County: Anne Arundel
Nearest big city: Baltimore
Located 39 miles east of Washington, D.C., and 17 miles south of Baltimore, Severna Park offers a little bit of everything.
If you like the outdoors, Severn Park provides easy access to 150 lakes, 360 reservoirs and over 2,000 rivers and streams for sport fishing. Not a fan of the water? No problem. You can walk, hike or bike the B&A Trail, which runs through the heart of Severna Park and follows the original B&A Railroad route between Baltimore and Annapolis. Visit the B&A Railroad Museum located in the old general store, now known as Earleigh Heights. Stop in at the horticultural gardens at Hatton-Regester Green, which also serves as home to the Park’s Summer Concert Series.
There’s more to Severna Park than fun and games, though. The area is home to several engineering firms as well as the headquarters of Dynasplint Systems, a medical equipment manufacturer. The median household income is $147,058, which is on the higher end among the cities on our list, while the median home price is $497,952. — Leslie Cook
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place in Severna Park. It actually takes place in nearby Crownsville.
Severna Park, Maryland
Population 40,214
Median Household Income $147,058
Median Home Price $497,952
Unemployment Rate 5.6%