Montgomery County Town Among Time's 'Best Places To Live In 2015'

A Montgomery County community cracked the top 50 on Time magazine’s recently released list of the Best Places to Live in 2015.

Three Maryland towns made the top 50 small cities. North Laurel ranked No. 23, while Damascus in Montgomery County was No. 31 and Urbana in Frederick County landed at No. 35.

Population, median income, job growth, median home price and property tax were among the criteria by which each city was evaluated, but factors like historic value and community culture also played a role in the rankings.

Damascus resident Chris Bonvillain told Montgomery Community Media that his town is a gem with strong school spirit and residents who support local businesses.

“The Music Café, Jimmy Cone, Red Rooster and a few of the other small businesses succeed where the national chains, struggle,” he said.

Here’s what Time had to say about Damascus:

This Washington, D.C., burb was, until 2013, a “dry” town—one of the last liquor-free burgs in Maryland. It is still on the quiet side, perhaps because more than one-third of the population is over 50. But Damascus knows how to make some noise when it wants to. This May, residents launched their first Damascus Art Festival, which featured local musicians, crafters, and artists.

Like many towns in Montgomery County, the schools in Damascus are top-notch, with SAT and AP test scores consistently above the national average. The schools have recently put extra emphasis on technology, installing wireless networks in every building and providing students with tech equipment, primarily Chromebook laptops.

To check out the full list, click here.

Want to find out how your town compares? Use the “Compare Your Town” tool to see how data from your hometown compares to the national average and to the cities that topped the list.