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Moving to
Westphalia.
Westphalia 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 Westphalia
Westphalia is an unincorporated community in Maryland with household incomes running above the national average, 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. Westphalia deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, long average commutes, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Long commutes
- Cold winters
How Westphalia compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Westphalia
Based on Westphalia's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,386
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $87,720 a year
- 14% of Westphalia renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$106,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $53,100
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 55% above US
$2,193/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,193 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 are steep, with a median around $531,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $531,000 · 14% 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
Westphalia 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▲ 44% above US
37 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 37.4 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; 30% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 26°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 47% 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
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Fort Dupont Park (7 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Westphalia's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,193/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (30% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Westphalia
All Maryland guides →Moving to Forestville →
3 mi away · pop. 10,495
Rent $1,719/mo · Income $70,579
Compare with Westphalia →Moving to Camp Springs →
4 mi away · pop. 22,544
Rent $2,231/mo · Income $120,456
Compare with Westphalia →Not sure Westphalia is the one?
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