Priciest suburban Baltimore places to live
Baltimore Sun file photo
Some weeks back, we presented the most expensive city neighborhoods -- as ranked by 2009 home sale price -- for your edification and pontification. Left out of the fun were the Baltimore 'burbs, which are of course more pricey in general.
So let's remedy that. Right now.
Can you guess the suburban community (as in ZIP code) with the highest average sale price last year? (For that matter, can you guess No. 7, which is pictured above?)
Read on for answers and a link to the brand-new photo gallery, put together by editor extraordinaire Liz Hacken.
The priciest: Glenwood in Howard County, weighing in at $790,000.
Most of the highest-average-price communities are in Howard, including the one in the photo above (Highland, at No. 7 -- $643,000).
See them all in the photo gallery here, which includes the top-priced city neighborhoods as well.
As I always do when I compare ZIP codes based on Metropolitan Regional Information Systems data, I only looked at the communities with at least five sales. (Actually, they had to have had at least five sales in 2008 and 2009 each, since this ranking was pulled from an analysis of the change between the years.)
Average sale prices can't necessarily tell you where the region's absolutely most expensive houses are. Perhaps the most expensive houses weren't on the market last year. Perhaps they were and didn't sell.
But it gives you a general idea, and it's fun for anyone with lookyloo tendencies. (So is the "top properties" gallery.)
If you're sick of looking at mansions, check out the hidden-gem neighborhoods for more affordably priced examples of Baltimore-area living. (It comes complete with a huge photo gallery of its own.)
Oh, and if you're interested in holding forth on your own neck of the woods, don't forget My Neighborhood 'Tis of Thee. We've had people sharing in both words and photos, which is great. (The My Neighborhood 'Tis of Thee photo gallery is here.)
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Comments
Jamie - Did you ever think to do this for each surrounding county......I think we all know Howard would be at the top of the list
Posted by: JB | May 21, 2010 8:36 AM
JB, this list does just that, ranking by price the communities in the counties surrounding Baltimore. Unless you meant something else?
Posted by: Jamie Smith Hopkins | May 21, 2010 8:40 AM
I meant that it would be interesting to see ranking by price per county.....not the overall metro area
Posted by: JB | May 21, 2010 10:15 AM
Ah, I see. I'll keep that in mind the next time I crunch the numbers.
Posted by: Jamie Smith Hopkins | May 21, 2010 10:23 AM
Thanks - I just thought it would be interesting to see the "Hot Spots" of the county that I live in
Posted by: JB | May 21, 2010 10:30 AM
You know the biggest thing you're paying for to live in places like these? The right to live around other people who can afford to do the same.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 21, 2010 1:46 PM
Anonymous is absolutely right. It's one of many cognitive dysfunctions that people can't shake. Some argue that better schools is a reason, but for that much more expense, one easily can pay for private schools. There're no other reasons except above. All the while polluting the atmosphere and the road ways, and sprawling far and wide.
Posted by: Semicons | May 22, 2010 8:35 PM