The touchstone city at the heart of Western Maryland
Hagerstown, the largest city in Western Maryland, has been known as Hub City since the 1800s. This nickname was originally earned due to its position at the convergence of Maryland’s railways, making it an important staging area and supply center during the American Civil War. Today, this moniker refers more to the highways that pass through it, connecting Hub City to Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
While Hagerstown has experienced a boom of growth and renewed attention, due in large part to rising housing prices in adjacent counties and cities like Frederick, it still retains the atmosphere of a country town set amidst the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains. “I don’t like to think of Hagerstown as following in Frederick’s footsteps. Even though they’re in neighboring counties, they’re very different,” says Realtor Bethany Gosnell with The Agency Real Estate, who has lived in Maryland since 2006. “Hagerstown has half of Frederick’s inhabitants, so it’s going to take more than 10 or 15 years for it to be comparable in terms of traffic congestion and overpopulation and to lose that small town feeling that people are attached to.”
The downtown area is lined with turn-of-the-20th-century American Foursquare and Colonial Revival homes, many with visible renovations and expansions. On weekday mornings, this district is a peaceful and quiet Appalachian town. On weekends, it becomes lively and vibrant as people flock from the suburbs to attend concerts and baseball games or to explore the award-winning parks.
With Appalachian Trail access points so close by, hiking and outdoor recreation are popular in the summer when the weather is pleasant. Hagerstown remains cooler than the rest of Maryland because of the mountainous elevation and the distance from the Chesapeake Bay, both of which help keep humidity down. However, the area also sees an average of 31 inches of snowfall annually, almost 10 inches more than Baltimore and the central part of the state.
The rocky soil of this region also necessitates the presence of radon detectors in area homes. Limestone, which contains higher-than-average levels of uranium, makes up a significant portion of Hagerstown’s geography. The breakdown of this uranium releases radon gas, which is odorless and invisible. Basements - or ground levels, if there is no basement - should be fitted with these detectors to help prevent any associated health complications.
Hagerstown continues to interest prospective buyers who are looking not only for affordable homes but also for a sense of country remove. Residents can be found taking long lunches at pubs in the center of town, fishing in Antietam Creek, watching the dirt track races on weekends or catching up in the late-night line for handmade donuts that extends around the block. “Hagerstown sometimes feels like the middle child that is constantly compared to the younger and older siblings who are just bigger and taller,” Gosnell says. “But then you have a conversation with the middle child, and you find out they’re the coolest one of the bunch.”
Mount Aetna is known for its stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
Check out the Decades Concert Series in University Plaza, minutes from South End.
Catch a baseball game at the Meritus Stadium in Hagerstown.
Nothing beats a day fishing on the creek in Devil's Backbone County Park.
1/4
City Park and other green spaces in Maryland Appalachia
Creeks, country clubs and hiking trails are all within reach of Hagerstown and its surrounding suburbs. “There’s a lot of outdoor activities. I mean, we’re right at the Appalachian Trail, right in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There’s camping, hiking, whatever you want to do,” Gosnell says. Within the central district, Hagerstown City Park is considered the star attraction, featuring winding walking trails around a pond called Lower Lake, an outdoor band shell and a small playground. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts anchors the park with its extensive collection of American artworks and its rotating exhibits. Fairgrounds Park on the east side of town is home to the skate park, a BMX track, the ice rink and several baseball diamonds. Marty Snook Park draws visitors to the southern part of the city. “Marty Snook Park has a section where they have animated characters carved into trees. It has a few different playgrounds, fields and walking paths,” says Gosnell. “If you have kids, it’s a big highlight.”
A portion of he Appalachian Trail runs through Mount Aetna.
Families gather in the Hagerstown City Park for movie night.
A skater drops in on the vert ramp in Fairgrounds Park.
The ice rink in Fairgrounds park is a popular local amenity in South End.
1/4
More affordable homes and the Hagerstown Homestore
Prospective buyers can find homes in 20 distinct neighborhoods throughout Hagerstown, varying in style from colonials and late-1800s American Foursquares to modern townhouses and duplexes along the narrow streets. Detached options such as midcentury Cape Cods and ranch-styles are more common farther from the center of town. Townhouses tend to sell between $200,000 and $350,000, with single-family homes pricing from $315,000 to $450,000 depending on the age of the property, number of bedrooms and status of renovations. Modern traditional builds on the developing outskirts can cost upwards of $500,000.
Efforts to increase ownership have been spurred on by the city with programs like the Hagerstown Homestore. “A lot of people here use them because they go beyond just helping you sign up for a program,” Gosnell says. “They’ll help you fill out applications, they’ll go over a budget with you, they’ll help you plan for a real estate goal for a year down the road. It’s similar to what a real estate agent and a lender would do, but this is a storefront for that purpose.”
