Photo: geraldshields11 · CC BY-SA 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Berwyn Heights costs more to live in than 78% of U.S. towns
It ranks #189 of 260 in Maryland for affordability. Down 1.1% in a year, close to the Maryland typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area ($127K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Berwyn Heights’ area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($127K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 25% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 78% of renters.
In dollars
- $438Ktypical home, 3% above the Maryland typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $2,390a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 109prices across the Washington metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 151)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 3.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$127K, Washington-area income
- 28%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 25%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Berwyn Heights, in brief
A high property tax rate
Owners pay about 1.46% of a home’s value a year in property tax, against 0.97% across Maryland. The median bill is $6,293 (Maryland: $4,093). On the typical home, that’s about $530 a month. Property taxes ↓
Nearly every household owns
89% of Berwyn Heights households own their home, against 68% across Maryland. There are only 90 renter households, so rentals are scarce. Property taxes ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Berwyn Heights’ homes were built before 1958, against 1979 for Maryland as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Berwyn Heights’ grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Berwyn Heights is more affordable than 22% of U.S. towns, #189 of 260 in Maryland. Rent pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have lagged Maryland: the typical Berwyn Heights home is up 7.6% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 7.6% in five years
Slower than Maryland (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Berwyn Heights | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $314,000 | $288,000 |
| 2018 | $327,000 | $299,000 |
| 2019 | $332,000 | $308,000 |
| 2020 | $350,000 | $320,000 |
| 2021 | $382,000 | $347,000 |
| 2022 | $411,000 | $381,000 |
| 2023 | $416,000 | $395,000 |
| 2024 | $428,000 | $409,000 |
| 2025 | $446,000 | $424,000 |
| 2026 | $440,000 | $426,000 |
| September 2026 | $438,000 | $425,000 |
A typical Berwyn Heights home worth $310K in October 2016 is worth about $438K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 28% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Berwyn Heights’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Berwyn Heights home, with $20K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,390 a month here, $440 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Berwyn Heights’s typical property tax (1.46% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,390
Renters already here pay a median of $2,958.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs above the Maryland norm
The median bill is $6,293 (Maryland: $4,093), 1.46% of a home’s value a year, against 0.97% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Berwyn Heights
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, or Maryland. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 109 | MD 105 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 105 | MD 103 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 107 | MD 111 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 102 | MD 102 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Electricity cents per kWh, homes | 21.4¢ | U.S. 18.3¢ | state | EIA, July 2026 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Berwyn Heights vs. its neighbors
Of the 3 towns here with a Zillow value, Berwyn Heights has the 3rd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berwyn Heights | C− | $438K | $430K | 1.46% | $2,390 |
| Greenbelt | B− | $274K | $255K | 1.50% | $2,190 |
| College Park | C+ | $429K | $438K | 1.21% | $2,390 |
Questions about the cost of living in Berwyn Heights
Is Berwyn Heights expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Berwyn Heights costs more than 78% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #189 of 260 in Maryland. The typical home costs 3.4 years of the median household income of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area ($127K).
How much does a house cost in Berwyn Heights?
About $438K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.1% in a year. The Maryland typical home is $425K.
What salary do you need to live in Berwyn Heights?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $121,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,830 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $96,000.
How much is rent in Berwyn Heights?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $2,390 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $2,958 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Berwyn Heights?
The median bill is $6,293 a year, 1.46% of the median home value (Maryland: $4,093, 0.97%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Berwyn Heights going up?
No: down 1.1% in the past year and 7.6% in five years, against 13.3% across Maryland (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Berwyn Heights buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.