Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some 3,401 people live in this town, in Maryland.
Melwood’s grades pull in different directions. Where it falls short is schools: its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. Hazard risk is its strong suit (A+). At about $398K, a typical home costs 3.1 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Overall, that makes a C−, better than nearly a quarter of U.S. towns. The ranking puts it 229th of 259 in Maryland. Only 7 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on history. Only 22 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · USGS PAD-US.
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.
The typical journey to work for Melwood comes to 36 minutes. Most working residents leave Melwood for work: only 1% work in town. Also worth knowing: since 2013, Melwood has added 809 jobs, to 2,538 in 2023. Among residents here, 13% live below the poverty line.
| Melwood | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| 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
The largest public high school is Chesapeake Math and IT South Public Charter, with 1,503 students. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Prince George's County Public Schools.
| 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
Since 2003, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Melwood. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 98% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 48% come from inland flooding and 11% from hurricanes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Summer afternoons peak near 88° in July, and January nights bottom out around 26°; snowfall runs to about 16 inches a winter. The seasons in Melwood: chilly winters, warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
45% of Melwood adults have high blood pressure. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Melwood is ahead of Maryland on 5 and behind on 16. The share of adults in Melwood who sleep under 7 hours is 44%, where Maryland’s towns sit at 38% and U.S. towns at 36%. 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
The share of households in Melwood who are owner-occupiers: 84%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · 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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