Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Beltsville’s grades pull in different directions. Where it falls short is schools: its public schools trail 92% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. The town grades C overall, better than nearly a third of U.S. towns, and ranks 203rd of 259 in Maryland. It also trails on cost of living: the typical home is worth about $449K, 3.5 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Walkability is where it shines (A) — it is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. Ammendale Normal Institute is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its midpoint rent is $1,963 a month, above both Maryland’s towns ($1,809 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The biggest park or preserve is Little Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, at 121 acres.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Beltsville is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 8%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Beltsville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Beltsville Academy | PK–8 | 1,113 |
| St. Joseph's Regional Catholic SC | PK–8 | 286 |
| Silver Oaks Cooperative School | K–6 | 82 |
Census counts: 15,690 in 2000, 20,133 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 8 maps from 1892 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
16,772 counted in 2010 and 20,133 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Ordered by what stands out in Beltsville.
Beltsville draws workers from Washington and beyond and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Maryland.
20,514 jobs are based in Beltsville, 2.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Jobs in Beltsville grew by 2,175 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 20,514. Only 5% of working residents stay in Beltsville for work; the rest commute out. Its average commute comes in at 32 minutes. The top destinations are Washington (17%), Baltimore (5%) and College Park (3%).
| Beltsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $100,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The largest public high school is High Point High, with 3,012 students. Two of its 8 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the Prince George's County Public Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beltsville AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 1,113 | C |
| High Point HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 3,012 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Paid flood insurance claims in Beltsville since 1979: 8. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 97% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 49% come from inland flooding and 11% from heat waves. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Beltsville once, in 2003.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.2 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The trail density for Beltsville comes to 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Beltsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunnyside Neigborhood Park | 0.6 mi | 9 |
| 2. Little Paint Branch Stream Valley Park | — | 121 |
| 3. Beltsville Community Center | 0.1 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Beltsville. People 65 and older are 22% of residents (17% statewide). Also worth knowing: its age of the median resident is 42 years.
| Beltsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 42% | 29% |
| Median age | 42 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 23% | 22% |
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Beltsville | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.6% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 22.4% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.1% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.7% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.4% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.2% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 70% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar. Against the 8,653 U.S. towns with household incomes like Beltsville’s, it is less healthy than 62%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
The share of adults in Beltsville who say their health is fair or poor: 21%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Beltsville is ahead of Maryland on 4 and behind on 9. Two figures for adults locally: 12% binge drink, 13% report frequent mental distress.
| Beltsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 23% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 8% | 8.1% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Beltsville | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 14.6% | 19.4% |
| Fewer smokers | 9.4% | 10.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.9% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Beltsville are typically worth about $449,000, down 0.8% in a year, 6% above the Maryland typical home. Beltsville: 55% of households live in a home they own. In Beltsville, the typical sale closed at 98.9% of the list price.
| Beltsville | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,963 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Beltsville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw12 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw14 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw12 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw13 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest StadiumWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0
Beltsville is unincorporated, so Prince George's County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
Where Beltsville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
34 within 15 miles of the center of Beltsville
About 5 of every 100 Beltsville residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
6 notable people were born in Beltsville.
CDP in Maryland, United States
Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Beltsville includes the unincorporated community of Vansville.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Beltsville.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beltsville | #203 | C | C | — | D | B |
| Hillandale | #118 | B+ | C | — | C | B |
| Konterra | #213 | C | C− | — | D | B+ |
| Calverton | #159 | B− | C− | — | C | B+ |
| College Park | – | B− | C+ | — | D | B+ |
| White Oak | #125 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
Beltsville, Hillandale, Konterra, Calverton, College Park and White Oak report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Beltsville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Beltsville grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #203 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
6 notable people were born here, including Matthew Centrowitz and Cameron Wake.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.
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