Hrcraad, 1998
District Heights’s story
90 years in pictures
Census counts: 32 in 1940, 5,959 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1998 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
- 1936District Heights is settled
Population
5,938
2025 Census estimate · −0% since 2020
Typical home
$336K
−3% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
341
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#239 of 259 in MD
What should you know before moving to District Heights?
District Heights's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C−, ranked 239th of 259 in Maryland. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. District Heights's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. District Heights’ mean commuting time is 36 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes.
What makes District Heights stand out
Where District Heights beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Natural hazardsA+
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
12.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Prince George's County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| District Heights Elementary | PK–5 | 365 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave District Heights for work
Where District Heights’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
341jobs based in District Heights
0%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How District Heights grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far District Heights is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 8%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 6% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12 of 20; 9.8% of households have no carA+Open →SchoolsDOpen →SafetyC−Open →HealthLess healthy than 70% of U.S. towns; University of MD Capital Region Medical Center 3.6 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →Jobs & incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB−Open →History3 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life2.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market54 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.4; 32% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 310 attractions →White House and 282 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around District Heights. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw10 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw9 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw4 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest StadiumSources: 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 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to District Heights: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in District Heights, 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 & dumpHire your ownNo town pickup: you hire a private 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 code2074720747 100%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 District Heights.
District Heights sends many workers across the state line to Arlington and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Maryland rate.
SchoolsD
District Heights earns a D for schools
Its one school is below. District Heights’ only public school teaches 365 students.
8%of MD districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| District Heights ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 365 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
District Heights has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in District Heights once, in 2003. On expected storm and flood damage, District Heights sits below 94% of U.S. communities. Just over two fifths of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 13%. The town has had 4 paid flood insurance claims since 2013.
6risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesEarthquakes
4
paid flood claims since 2013
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyC−
More crime per resident in District Heights than in 83% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 171 to 96 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Maryland, it does better than 37% of towns. In District Heights, the rate of reported violence is 2.5 per 1,000 residents.
17%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| District Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.7 per 1,000 residents | 14.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
District Heights2.5
Maryland3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
District Heights13.7
Maryland18.5
U.S.15.5
17th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
37th
percentile among MD towns
15
violent crimes reported in 2025
81
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About one in three of District Heights’ working residents commute to Washington
34% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations. District Heights has 341 jobs for its 2,448 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Among residents in District Heights, 18% live below the poverty line. Employers in District Heights shed 177 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 341. For District Heights, the typical household income is $87,000. The top destinations are Washington (33%), Baltimore (3%) and Arlington (2%).
0%work in town
| District Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 3.2% | 8% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In District Heights0%
Washington33%
Baltimore3%
Arlington2%
Lake Arbor2%
8 mi
median commute distance
341
jobs based in District Heights
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
A larger share of adults in District Heights sleep under 7 hours than in the typical Maryland or U.S. town
District Heights: 24% of adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than District Heights. On the CDC’s 32 measures, District Heights is ahead of Maryland on 3 and behind on 18.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| District Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 36% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
3 better11 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | District Heights | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 7.6% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.6% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.2% | 8.4% |
University of MD Capital Region Medical Center
3.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
11th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
The climate in District Heights brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 88° in July, and January nights bottom out around 26°; snowfall runs to about 16 inches a winter. Summers in District Heights are warm, and winters chilly.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–46°
Spring44–66°
Summer66–86°
Fall48–68°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B−
District Heights’ typical home value is about $336K
At 2.7 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, the typical home (about $336K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Maryland towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. 65.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.5% across Maryland.
In District Heights, the median rent is $1,379 a month. Homes sold in District Heights spent a median 54 days on the market. 72% of households live in a home they own here.
$336KZillow home value
| District Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,379 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
District Heights$336K
Maryland$425K
Market temperature
54
days on market
100.4%
sale-to-list price
−3%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about District Heights
19pages on District Heights
The big questions
SchoolsDBehind 92% of MD districts · 1 schoolSafetyC−2.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than MD on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$336K typical home · down 3% in a yearWork & commuteB−$87K median household income · 341 jobs hereNatural hazardsA+FEMA risk higher than 6% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
31 within 15 miles of the center of District Heights
Strayer University-MarylandUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Suitland2.7 mi$13,920 tuitionPrince George's Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Largo4 mi$4,034 in-state tuitionUniversity of Maryland Global CampusUniversity or college · Public · Adelphi4.3 mi$8,136 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 District Heights residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
Famous people from District Heights
3 notable people were born in District Heights.
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About District Heights
City in Maryland, United States
District Heights is an incorporated municipality in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located near Maryland Route 4. Per the 2020 census, the population was 5,959. For more information, see the separate articles on Forestville and Suitland. District Heights is located 9.85 miles (15.85 km) from central Washington.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1936
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 266 ft
- ZIP code
- 20747, 20753
- Area code
- 301
District Heights’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with District Heights.
Walker MillForestvilleDistrict Heights
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District Heights | #239 | C− | B− | C− | D | C |
| Walker Mill | #217 | C | B− | — | D | C |
| Forestville | #198 | C | B− | — | D | C+ |
Walker Mill and Forestville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare District Heights with a neighbor →
Questions about District Heights
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is District Heights, MD a good place to live?
District Heights grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #239 of 259 in Maryland. It grades C for health, C− for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is District Heights, MD safe?
Within Maryland, it does better than 37% of towns.
Is District Heights, MD expensive?
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−.
What is District Heights, MD known for?
3 notable people were born here, including NaVorro Bowman and Kamrin Moore.