More historic than 31% of U.S. towns · #139 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Most of Largo was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Largo is more historic than 31% of U.S. towns, #139 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Largo’s overall grade.
Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Largo’s 3.3 sits near the middle of its state (57% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Largo’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Largo was named after the Largo Plantation that was owned by the Beall family. The plantation is believed to be named after Largo Bay in Scotland. It was sold to John Contee in 1745.
Arelis R. Hernández of The Washington Post stated in 2015 that "There has been talk for decades of relocating the [Prince George's County] government to Largo". In 2015 Rushern Baker, the county executive, expressed a desire to move the county seat from Upper Marlboro to Largo since the latter has a more central location and access to the Washington Metro network. A spokesperson for Mike Miller, the President of the Maryland Senate, expressed opposition to this idea.
Largo is more historic than 31% of U.S. towns, #139 of 261 in Maryland. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Largo?
One place: the Mount Lubentia (listed 1987).
How old are the homes in Largo?
1% of Largo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1983.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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