Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,401.
Melwood's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C−, 229th among Maryland's 259 graded towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its public schools trail 92% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. Only 7 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on history. Melwood’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 22 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Where Melwood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Melwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Melwood 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 C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 7 maps from 1900 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Melwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw12 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw13 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw12 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw13 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaNorthwest StadiumWhite 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 · Northwest Stadium: Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0
Melwood is unincorporated, so Prince George's 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 Melwood.
2,538 jobs are based in Melwood, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 26% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave Melwood for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Melwood has added 809 jobs, to 2,538 in 2023. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Melwood.
| Melwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 3.2% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
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. The largest public high school is Chesapeake Math and IT South Public Charter, with 1,503 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake Math and IT South Public CharterLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,503 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 98% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Melwood.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Melwood has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Melwood beats the Maryland average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 14% of Melwood adults have been diagnosed with depression. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Melwood.
| Melwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 20% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Melwood | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 14.4% | 19.4% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 14.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 18.8% | 13.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
23 within 15 miles of the center of Melwood
About 3 of every 100 Melwood residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Census-designated place in Maryland
Melwood is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It was newly delineated for the 2010 census, at which time its population was 3,051. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,977.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Melwood.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Rosaryville (C) is closest.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melwood | #229 | C− | B− | — | D | C+ |
| Andrews AFB | #179 | C+ | D− | — | D | A |
| Clinton | #192 | C+ | C+ | — | D | B− |
| Rosaryville | #211 | C | C | — | D | B |
| Queensland | — | — | C− | — | D | B− |
| Westphalia | #177 | C+ | C | — | D | A− |
Queensland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Melwood, Andrews AFB, Clinton, Rosaryville, Queensland and Westphalia report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Melwood with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Melwood grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #229 of 259 in Maryland. It grades C+ for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
The typical home is worth about $398,000, 6% 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 B−.
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