Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
In Maryland, this town has 6,840 residents.
Forest Glen does especially well on health: residents are healthier than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Overall, Forest Glen earns an A+, better than almost every U.S. town. That places it 7th of 259 in Maryland. At about $606K, a typical home costs 4.8 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Walkability is another plus (A+). The town’s concentration of trails is 2.9 miles per square mile, above both the Maryland town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park, at 28 acres. 14% of the land locally is conserved, above both Maryland’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (4.3%).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap · USGS PAD-US.
Where Forest Glen beats most towns.
14.1% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Forest Glen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 7,344 in 2000, 6,897 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 6 maps from 1908 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Forest Glen. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw9 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw10 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw9 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw9 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw9 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 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Forest Glen is unincorporated, so Montgomery County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Forest Glen.
Forest Glen sends many workers across the state line to Arlington and has less smoking than most of Maryland.
Parks and preserves in Forest Glen: 7, covering 67 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park | 0.6 mi | 28 |
| 2. McKenney Hills Park | 0.3 mi | 13 |
| 3. Capitol View Open Space Urban Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Public schools: the Montgomery County Public Schools. 653 students attend Forest Glen’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flora M. Singer ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 653 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Maryland is smoking: 7% of its 5,215 adults smoke cigarettes, against 10.9% statewide.
12% of Forest Glen adults report frequent mental distress. CDC measures, 32 in all: Forest Glen beats Maryland on 22 and trails on 1. In Forest Glen, 27% of adults have obesity, and 7% smoke cigarettes.
| Forest Glen | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 36% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Forest Glen | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 7% | 10.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| More adults with high cholesterol | 40.8% | 38.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Compared with 92% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Forest Glen is lower. FEMA puts 56% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 11% to heat waves. 8 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 1982.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A winter brings about 16 inches of snow, with January nights at 26° and July afternoons at 87°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
21% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations. 37% of workers work from home, against 19.3% across Maryland.
Among workers in Forest Glen, 37% work from home. For most workers, Forest Glen is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. Its average commute is 32 minutes. The top destinations are Washington (30%), Bethesda (7%) and Rockville (5%).
| Forest Glen | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 37% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $128,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 3.2% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
On the market in Forest Glen: a median 34 days to sell. For Forest Glen, the median rent is $1,582 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 50% of homes sold locally.
| Forest Glen | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,582 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
36 within 15 miles of the center of Forest Glen
About 6 of every 100 Forest Glen residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Forest Glen is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Its population was 6,897 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Forest Glen.
At #7 in MD, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Kemp Mill (A) comes closest.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Glen | #7 | A+ | C+ | — | B+ | A |
| Kemp Mill | #46 | A | C | — | B+ | A |
| Wheaton | #87 | A− | C | — | B+ | A− |
| South Kensington | #47 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Silver Spring | #76 | A− | C− | — | B+ | A |
Forest Glen, Kemp Mill, Wheaton, South Kensington and Silver Spring report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Forest Glen with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Forest Glen grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #7 of 259 in Maryland. It grades A for health and B+ for schools.
The typical home is worth about $606,000, 43% above the Maryland typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
