Beltsville, Maryland, is one of the original suburbs of Washington, D.C.
About 20 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., in Prince George’s County, Beltsville, Maryland, attracts people looking for a balance between suburban Maryland living and convenience to the nation’s capital. Positioned in the shadow of government agencies, Beltsville draws from a highly diverse pool of government employees, business professionals and service sector employees to make up its residents. Its seven-mile area is home to about 21,135 people. Prince George’s County is one of the wealthiest majority-Black counties in the United States. Today, about 65% of the population in Beltsville is Black or African-American, with White and Asian populations making up the next largest cohorts.
Growth in Beltsville has been steady and robust, thanks to the massive growth and expansion that defined the Washington, D.C. metro area over the past 70 years. “The federal government provides a strong employment base,” says Karen Coakley, a Realtor with RE/MAX Advantage Realty and a real estate agent for over 30 years. “Also, Beltsville sits right where Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 merge. So, it’s easy to commute to all parts of the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia metro area.”
Mid-20th-century homes stand the test of time, some with updates and improvements
Residents who commute along the north-south highway of U.S. Route 1 will find a hodgepodge of unassuming stores, gas stations, industrial shops and restaurants. It is an avenue of neon signs and necessities designed to serve rather than excite. But a quick turn onto any side street reveals the variety of residences in the neighborhood, many of which date back to the 1940s, ‘50s, and '60s. Homebuyers will find ranch-style homes, split-levels, shotgun-style homes and bungalows with the occasional Colonial Revival or updated farmhouse. Some townhouses and condos are priced in the $200,000 to $300,000 range. Most single-family residences start around $450,000. Homes with extensive renovations or expansions area priced closer to $600,000.
Cultural destinations focus on parks, the arts, and local history
Little Paint Branch Park, a stretch of green space with a small playground in the western part of the county, surrounds part of the Little Paint Branch Trail. The walking and biking path cuts through the wooded area that runs along Interstate 95. The Beltsville Community Center, which has a baseball diamond, bocci courts and a gymnasium, is inside the park. It also offers a ceramics room and fitness classes. Sunnyside Neighborhood Park features a quiet fishing pond, a skateboard park, walking trails and a playground. The Montpelier Mansion is a five-part, Georgian-style plantation house located in nearby Laurel. It was constructed around 1785 and was once a slave plantation of nearly 9,000 acres. The College Park Aviation Museum is located on the grounds of the world’s oldest continually operating airport in College Park, Maryland. Wilbur Wright was one of the first flight instructors.
A no-frills commercial corridor offers cuisines from around the world
Realtor Nicholas Gerhardt, a real estate agent with Taylor Properties since 2014 and a lifelong Maryland resident explains the secret hiding in plain sight about Beltsville. “Some of the best restaurants in the country are right here in Beltsville. Foodies who like to try new or different cuisines will not find better food in the metro area. I’d even say many of Beltsville’s restaurants rival the best restaurants in Baltimore, Boston, New York and Atlanta for varied cuisines. Plus, restaurants in Beltsville are often super reasonably priced. You can find so many different cuisines including Jamaican, Mexican, Central American, Ethiopian, San Salvadorian and Kenyan.”
Westech Corner is a nicely landscaped community shopping plaza with shops and small restaurants including Chick-fil-A and TGI Fridays, as well as bank branches and FedEx. Plenty of big box retailers including ALDI, Costco, PetSmart and Walmart populate the area. Homeowners can head about two miles south to the College Park neighborhood to visit popular IKEA for Scandinavian home furnishings and home décor.
Prince George’s County Public Schools prioritize college preparedness
Students in Beltsville can attend Prince George’s County Public Schools, the nation’s 20th-largest school district. With an overall Niche grade of C, the district serves a highly diverse population of about 135,000 students. Prince George’s County Public Schools is recognized for programs including dual enrollment and foreign language immersion. College preparedness is the highest priority of the district. Nearby private schools include St. Joseph’s Regional Catholic School and Beltsville Adventist School, both of which provide Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade.
Beltsville is just five miles north of the College Park campus of the University of Maryland. Founded in 1856 as an agricultural school, the University of Maryland is the largest university in the state and in the Washington, D.C. metro area. It offers over 200 degree-granting programs, 107 master’s programs and 83 doctoral programs.
Trains, planes and automobiles are equally available in Beltsville
Beltsville encompasses a portion of both Interstate 95 and Route 1, while the southern edge of the city is bordered by the I-495 beltway that encircles the Maryland, DC and Virginia corridor. Muirkirk Station is a MARC commuter train stop between Beltsville and Laurel, that leads to Baltimore. Ronald Reagan National Airport is 19 miles south of Beltsville, and the area’s closest international airport.
Crime rates are lower than the national average, but incident rates vary widely across the city
The rate of violent crime in Beltsville as of 2023 was 4.651 per 1,000 residents. Residents generally consider the north part of Beltsville to be the safest. The property crime rate in Beltsville in 2023 was 14.58 per 1,000 residents; however, rates of property crime in Beltsville can vary widely across different parts of the city. Property crime and violent crime rates in Beltsville are generally safer than the state and national average.
Expansions and renovations of older commercial areas are bringing jobs to Beltsville
Beltsville is an area in continual transition. The federal Bureau of Engraving and Printing is set to begin construction in 2024 on a 104-acre site at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. It will house a new state-of-the-art and environmentally conscious production facility to print U.S. paper currency. It is expected to bring about 1,200 jobs to the county. The new Purple Line of the Washington Metrorail will create a 16-mile track around the east side of the Metro area with 21 passenger stations extending from New Carrollton in Prince George’s County to Bethesda in Montgomery County. The 10-year renovation and redevelopment of Beltway Plaza Mall is said to include 2,500 apartments and condominiums, 20,000 square feet of indoor recreational space, five acres of open space and 700,000 square feet of retail space.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
