© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Moving to
East Riverdale.
East Riverdale is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, MD. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in East Riverdale
East Riverdale is an unincorporated community in Maryland with air quality that stays clean most of the year and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. East Riverdale deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Clean air
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
How East Riverdale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to East Riverdale
Based on East Riverdale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,432
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,640 a year
- 50% of East Riverdale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$72,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,140
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 21% above US
$1,716/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,716 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $361,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $361,400 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Prince George's County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Prince George's County (county-wide)
Safety
265 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
East Riverdale 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 around▲ 27% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.1 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% take public transit; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 58% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
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
East Riverdale's strongest point is air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,716/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near East Riverdale
All Maryland guides →Moving to New Carrollton →
2 mi away · pop. 13,564
Rent $1,749/mo · Income $81,509
Compare with East Riverdale →Moving to Landover →
2 mi away · pop. 24,514
Rent $1,735/mo · Income $72,100
Compare with East Riverdale →Moving to Hyattsville →
2 mi away · pop. 20,966
Rent $1,835/mo · Income $91,941
Compare with East Riverdale →Moving to Lanham →
3 mi away · pop. 11,433
Rent $2,050/mo · Income $103,556
Compare with East Riverdale →Not sure East Riverdale is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.