Situated roughly halfway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Olney is a suburb with beer bars, dense parklands and country clubs. Locals visit the farmers market on the weekends, enjoy the area’s many walking trails and parks and watch live performances at the theater. "I call Olney Velcro. Once you’ve found it, you’re stuck on it," says Andy Rubin, a lifelong resident and Realtor with Re/Max who's hosted “The American Dream TV: DMV." “Folks don’t really leave because everyone loves it here. I’ve been here since I was 7, and I’m 53 now."
According to the U.S. Census, Olney's population grew by 5.3% from 2010 to 2023, and 2024 estimates put the figure at 35,800. Rubin says that, in his experience, Olney residents commute to work in places all around the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area. “I get a lot of people that work [in] Montgomery County, D.C. and Baltimore. That’s the majority of buyers, [though] some work in Anne Arundel County, around Annapolis.”
Olney is a quiet suburb on DC, with quick commuter access to Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis.
Markets with fresh food are a common attraction in Olney.
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Midcentury builds are popular purchases
Home prices range from $300,000 to $1.5 million, varying by age, square footage and lot size. Popular styles include Colonial Revivals, bilevels and ramblers, mostly built after World War II. Townhouses and condos are available closer to Georgia Avenue and frequently have brick siding. Residential streets are enclosed, well-paved, and often end in cul-de-sacs. Houses sit on grassy front lawns with driveways leading up to two-car garages. “Olney is great because it does feel like there is a mix of a small town feel and city living,” says Tony Krichbaum, an Olney native and Realtor with the Karen Rollings Team of eXp Realty. “At times, it does feel like everyone knows each other, but with all of the restaurants, bars and shops that we do have, it does make it feel like we are a big city.”
Olney belongs to Montgomery County, where violent and property crime rates dropped from 2023 to 2024, according to data presented to the county council’s Public Safety Committee. Montgomery County’s overall crime rate is also lower than the national average.
You'll find unique housing styles all over Olney, such as colonials and modified colonials.
Colonial Revivals are one of the most common housing styles in Olney.
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Olney Manor Recreational Park is used for youth sports
Olney’s various parks and recreation areas make it easy to experience the outdoors. Walking pathways, playgrounds and athletic fields appear sporadically around town. The 61-acre Olney Manor Recreational Park hosts sporting events. It also includes a dog park and courts for basketball and tennis. Kids play sports with the Olney Boys & Girls Club, where they can join soccer, lacrosse and flag football teams. The nearby Norbeck Country Club offers golf, sports and social memberships to those who want to join a private community. Rock Creek Regional Park is a popular destination in the Greater D.C. area for hiking and cycling, just west of Olney. Lake Needwood is within Rock Creek Park and offers rowboat, canoe and paddleboat rentals, as well as fishing. Olney is known for having four distinct seasons and moderate Mid-Atlantic heat in the summers.
Olney Manor Recreational Park has tennis courts, playing fields and even an indoor pool.
The skatepark at Olney Manor Recreational Park is a popular place for adults and kids alike.
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Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company highlights local history
“Wherever you are in Olney, you’re not a far walk from whatever you’re seeking,” says Rubin. “Tell me what you feel like eating, and it’s here; the restaurants are good. The four grocery stores [here] have organic food options.” Most businesses in Olney are located along the Georgia Avenue and Olney Sandy Spring Drive intersection. Strip malls like Fair Hill and Olney Village Center host big-box retailers and locally loved restaurants, from fast casual to fine dining.
Rubin recommends Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company, a brewery using homegrown barley and wheat for its craft beers. It harkens back to Olney’s farming history and references a lone oak tree that once stood as a border between two Civil War homesteads, one that supported the Union and one that supported the Confederacy. The oak tree fell in 2023, prompting the brewery to create Fallen Oak Distillery in dedication.
Lone Oak Farm in north Olney is a great place for a pint and some fresh air with friends.
The Olney Grill is a neighborhood staple, with a large menu and rotating specials.
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Olney Farmers and Artists Market is a popular Sunday morning stop
Olney was once a 19th-century farming village, and that legacy is upheld on Sunday mornings when the Olney Farmers and Artists Market draws the community together. “It’s an unbelievable farmers market,” says Rubin. “It’s got artists and chefs from around the state every Sunday, with live music performances.” Rubin also highlights the Olney Theater Center to catch plays, “It’s like an off-Broadway theater. Frozen played there recently. Famous actors have come through and performed here.” The theater also features an outdoor venue that hosts live music in the summer and fall.
Children study at Montgomery County public schools
Kids in the area can attend Montgomery County Public Schools, which Niche gives an A-rating on Niche and ranks as the No. 2 best public school district in the state. There are several esteemed private schools in Olney as well, like Sandy Springs Friends School, a K-12 boarding school rated an A-plus on Niche.
The Springs Friends School is an esteemed private school that scores and A+ on Niche.
Rosa M. Parks Middle School is one one of the Montgomery County Schools that Olney students have access to.
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Commuting to D.C., Baltimore or Annapolis
“If you get a house where one spouse works in D.C. and one works in Baltimore, we're pretty much equidistant. It’s a great midpoint between those cities,” says Rubin. Georgia Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares in Olney, runs north-south down to D.C. in 18 miles, about an hour, depending on traffic. The Glenmont Metro Station is 15 minutes away by car and offers Red Line trains into the nation’s capital. Baltimore is a 33-mile drive north on Interstate 95, which takes around 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is 29 miles to the northeast, while Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 30 miles south. Both offer domestic and international flights. Main roads in Olney host stops from WMATA Metrobuses and Montgomery County RideOn buses for wider county and regional access.
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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.
