What it's like to live in La Plata
La Plata is a small city in Maryland with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a population that has grown fast since 2020, 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. La Plata deals with home prices well above the national average, long average commutes, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Long commutes
- Cold winters
How La Plata compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to La Plata
Based on La Plata's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,118
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $62,360 a year
- 31% of La Plata renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$85,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,840
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 10% above US
$1,559/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,559 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $428,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $428,400 · 31% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Charles County is 4.2%, 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.
Charles County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 53% below US
154 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1333/100k · La Plata Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 52% above US
40 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 39.6 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. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°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
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 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 Thomas Stone National Historic Site (4 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
La Plata's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and long average commutes. A year of median rent ($1,559/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
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