Untitled photo, 2007
National Harbor’s story
National Harbor in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 6 maps from 1900 on.
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National HarborMD
A town of 4,454.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Devin Morris · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,454
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$473K
Census ACS
Household income
$110K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
8,258
A job hub
TownGrade
C
#215 of 259 in MD
Is National Harbor a good place to live?
National Harbor's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C, ranked 215th of 259 in Maryland. It is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is schools: its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. National Harbor’s median rent is $2,271 a month, above both Maryland’s towns ($1,809 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Only 28 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on history. Homes are expensive, about $472K for a typical one and 3.7 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income.
What makes National Harbor stand out
Where National Harbor beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here8,258
Residents who work2,120
Work
3.9 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 99% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Natural hazardsA+
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
7% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A growing town
National Harbor has grown 45% from 2010 to 2020
3,788 counted in 2010 and 5,509 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How National Harbor grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far National Harbor is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for hazard risk (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 8%), so the C overall blends very different results.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 5% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.7 of 20; 5% of households have no carA+Open →SchoolsDOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →HealthUnited Medical Center 3.8 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$110K median household incomeBOpen →
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 311 attractions →White House and 251 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around National Harbor. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw8 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw7 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw8 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 · 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
Getting set up
Moving to National Harbor: who provides what
National Harbor 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 codes20745, 2074420745 97% · 20744 3%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 National Harbor.
National Harbor draws workers from Washington and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most working residents commute out of National Harbor
8,258 jobs are based in National Harbor, 3.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 40% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave National Harbor for work: only 5% work in town. National Harbor’s average trip to work is 35 minutes. Since 2013, National Harbor has added 4,401 jobs, to 8,258 in 2023.
5%work in town
| National Harbor | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $110,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 3.1% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In National Harbor5%
Washington28%
Arlington5%
Alexandria4%
Tysons3%
10 mi
median commute distance
8,258
jobs based in National Harbor
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Very low risk in National Harbor, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in National Harbor.
5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesHeat waves
4
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
National Harbor ranks healthier than 70% of the country’s towns
Against the 7,189 U.S. towns with household incomes like National Harbor’s, it is less healthy than 53%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
National Harbor beats the Maryland average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 15% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in National Harbor.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| National Harbor | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
7 better23 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | National Harbor | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.9% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 7.6% |
| More adults sleeping under 7 hours | 42.6% | 37.7% |
United Medical Center
3.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
47th
percentile among MD towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in National Harbor
National Harbor has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in National Harbor is 89°F.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–47°
Spring45–67°
Summer67–87°
Fall49–69°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
7.4%conserved
| National Harbor | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.4% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
7.4%
conserved · 79 of 1,056 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rosilie Island Community Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in National Harbor sell for about $747K
58% of National Harbor households own their home.
$747Kmedian sale price
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about National Harbor
17pages on National Harbor
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
34 within 15 miles of the center of National Harbor
Washington University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Alexandria, VA4.1 mi$13,785 tuitionUniversity of the District of ColumbiaUniversity or college · Public · Washington, DC11.5 mi$5,662 in-state tuitionPrince George's Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Largo12.3 mi$4,034 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 National Harbor residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
A job hub
Every workday, about 8,159 people come to National Harbor for work
Where National Harbor’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8,258jobs based in National Harbor
5%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About National Harbor
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
National Harbor is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located along the Potomac River near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and just south of Washington, D.C. It originated as a 300-acre (1.2 km2) multi-use waterfront development. The population was 5,509 at the 2020 census. The developer, Peterson Companies, says National Harbor draws 12 million visitors annually, as of 2025.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
National Harbor’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with National Harbor.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Fort Washington (C+) is closest.
Forest HeightsFort WashingtonOxon HillNational Harbor
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Harbor | #215 | C | D | — | D | B+ |
| Forest Heights | #183 | C+ | B | — | D | C+ |
| Fort Washington | #185 | C+ | C− | — | D | B+ |
| Oxon Hill | #168 | B− | B− | — | D | B− |
National Harbor, Forest Heights, Fort Washington and Oxon Hill report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare National Harbor with a neighbor →
Questions about National Harbor
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is National Harbor, MD a good place to live?
National Harbor grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #215 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B+ for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is National Harbor, MD expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $473,000, 11% 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 D.