Bridge

    • Town in Maryland
    • 6 reviews

    Current Resident: Union bridge is a small farming community about an hour outside Baltimore Md. it is very family friendly and everyone gets along great! We have parades and town get togethers and a lot of pancake breakfast where everyone can meet up and also meet new people. There is little to no crime and you can walk down any street day or night and feel safe ( most likely someone will stop and ask if you need a ride) tractors and farm equipment is on the roads as much as cars! Most people that are born here stay here and that's what makes our community great! I would not want to live anywhere else.
    Read 6 Reviews

    • B-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • 826 Population
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