Buick-Estate, 2008
Marlow Heights’s story
Marlow Heights in pictures
Census counts: 6,059 in 2000, 6,169 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
Explore the history →Marlow HeightsMD
A town of 5,456.
Population
5,456
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$388K
Census ACS
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
44.8
years
Jobs based here
2,139
Balanced
TownGrade
D
#246 of 259 in MD
Is Marlow Heights a good place to live?
Marlow Heights grades D overall, 246th among Maryland's 259 graded towns, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. The median household income is $56K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: natural-hazard risk is low. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Marlow Heights, where Maryland’s towns sit at 7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. On health, just 30 of Maryland’s 329 towns do worse.
What makes Marlow Heights stand out
Where Marlow 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 99% of U.S. towns
17.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Prince George's County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Imagine Lincoln PCS | K–8 | 371 |
| Benjamin Stoddert Middle | 6–8 | 628 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
How Marlow Heights grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Marlow Heights is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 8%), so the D overall blends very different results.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 2% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.9 of 20; 22.5% of households have no carA+Open →SchoolsDOpen →Jobs & income2,139 jobs based hereC−Open →HealthLess healthy than 78% of U.S. towns; United Medical Center 2.5 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $388K, 3.1 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
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 Marlow Heights. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw7 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw8 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw7 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearSources: 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 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Marlow Heights: who provides what
Marlow Heights is unincorporated, so Prince George's County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 & county servicesPrince George's CountyPrince George's County provides services here
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 code2074820748 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 Marlow Heights.
Marlow Heights sends many workers across the state line to Arlington and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Maryland rate.
SchoolsD
Marlow Heights earns a D for schools
Its public schools are run by the Prince George's County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
8%of MD districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Stoddert MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 628 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Marlow Heights
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 98% of U.S. communities.
2risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC−
Marlow Heights stands out in Maryland and nationally: a larger share of its adults have obesity
Against the 7,574 U.S. towns with household incomes like Marlow Heights’s, it is less healthy than 58%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
48% of Marlow Heights adults have obesity. Only 2 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Marlow Heights. 45% of Marlow Heights adults have high blood pressure.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Marlow Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
3 better9 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Marlow Heights | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 7.6% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.9% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 31.4% | 15.4% |
United Medical Center
2.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
7th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Marlow Heights
Marlow Heights has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
6″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–46°
Spring44–66°
Summer66–86°
Fall48–68°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in three of Marlow Heights’ working residents commute to Washington
61% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations. Marlow Heights has about as many jobs (2,139) as working residents, but only 44 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Marlow Heights for work: only 2% work in town. Marlow Heights’ average trip to work is 37 minutes. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 8 have a lower median household income than Marlow Heights.
2%work in town
| Marlow Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 3.2% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Marlow Heights2%
Washington32%
Arlington5%
National Harbor3%
Baltimore3%
8 mi
median commute distance
2,139
jobs based in Marlow Heights
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
9.1%conserved
| Marlow Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.1% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
9.1%
conserved · 118 of 1,296 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Henson Creek Stream Valley Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Marlow Heights Community Center | — | 5 |
| 3. Abbott Drive Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C+
The median home in Marlow Heights sells for about $345K
70.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.5% across Maryland.
41% of households own their home in Marlow Heights.
$345Kmedian sale price
| Marlow Heights | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,657 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Marlow Heights
17pages on Marlow Heights
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
28 within 15 miles of the center of Marlow Heights
Strayer University-MarylandUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Suitland1.3 mi$13,920 tuitionPrince George's Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Largo7.8 mi$4,034 in-state tuitionUniversity of Maryland Global CampusUniversity or college · Public · Adelphi8.1 mi$8,136 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Marlow Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
About Marlow Heights
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Marlow Heights is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 6,169 at the 2020 census. The Marlow Heights Shopping Center first opened in 1957 (but extended in 1960 with Hecht's), adjacent to the large community of Hillcrest Heights. It was joined ten years later, in 1967, by the two-level Iverson Mall, the Washington metropolitan area's first enclosed mall. For mailing address purposes, the area is part of Temple Hills or Suitland. Marlow Heights is located near the U.S. Census Bureau, Andrews Air Force Base, the Metrorail Green Line and Capitol Hill.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 262 ft
Marlow Heights’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Marlow Heights.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Temple Hills (C−) is closest.
Hillcrest HeightsTemple HillsCamp SpringsGlassmanorSilver HillOxon HillMarlow Heights
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow Heights | #246 | D | C+ | — | D | C− |
| Hillcrest Heights | #186 | C+ | B− | — | D | C+ |
| Temple Hills | #238 | C− | C+ | — | D | C |
| Camp Springs | #174 | C+ | C | — | D | B− |
| Glassmanor | #237 | C− | B− | — | D | C− |
| Silver Hill | #205 | C | B | — | D | C |
| Oxon Hill | #168 | B− | B− | — | D | B− |
Marlow Heights, Hillcrest Heights, Temple Hills, Camp Springs, Glassmanor, Silver Hill and Oxon Hill report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Marlow Heights with a neighbor →
Questions about Marlow Heights
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Marlow Heights, MD a good place to live?
Marlow Heights grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #246 of 259 in Maryland. It grades C− for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Marlow Heights, MD expensive?
The typical home is worth about $388,000, 9% below 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+.