What it's like to live in College Park
College Park is a small city in Maryland with air quality that stays clean most of the year, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. College Park deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How College Park compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to College Park
Based on College Park's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,824
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $76,480 a year
- 58% of College Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$87,580
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $43,790
- Homes cost 6.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 35% above US
$1,912/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,912 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $437,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $437,900 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 21% above US
5.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety
265 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
College Park doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Prince George's County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1919/100k · Policed by Prince George's County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% take public transit; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 46% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Greenbelt Park (2 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
College Park's strongest points are air quality that stays clean most of the year and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,912/mo) equals 33% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near College Park
All Maryland guides →Moving to Adelphi →
2 mi away · pop. 17,395
Rent $1,804/mo · Income $82,137
Compare with College Park →Moving to Greenbelt →
2 mi away · pop. 24,678
Rent $1,848/mo · Income $85,997
Compare with College Park →Moving to Beltsville →
3 mi away · pop. 19,176
Rent $1,963/mo · Income $99,642
Compare with College Park →Moving to Langley Park →
3 mi away · pop. 21,508
Rent $1,707/mo · Income $85,321
Compare with College Park →Not sure College Park is the one?
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