Cottage City spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Cottage City’s city government spent $1.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,115 per resident.
What stands out about how Cottage City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,115 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Cottage City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,115 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $808, and the middle half spent $441–$1,316. Cottage City spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($69,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cottage City itself left out).
About $1,115 per resident a year, or $3.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Cottage City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,077 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.19% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cottage City’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Cottage City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cottage City →
Who’s in charge in Cottage City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Cottage City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cottagecitymd.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 194 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,355).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Prince George's County Public Schools
Cottage City’s K–12 school district, shared with Berwyn Heights, Bladensburg, Bowie, Brentwood, Capitol Heights and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,592 per pupil, $12,853 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Cottage City’s votes are counted by county
Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cottage City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Prince George's County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat85.9%347,038 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican11.1%45,008 votesOthers: 3.0% (11,963 votes).
Most votes in Prince George's County: Kamala D Harris
Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%
100% of Cottage City lies in Prince George's County. Every 2024 race in Prince George's County is on the county’s page.
Prince George's County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Cottage City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cottagecitymd.gov ↗
- 2Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Maryland SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Cottage City compares with the towns next door
Cottage City spent $1,115 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $641 to $955. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brentwood | $641 | $4,677 |
| Bladensburg | $678 | $4,608 |
| Mount Rainier | $829 | $6,173 |
| Colmar Manor | $955 | $4,929 |
| Hyattsville | estimate | $6,226 |
| Cottage City | $1,115 | $4,077 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Cottage City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cottage City’s government
How much does Cottage City spend per resident?
About $1,115 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,115 was more than 67% of 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cottage City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,077 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.19% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cottagecitymd.gov.
Who runs Cottage City’s government?
See cottagecitymd.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Cottage City yet.
How did Cottage City vote in 2024?
Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cottage City alone. Prince George's County, where 100% of Cottage City lies, voted Harris 85.9%, Trump 11.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cottage City?
7 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $51,415 (about $616,980 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Cottage City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 47 (Malcolm Augustine) and House of Delegates District 47A (Diana Fennell and Julian Ivey). The House of Delegates district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cottage City’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →