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Place dossier plate
SheetMD-UNIVERSITY-PARK-MD · University Park, MD 2,636 pop · income 98th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around University Park
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest University Park on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Lineville · lowest
37,396
Lineville · lowest
37,396 median HH income
18.9% of the leader · rank #1
Snoqualmie · near
197,531
Snoqualmie · near
197,531 median HH income
99.9% of the leader · rank #2
University Pa… · this city
197,589
University Pa… · this city
197,589 median HH income
99.9% of the leader · rank #3
Mantua · near
197,677
Mantua · near
197,677 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Towaco · near
197,696
Towaco · near
197,696 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
Daniels Farm · highest
197,731
Daniels Farm · highest
197,731 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for University Park on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 2,636.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
University Park - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, University Park places in the 98th percentile for household income and the 60th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
98th
percentile, household income
90th
percentile, home value
84th
percentile, median rent
60th
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: University Park, MD
2,636 people live in University Park, Maryland - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in University Park report a median income of $197,589 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.3%. Home values in University Park run a median of $610,100, and the median resident age is 49.3 years. Educational attainment runs 78.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 62.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
University Park reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1102.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not 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 $1,657 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Maryland's average monthly utility costs around $255 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 60.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of University Park's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to population change to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For University Park, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in University Park?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1102.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 52% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the journey to work look like in University Park?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 41.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Which cities make useful reference points for University Park?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Maryland, the closest population matches are Huntingtown (2,634 residents, $177,870 income); Jarrettsville (2,629 residents, $161,510 income); Forest Heights (2,619 residents, $96,434 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Lineville, AL (2,636 residents); Deep River Center, CT (2,636 residents); Indian Springs, AL (2,637 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Is University Park growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -6 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.2% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in University Park?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
3.1×
Home value
$610,100
Household income
$197,589
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Top-decile income · poverty 0.3% (Very low poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
105.0 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Maryland average
A-
City profile score · University Park, MD
81/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income A+
$197,589
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share A+
78.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate A+
0.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime A
42 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
105.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
University Park profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 100/100 (A+) · $197,589
Bachelor's+ share: 100/100 (A+) · 78.0%
Poverty rate: 98/100 (A+) · 0.3%
Violent crime: 86/100 (A) · 42 /100k
Cost of living: 21/100 (F) · 105.0 index
Where University Park sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
University Park's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - University Park highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
University Park, MD (this city): home $610,100, crime 1,102/100k
Lineville, AL : home $146,300, crime 402/100k
Palmer Lake, CO : home $454,000, crime 1,054/100k
Forest Heights, MD : home $346,800, crime 1,749/100k
Greensboro, MD : home $230,600, crime 986/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does University Park compare to other US cities?
University Park measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income98% higher than other cities
Home value90% pricier than other cities
Median rent84% pricier than other cities
Safety60% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Maryland alone, University Park ranks #21 of 70 Maryland cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares University Park against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Maryland only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Maryland-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places University Park near the bottom of Maryland's cities
Among the 479 Maryland cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, University Park ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares University Park only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#25 of 445
94th percentile in Maryland
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 479
0th percentile in Maryland
Median Home Value
#54 of 450
88th percentile in Maryland
Poverty Rate
#364 of 479
24th percentile in Maryland
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#17 of 479
96th percentile in Maryland
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Maryland only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
98th percentile nationally for median household income · 60th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
University Park's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
University Park'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 University Park's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$610,10010th percentilemore affordable than 10% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
University Park's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,136 of 15,516
More affordable than 54% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,962 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.1×, University Park sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,136 of 15,516 and #5,962 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$197,589University Park, MD median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context University Park, MD median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for University Park, MD.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)78.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)0.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)62.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,636
Median Income
$197,589
Median Home Value
$610,100
Median Age
49.3
Poverty Rate
0.3%
Labor force participation
62.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
78.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1102.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
42.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1059.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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.
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
University Park's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,446 residents
2021
2,420 residents
2022
2,407 residents
2023
2,410 residents
2024
2,430 residents
2025
2,440 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
41.9%
Carpool
4.8%
Public Transit
10.6%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
36.5%
Other
3.5%
Based on 1,386 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Maryland statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $255
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Maryland at $255 (electricity about $120 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Maryland statewide averages, not a meter reading for University Park. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Maryland's BEA cost-of-living index is 105.0 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around University Park is $1,657/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Maryland statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 60.2 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Maryland statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county University Park sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How University Park compares to similar-size Maryland cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.