The Town Files

Urbana, Maryland

Community in Frederick County · population 13,304 (2020 Census)

Map: where Urbana is in MarylandUrbana
Median home
$640,100
Household income
$182,500
Jan low / Jul high
25° / 84°
Snow a year
31 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
22
Median age
38.1

Urbana is a community of 13,304 people in Frederick County, Maryland. The median home is worth $640,100, above the typical Maryland town ($412,300). It ranks more upscale than 92% of Maryland towns, better for families than 76% of Maryland towns, better for young professionals than 70% of Maryland towns.

How Urbana ranks

Percentile among Maryland towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maryland towns.

Urbana lifestyle rankings vs other Maryland townsRetirement48th pctFamilies76th pctQuiet35th pctWalkability42nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals70th pctVibrancy50th pctHip & trendy28th pctCollege town44th pctUpscale92nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit34th pctDriving34th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Urbana is worth $640,100, above the typical Maryland town ($412,300). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $182,500, which is more affordable than 67% of Maryland towns. Median rent is $2,649 a month. 80.3% of households own their home.

Urbana vs Frederick County vs typical Maryland townUrbanaFrederick CountyTypical Maryland townHome value$640,100$464,600$412,300Household income$182,500$122,002$108,677Monthly rent$2,649$1,774$1,748
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maryland towns with 500+ people.
HousingUrbanaTypical Maryland town
Median home value$640,100$412,300
Median rent$2,649$1,748
Median household income$182,500$108,677
Home value ÷ income3.5×3.8×
Homeownership80.3%77.3%
Median year built20091980
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Urbana

PeopleUrbanaTypical Maryland town
Median age38.140.2
Age 65 and over9.3%16.4%
Under 1834.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher66.0%39.4%
Below the poverty line1.2%7.1%
Veterans5.7%—
Born outside the U.S.27.9%—
Work from home30.6%17.4%
Average commute32.5 min31.4 min
Homes with broadband98.4%94.3%

Weather in Urbana

July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 24.5°F. About 47.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 31.4 inches of snow (typical Maryland town: 15.9 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.

Urbana monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°25°Jan43°26°Feb52°33°Mar64°43°Apr73°53°May80°62°Jun84°66°Jul83°65°Aug76°58°Sep65°47°Oct53°36°Nov44°30°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.49.43.011.14.04.83.60.24.34.74.54.24.84.03.50.83.95.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Damascus 3 Ssw station (7.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Urbana since 1950, compared with 18 for the typical Maryland town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on November 2, 2018 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 3, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Urbana by decade11950s11960s21970s01980s41990s42000s82010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 45 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 15, 2018.

Severe weather in Frederick County since 1996

Storm events in Frederick County since 1996 by typeHail70Heat41Flood219Dense Fog89High Wind35Lightning23Flash Flood96Strong Wind28
NOAA Storm Events Database, Frederick County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 16 deaths recorded.

Frederick County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3634: Severe Winter Storm
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4491: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3430: Covid-19
June 25, 2018Severe StormDR-4374: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 4, 2016SnowstormDR-4261: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm

Jobs and pay in Frederick County

Frederick County had 108,438 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,852 a year. Unemployment was 2% in 2023; in Urbana itself the ACS puts it at 3.7%.

Largest industries in Frederick CountyRetail14,606 jobs · $41,389Health care & social assistan…13,097 jobs · $61,040Professional & technical serv…11,144 jobs · $101,682Construction10,110 jobs · $78,470Hotels & restaurants10,043 jobs · $27,553Manufacturing5,642 jobs · $74,082
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Frederick County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Frederick 2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Urbana

2 public schools with 3,126 students, about 18.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Urbana High9-122,01219.7
Urbana Middle6-81,11417.4

Towns near Urbana

Urbana questions

Is Urbana, Maryland a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Urbana scores better for retirees than 48% of Maryland towns and quieter than 35%. 9.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).

How much does a house cost in Urbana?

The median owner-occupied home in Urbana is valued at $640,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $182,500, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $2,649 a month.

What is the weather like in Urbana?

July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 24.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.9 inches of precipitation a year and 31.4 inches of snow.

Does Urbana get tornadoes?

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Urbana since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on November 2, 2018. The typical Maryland town has had 18.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Urbana's Census boundary (GEOID 2479900). Comparisons use the median of Maryland towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.