Household incomes in Forest Glen top those of 91% of U.S. towns
Forest Glen grades A− for jobs and income and A+ for walkability. Below the poverty line: 7.0% of residents (Maryland 9.4%). 37% of workers work from home (Maryland 19%).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Jobs and commuting in Forest Glen: the gist
A lot of Forest Glen works from home
37% of Forest Glen workers work from home, against 19% across Maryland. Time on the road ↓
Nearly all the work in Forest Glen is services
99% of the jobs based here are in services, such as health care, schools and offices. Only 1% are in factories, building or farms. The jobs ↓
A lot of Forest Glen workers cross into Washington, D.C.
21% of Forest Glen workers work outside Maryland, the Census survey finds. In the commute data, Washington (30%) and Arlington (2%) are among the top workplaces. The commute map ↓
Most Forest Glen residents work close to home
70% of working residents have their main job less than 10 miles from home. Only 4% work more than 50 miles away. How far ↓
Most jobs here, and most residents’ jobs, pay over $40,000
76% of Forest Glen’s working residents earn over $3,333 a month (about $40,000 a year) at their main job, the top earnings band in the Census data, and so do 75% of the jobs based in Forest Glen. The jobs ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
How the Jobs & income grade adds up in Forest Glen
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Forest Glen is better than 78% of U.S. towns, #130 of 261 in Maryland. Job access by car holds Forest Glen’s grade up (ahead of 97% of U.S. towns); unemployment pulls it down (6.6%, U.S. 5.2%). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Forest Glen could be anywhere from B to A+.
The daily trip from Forest Glen: about 32 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 10.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Forest Glen workers work from home, vs 19% across Maryland. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 2,104 commuters (the 37% who work from home are left out). Across Maryland: 80% drive alone, 5% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
In Forest Glen, services account for most jobs
3,987 jobs are based in Forest Glen.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Forest Glen, 2013 → 2023: 4,126 → 3,987. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Forest Glen’s own residents hold wherever they work.
30% of working residents work in Washington
Where Forest Glen clocks in
30% of workers
7% of workers
5% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Where in the region Forest Glen works
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
The daily flow of workers through Forest Glen
On a workday 2,796 residents head out to work, 54 work right here, and 3,933 people come in from elsewhere.
About 8,000 people are in Forest Glen on a workday afternoon, 17% more than live here.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.40 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Forest Glen is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 3,342 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). Nearly all residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 73% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 80.4 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, among the most of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 16.2% of Forest Glen households have no vehicle (Maryland 8.8%, U.S. 8.4%). 24% of Forest Glen’s commuters take a bus or train.
841st of 3,168: where Forest Glen ranks among U.S. towns of 4,800 to 9,200
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntington Woods MI | 6,274 | $190K | 2.2% | 0.9% | 2% | A+ |
| 2 | Glendale MO | 6,060 | $171K | 2.0% | 0.3% | 2% | A+ |
| 3 | Des Peres MO | 9,102 | $224K | 2.0% | 0.5% | 5% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 11 | Fulton MD | 5,677 | $222K | 0.7% | 1.7% | 11% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 19 | Riva MD | 4,976 | $176K | 1.1% | 1.2% | <1% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 29 | Hampton MD | 5,372 | $171K | 3.8% | 0.5% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 839 | Millstadt Township IL | 6,490 | $91K | 7.0% | 3.7% | 11% | A− |
| 840 | Berwick ME | 8,436 | $95K | 4.2% | 2.5% | 6% | A− |
| 841 | Forest Glen MD | 6,840 | $128K | 7.0% | 6.6% | 2% | A− |
| 842 | Sugar Creek Township IL | 6,723 | $103K | 6.5% | 3.4% | 14% | A− |
| 843 | Warren Township IN | 7,787 | $90K | 11.0% | 1.0% | 2% | A− |
| … | |||||||
| 3,168 | Shiprock NM | 7,610 | $36K | 34.6% | 14.9% | 14% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Forest Glen, the top three, the last and three more from Maryland.
The towns around Forest Glen
The biggest share goes to Silver Spring (4%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Forest Glen workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Glen | – | A− | A+ | 32 min | $127,820 |
| Kemp Mill | under 2% | B+ | A | 31 min | $146,354 |
| Wheaton | under 2% | B | A+ | 32 min | $111,478 |
| South Kensington | under 2% | A | A+ | 29 min | $210,953 |
| Silver Spring | 4% | B+ | A+ | 34 min | $99,860 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Forest Glen’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Forest Glen: questions
What is the median household income in Forest Glen?
$127,820 (±$29,620) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $103,678 across Maryland and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Forest Glen?
7.0%, against 9.4% across Maryland and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Forest Glen?
32 minutes each way on average, against 31 across Maryland and 26 nationally. 37% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Forest Glen work?
2% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Washington (30%, 8 mi), Bethesda (7%, 4 mi), Rockville (5%, 7 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Forest Glen walkable?
Forest Glen is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 13.3 out of 20, and 24% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Forest Glen without a car?
24% of commuters take transit and 16% of households have no car. 73% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Forest Glen, from the people who make the trip.
More of Forest Glen
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.