Bunker Hill Fire Station, 2020
Brentwood’s story
128 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,842 in 1930, 3,828 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 3 maps from 1900 on.
- 1898Brentwood is settled
Population
3,828
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$384K
−1.9% in a year
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
36.6
years
Jobs based here
550
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#245 of 259 in MD
Is Brentwood a good place to live?
Brentwood grades D overall, ranked 245th of 259 in Maryland, mostly because of schools. Its public schools trail 92% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. One bright spot: few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. Only 1 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on hazard risk. Brentwood's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns.
What makes Brentwood stand out
Where Brentwood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Brentwood has grown 26% since 2010
3,046 counted in 2010 and 3,828 in 2020; an estimated 3,828 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 25.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Brentwood grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Brentwood is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D− for hazard risk (better than 5%), so the D overall blends very different results.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 16.1 of 20; 6.7% of households have no carA+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →SchoolsDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 73% of U.S. towns; Medstar Washington Hospital Center 3.1 miles awayCOpen →SafetyC+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Jobs & income550 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors11% conserved landB−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.6; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 316 attractions →White House and 283 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brentwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw5 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw5 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw8 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw7 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw6 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
White 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 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brentwood: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brentwood, and how to reach them.
PowerPotomac Electric Power21.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWSSC WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTown’s haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Maryland you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePrince George's County Board of ElectionsPrince George's County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP codes20722, 2071220722 78% · 20712 22%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brentwood.
Brentwood has more 90° days than almost anywhere else in Maryland and sends many workers across the state line to Arlington, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Maryland (mostly inland flooding).
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
The FEMA risk score in Brentwood is higher than in most of Maryland or the rest of the country
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of Maryland towns, with expected losses of about $397 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
At 86 of 100, Brentwood’s FEMA risk score is against 6 of 100 in Maryland’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Since 1979, 33 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brentwood.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
33
paid flood claims since 1979
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Brentwood’s workers commute out
44% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations. Jobs based here grew from 384 in 2013 to 550.
Most working residents leave Brentwood for work: only 2% work in town. At 34 minutes, Brentwood’s average trip to work is where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Brentwood’s median household income is $70,000.
2%work in town
| Brentwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 12% | 18% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Brentwood2%
Washington38%
Baltimore3%
Arlington2%
Silver Spring2%
5 mi
median commute distance
550
jobs based in Brentwood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
A larger share of adults 18 to 64 in Brentwood have no health insurance than in the typical Maryland or U.S. town
23% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Brentwood. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Brentwood. 31% of adults worry about having enough food in Brentwood.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Brentwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 14% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 8% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 79% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
5 better8 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Brentwood | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 21.2% | 25.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 23% | 8.7% |
Washington DC VA Medical Center
3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
8th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Brentwood, expect four seasons and hot summers
The Dalecarlia Rsvr weather station, 8 miles away, records that about 44 days a year reach 90°, the #2 highest of 536 Maryland places with climate records.
Brentwood has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Brentwood is 88°F.
6″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–46°
Spring44–66°
Summer66–86°
Fall48–69°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyC+
Brentwood sees more crime per resident than 64% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 93 to 50 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Maryland, it does better than 59% of towns.
36%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
| Brentwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.1 per 1,000 residents | 14.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brentwood2.1
Maryland3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brentwood11.1
Maryland18.5
U.S.15.5
36th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
59th
percentile among MD towns
8
violent crimes reported in 2025
42
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
10.6%conserved
10.6%
conserved · 26 of 247 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Anacostia River Stream Valley Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Bartlett Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C+
A typical Brentwood home is worth about $384K
At 3 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, the typical home (about $384K) costs less against local pay than in 81% of Maryland towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living. The typical value, about $384K, is 7% below its June 2022 peak.
The typical Brentwood home is worth about $384,000, down 1.9% in a year, 10% below the Maryland typical home. 41% of Brentwood households own their home.
$384KZillow home value
| Brentwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,600 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Brentwood$384K
Maryland$425K
−1.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brentwood
19pages on Brentwood
The big questions
SchoolsDBehind 92% of MD districtsSafetyC+2.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than MD on 5 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$384K typical home · down 1.9% in a yearWork & commuteB−$70K median household income · 550 jobs hereNatural hazardsD−FEMA risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
35 within 15 miles of the center of Brentwood
The Catholic University of AmericaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington, DC2.3 mi$58,378 tuitionUniversity of Maryland-College ParkUniversity or college · Public · College Park3.1 mi$11,809 in-state tuitionPrince George's Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Largo8.1 mi$4,034 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Brentwood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Brentwood for work
Where Brentwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
550jobs based in Brentwood
2%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Brentwood
Town in Prince George's County, Maryland, US
Brentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,828. Brentwood is located within 1-mile (1.6 km) of Washington, D.C. The municipality of Brentwood is located just outside the northeast boundary of the District of Columbia and surrounded by the communities of Mount Rainier, Cottage City, North Brentwood, and the nearby Hyattsville. Along the Route 1 Corridor, Brentwood is part of the Gateway Arts District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1922
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 23 ft
- ZIP code
- 20722
- Area code
- 301, 240
Brentwood’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Brentwood.
North BrentwoodMount RainierHyattsvilleCottage CityBrentwood
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood | #245 | D | C+ | C+ | D | C |
| North Brentwood | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mount Rainier | #247 | D | C | D | D | B |
| Hyattsville | #242 | C− | C− | D− | D | B+ |
| Cottage City | — | — | B− | — | D | C |
Cottage City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Cottage City reports no FBI crime data of its own. North Brentwood isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Brentwood with a neighbor →
Questions about Brentwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brentwood, MD a good place to live?
Brentwood grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #245 of 259 in Maryland. It grades C for health, C+ for safety and D for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Brentwood, MD safe?
Within Maryland, it does better than 59% of towns.
Is Brentwood, MD expensive?
That is 3 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+.