Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Cottage City’s subject grades are an A for walkability and the outdoors; the weakest is a D for schools. Among 56 Maryland towns, just 5 have a lower violent crime rate than Cottage City. 37% of the land in Cottage City is conserved, above both the Maryland town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 32 of Maryland’s 329 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Anacostia River Stream Valley Park, at 59 acres. Cottage City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cottage City beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Cottage City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 938 in 1930, 1,335 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1900 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cottage City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw6 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 yearWhite 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cottage City, 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 Cottage City.
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. At 1.3 miles per square mile, Cottage City’s trail density is above both Maryland’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Anacostia River Stream Valley Park | 0.2 mi | 59 |
| 2. Cottage City Park | 0.2 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Cottage City for work: only 0% work in town. The average trip to work in Cottage City is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Cottage City has lost 222 jobs, to 251 in 2023.
| Cottage City | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.2% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cottage City has chilly winters and warm summers. Cottage City’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cottage City beats the Maryland average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 20% of Cottage City adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Cottage City | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 8% | 8.1% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Cottage City | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 15.4% | 19.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 20.3% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Cottage City home is worth about $345,000, down 1.1% in a year, 19% below the Maryland typical home.
| Cottage City | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,565 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 74% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Cottage City's reported crime rate is below Maryland's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
35 within 15 miles of the center of Cottage City
About 4 of every 100 Cottage City residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Where Cottage City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Maryland, U.S.
Cottage City, officially the Town of Cottage City, is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,335. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue (the border with Washington), Brentwood, Colmar Manor, and the Anacostia River. Cottage City was developed, beginning in 1870, under the name of "The Highlands". The area was incorporated in 1924 as Cottage City.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 2.7 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 B−.
