Silver Spring is where some really good friends of mine live. He works in downtown Baltimore, and she worked in NoVa until recently. They had about equal commutes.
If you can afford it, Gaithersburg, MD is an option. DC commuter can hop on the Metro Red Line. Baltimore commuter can drive: 27 > 70 > Baltimore Beltway. Depending on where you work in Baltimore, the drive would be anywhere from :50 to 1:45.
And G-Burg is a great place to live. Twas recently picked the #17 Best Place To Live by CNN/Money.
Commerce, Labor, and the IRS currently have Economist openings. I don’t know if they still require applicants to take civil service exams but it would probably be a good idea.