City profile · Maryland · Census ACS 2023

Bowie, MD

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bowie - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

57,771
Residents
$141,831
Median income
$442,000
Median home
$2,246
Median rent (state)

Bowie - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Bowie lands in the 93rd percentile for household income and the 23rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

93rd
percentile, household income
81st
percentile, home value
87th
percentile, median rent
23rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bowie, MD

Bowie is a small city in Maryland, home to 57,771 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Bowie households earn a median of $141,831 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.0%. Typical homes in Bowie are valued around $442,000, and the median resident age is 44.0 years. Educational attainment runs 50.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 68.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2473.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

Maryland carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Maryland at 105.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,246 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Maryland's average monthly utility costs around $255 (state average). The average commute for Bowie workers runs 27.1 minutes, with 62.0% driving alone and 23.8% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 93.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

57,771 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Maryland

Median Household Income

$141,831 /yr

Poverty 3.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Maryland average

How does Bowie compare to other US cities?

Bowie measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 93% higher than other cities
Home value 81% pricier than other cities
Median rent 87% pricier than other cities
Safety 23% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Maryland and the picture shifts: Bowie ranks #43 of 70 Maryland cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bowie's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Maryland, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

93rdIncome percentile
23rdSafety percentile

93rd percentile nationally for median household income · 23rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Bowie's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Bowie's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 44 Avg. percentile National median
Bowie's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Bowie's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$442,000 19th percentile more affordable than 19% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bowie $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bowie, MD Bowie, MD's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bowie, MD-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bowie, MD median $141,831/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bowie, MD's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bowie, MD. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 50.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
57,771
Median Income
$141,831
Median Home Value
$442,000
Median Age
44.0
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Labor force participation
68.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
50.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2473.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
193.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2280.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
57,000 residents57,500 residents58,000 residents58,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 58,190 residents 58,383 residents ▲ +0.3%
Bowie's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
27.1 minutes
Drive Alone
62.0%
Carpool
8.5%
Public Transit
3.9%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
23.8%
Other
0.9%

Based on 31,697 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Maryland - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$255
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Maryland state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Maryland state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bowie sits in

Cost of Living Index
105.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,246/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
93.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Maryland

Bel Air South
57,702 people
Towson
57,683 people
Severn
58,041 people
Aspen Hill
53,752 people
Wheaton
52,172 people
Dundalk
65,441 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bowie's 57,771 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Decatur, AL
57,760 people
Weymouth, MA
57,786 people
Lancaster, PA
57,683 people
Royal Oak, MI
57,880 people
Casa Grande, AZ
57,590 people
Coconut Creek, FL
57,587 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bowie's $141,831 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Timbercreek Canyon, TX
$141,750 median income
Moskowite Corner, CA
$141,736 median income
Miller Place, NY
$141,938 median income
Germantown Hills, IL
$141,719 median income
Simsbury Center, CT
$141,688 median income
Grosse Pointe, MI
$141,985 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bowie, MD Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bowie, MD - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 28.0% 57.2% 7.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.5% White 28.0% Black or African American 57.2% Asian 3.0% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.8% Two or more races 7.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bowie compares to nearby Maryland cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bowie (this city) 57,771 $141,831
Bel Air South 57,702 $120,721
Towson 57,683 $100,481
Severn 58,041 $130,627
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MD FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bowie, MD?

What is the population of Bowie, MD? +

57,771 people live in Bowie, MD according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bowie, MD? +

Bowie households earn a median of $141,831 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bowie? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bowie; the closest available measure is the Maryland state average, a cost of living index of 105.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Maryland vary by metro area.

Is Bowie, MD safe? +

Bowie has a total crime rate of 2473.2 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Bowie, MD? +

The median home value in Bowie is $442,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.