Beaver Creek boasts a wide array of architectural styles.
Some Central Hagerstown homes have historic importance to the neigborhood.
Each home in Halfway has it's own character and style.
Beaver Creek boasts a high number of cape cod styles for such a small area.
1/4
Students can attend Washington County schools and nearby community colleges
The Washington County Public School system has a B-plus Niche score and is ranked as the No. 2 best place to teach in Maryland. Standouts include Clear Spring High, where the athletic director was recognized as the best in the state in early 2024 . Faith-based options such as the Saint James School, which is rated the No. 1 Best Private High School in the county, are also available. Hagerstown Community College, the first such institution in Maryland, educates some 3,500 students and hosts a business incubator.
Clear Spring High School earns an "A" rating from Niche.
St James School, a private school in Hagerstown receives an A+ rating from Niche.
Boonsboro Middle is located right next door to Boonsboro High and Elementary.
Old Forge Elementary prepares students for bright futures.
1/4
Meritus Medical Services, minor league baseball and the Hagerstown Speedway
The largest employer in the city is Meritus Health, which has provided medical services to the community since 1905 and employs nearly 3,000 people across its facilities. The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, located next to the medical center in Robinwood, will begin educating its inaugural class in Fall 2025.
The healthcare company lends its name to the highlight of Hagerstown’s skyline, Meritus Park. This 4,000-seat ballpark was built in 2024 to host the Flying Boxcars, the local minor league baseball team. “There’s just a sense of pride for people from Hagerstown in being able to say that they have their own baseball team,” Gosnell says. Maryland’s largest record store, Hub City Vinyl, has a live music venue just down the street. Weekends often mean family trips to the Hagerstown Speedway, the oldest clay racetrack in Maryland, where up to 3,000 fans can enjoy stock car races and trackside restaurants.
The large Meritus Medical Center complex is located in Robinwood.
Cheer on the Flying Boxcars at Meritus Park.
Find your favorite music on vinyl at Hub City Vinyl in Hagerstown.
Fans watch an exciting Saturday night race at the Hagerstown Speedway in Wilson-Conococheague.
1/4
Downtown dining and decades of Krumpe’s Do-Nuts
The Central neighborhood, the South End and Halfway are all destinations for shopping and sampling Hagerstown’s diverse cuisine. “Last time I looked there were 18 non-chain restaurants in the area, so the food scene is pretty good,” Gosnell says. “Schmankerl Stube is a German restaurant within walking distance of the ballpark, and everybody knows it because it’s unique.” Every third Thursday from May to October, residents can head to the City Farmers Market. And every evening from 7 to 11 p.m., a line extends around the block at Krumpe’s Do-Nut Shop, where tradition has insisted that fresh donuts be handmade nightly for over 80 years.
Broad Axe in Downtown is consider a local gem to the folks living in Northeast Hagerstown.
Beaver Creek locals hit up Schmankerl Stube in Hagerstown for Bavarian eats.
Shop for locally made unique merchandise at the City Farmers Market in Hagerstown.
People line up out the door to get the best locally made fresh Donuts at Krumpe's Donuts.
1/4
Expanded modern transportation helps Hub City grow
AMTRAK/MARC rail stations are available across the river in Martinsburg, West Virginia and down the highway in Frederick. Interstates 70 and 81 connect Hagerstown residents north to Pennsylvania, south to the Washington D.C. metro area and east toward Baltimore. Hagerstown Regional Airport has completed a recent expansion and offers regular flights to Orlando, St. Petersburg and Myrtle Beach.
A tale of two crime rates
As of April 2024, the FBI Crime Data Explorer lists Hagerstown’s violent crime rate at 1.46 incidents per 1,000 residents, slightly above the national average. In 2022, there were eight murders in Hagerstown. The city’s property crime rate has dipped below the average, however, sitting around 1.48 incidents per 1,000 people. Between 2021 and 2022, overall crime decreased by almost 6 percent. In that time frame, violent crime increased by about 6 percent, but property crime decreased by roughly 9 percent.
I’m a dynamic, tech-savvy real estate agent proudly serving the MD, DC, and VA areas, born and raised in the DMV. My deep local knowledge allows me to navigate the region like the back of my hand. As a bilingual agent fluent in Spanish, I’m passionate about helping families achieve their dreams, often guiding them to possibilities they never thought were within reach.
Beyond my role as an agent, I’m an educator in my community, empowering friends and clients with knowledge about real estate and investment opportunities. I’m also a business owner and investor, bringing a multifaceted perspective to my clients’ journeys.
In my spare time, I’m an active participant in the DMV comedy scene, performing stand-up at renowned venues like DC Improv, Hotbed Comedy Club, Virginia State Theatre, and The Port Comedy Club in Baltimore. With me, you can expect a vibrant, engaging experience—your journey will be anything but dull!
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
