Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town settled in 1871, now home to 17,329 people.
A good place to live, if you can afford it. White Oak’s overall B+ puts it 125th of 259 in Maryland. Set against the rest, it does better than 67% of U.S. towns. Its best grade is for walkability: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $574K, 4.5 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. The town has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Rachel Carson House and Naval Ordnance Laboratory. 26% of households are owner-occupiers in the town, below both the Maryland town median (74%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The biggest park or preserve is Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, at 104 acres.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
Where White Oak beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson Road Elementary | PK–5 | 623 |
| Julia Brown Montessori School | PK–3 | 142 |
| White Oak Middle | 6–8 | 808 |
Where White Oak’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 White Oak is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Rachel Carson House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 20,973 in 2000, 16,347 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1956 and 7 maps from 1907 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around White Oak. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw11 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw12 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw12 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw11 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw11 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearWhite 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
White Oak is unincorporated, so Montgomery 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 White Oak.
White Oak sends many workers across the state line, is mostly renters and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Maryland.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities. 2 flood insurance claims have been paid in White Oak since 2015.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Two of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The largest public high school is Springbrook High, with 1,838 students. Public schools: the Montgomery County Public Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 808 | C+ |
| Springbrook HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,838 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
The trail network density for White Oak comes to 0.8 miles per square mile. 2.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in the town: 3, covering 266 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park | 2.1 mi | 72 |
| 2. Paint Branch Stream Valley Park | 0.1 mi | 104 |
| 3. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park | 0.2 mi | 90 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
25% of working residents cross a state line to work. Jobs based here fell from 2,918 in 2013 to 2,207.
Jobs in White Oak fell by 711 from 2013 to 2023, to 2,207. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 1% of working residents work locally. Among residents in the town, 15% live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 10 miles.
| White Oak | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 3.2% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A winter brings about 16 inches of snow, with January nights at 26° and July afternoons at 87°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 61% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar.
Among adults in White Oak, 12% binge drink and 37% feel lonely. This Maryland town does better than the Maryland average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 10. 18% of White Oak adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| White Oak | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 23% |
| What stands out | White Oak | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 20.8% | 25.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13.1% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 25.7% of households own their home, against 67.6% across Maryland.
Adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 35% of residents (40% statewide). White Oak’s median age is 33.2 years. Among adults 25 and older, 43% have a four-year degree or more, against 44% across Maryland. The share of residents in White Oak who are 65 or older: 13%.
| White Oak | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 42% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 23% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women.
| White Oak | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.4% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.2% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.2% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.2% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.8% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.9% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.7% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.3% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical rent in White Oak is $1,808 a month.
| White Oak | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 26% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,808 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
33 within 15 miles of the center of White Oak
About 9 of every 100 White Oak residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
White Oak is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 16,347 in 2020. White Oak was known for its Naval Ordnance Laboratory, which was closed in 1994. The headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration now occupies the property, which has been renamed the Federal Research Center at White Oak. According to the United States Census Bureau, the locality has a total area of 3.78 square miles (9.79 km2), all land. White Oak is a diverse neighborhood. The main area of White Oak is from Lockwood Drive starting from New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) towards Stewart Lane, crossing Columbia Pike (U.S. 29).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with White Oak.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak | #125 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Calverton | #159 | B− | C− | — | C | B+ |
| Kemp Mill | #46 | A | C | — | B+ | A |
| Colesville | #29 | A | C− | — | B+ | A |
| Burnt Mills | #111 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Hillandale | #118 | B+ | C | — | C | B |
| Fairland | #72 | A− | C | — | B+ | A− |
| Beltsville | #203 | C | C | — | D | B |
White Oak, Calverton, Kemp Mill, Colesville, Burnt Mills, Hillandale, Fairland and Beltsville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare White Oak with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. White Oak grades B+ overall, better than 67% of U.S. towns and #125 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $574,000, 35% 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 C−.
