Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bowie's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C+, ranked 173rd of 259 in Maryland. The median household earns $142K and it is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. Bowie’s median rent is $2,330 a month, above both the Maryland town median ($1,809 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Bowie is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns. Bowie has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Belair Stables and Belair.
Where Bowie beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Northview Elementary | PK–5 | 587 |
| Whitehall Elementary | K–5 | 485 |
| Tulip Grove Elementary | K–5 | 477 |
Where Bowie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Bowie 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 →
Census counts: 677 in 1920, 58,329 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1928 and 6 maps from 1892 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bowie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw16 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw19 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw16 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw18 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw8 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bowie, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Bowie.
Bowie owes part of its health edge to its incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by a third or more.
Its public schools are run by the Prince George's County Public Schools. Three of its 19 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Tasker MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,058 | B |
| Bowie HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,580 | A |
| Heather Hills ElementaryTop results in townGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 361 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bowie.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 3,403 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bowie’s, it is less healthy than 69%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
15% of Bowie adults have been diagnosed with depression. Bowie beats the Maryland average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 8.1% of Bowie adults smoke cigarettes.
| Bowie | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 11% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Bowie | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 8.1% | 10.9% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Bowie for work: only 5% work in town. Bowie’s average trip to work is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Bowie has lost 860 jobs, to 15,267 in 2023.
| Bowie | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 26% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $142,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
9.0 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Green Branch Athletic Complex, at 282 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Governor Bridge Natural Area | 1.6 mi | 85 |
| 2. Allen Pond Park | 1 mi | 75 |
| 3. Green Branch Athletic Complex | 0.3 mi | 282 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes rose from 898 to 1,255 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Bowie is 19.4 per 1,000 residents. Within Maryland, it does better than 57% of towns.
| Bowie | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Bowie home is worth about $515,000, down 0.7% in a year, 21% above the Maryland typical home. 84% of households own their home in Bowie.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Bowie has chilly winters and warm summers. 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
Adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (40% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). 50% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| Bowie | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 50% | 42% | 29% |
| Median age | 44 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 16% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.4 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 46.7, men 41.9.
| Bowie | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.6% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.8% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.2% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.5% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.2% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.1% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.1% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 24.6% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
15 within 15 miles of the center of Bowie
About 7 of every 100 Bowie residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
6 places in Bowie on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Bowie.
City in Maryland, United States
Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, U.S. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County; it is also the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the U.S. state of Maryland. The city is home to Bowie State University, Maryland's oldest historically Black university.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Bowie.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowie | #173 | C+ | C | C | D | A− |
| Fairwood | #166 | B− | D | — | D | A− |
| Glenn Dale | #170 | B− | C | — | D | A− |
| Brock Hall | #187 | C+ | C− | — | D | A− |
| Woodmore | #209 | C | D | — | D | B+ |
| Queen Anne | — | — | D− | — | D | B+ |
| Kettering | #184 | C+ | C | — | D | B |
Queen Anne has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fairwood, Glenn Dale, Brock Hall, Woodmore, Queen Anne and Kettering report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Bowie with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bowie grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #173 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A− for health, C for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Maryland, it does better than 57% of towns.
Yes. That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($126,684 across the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
8 notable people were born here, including Brad Schumacher and Chris Wright.
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