Fort Washington, MD Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Washington, MD Crime

Is Fort Washington, MD safe to live in?

Fort Washington earns an overall city-wide safety rating of Safe (B), and the neighborhood-level data backs that up strongly. All three analyzed neighborhoods — Friendly (A-), Fort Washington (B+), and Oxon Hill (B-) — fall into the A or B grade range, meaning 100% of Fort Washington neighborhoods are rated safe. That's a notably clean distribution: 33.3% of neighborhoods earned an A-range grade and 66.7% earned a B-range grade, with zero neighborhoods receiving a C, D, or F. For context, the city's median household income sits at $122,206 and the poverty rate is just 6.2%, both of which correlate with the area's relatively low crime environment.

What is the crime rate in Fort Washington, MD?

Fort Washington carries an overall crime grade of D+ when measured against national benchmarks — meaning crime here is higher than many comparable U.S. communities in absolute terms. However, at the neighborhood level, the picture improves considerably. The three neighborhoods analyzed all score in the B or A range, suggesting that crime is not evenly distributed and that residents in well-established pockets of Fort Washington experience meaningfully safer conditions. The city's population of 24,468 is spread across a low-density footprint of 684 people per square mile, which tends to limit the concentration of crime that plagues denser urban cores. Property crime — including vehicle theft and burglary — remains the most common concern in Prince George's County broadly, and Fort Washington is no exception.

Which neighborhoods in Fort Washington have the lowest crime?

Friendly is the safest neighborhood in Fort Washington, earning a grade of A-. With a population of approximately 9,700 and a median household income of $142,343 — the highest of any neighborhood analyzed — Friendly combines economic stability with low crime incidence. Fort Washington proper comes in second with a B+ grade; it is the most populous neighborhood at roughly 20,479 residents and has a median income of $145,449. Oxon Hill rounds out the list with a B- grade. While Oxon Hill's median income of $97,232 is lower than the other two neighborhoods, it still falls within the safe range. Notably, the income gap between Friendly/Fort Washington and Oxon Hill is over $45,000, which aligns with Oxon Hill's comparatively lower — though still B-grade — safety score.

How does Fort Washington compare to other Maryland communities?

Fort Washington's city-wide safety rating of Safe (B) at the neighborhood level places it in favorable company among Prince George's County communities. Its median home value of $372,421 and median rent of $2,253 reflect a housing market that attracts stable, higher-income households — a demographic profile that typically correlates with lower violent crime rates. The unemployment rate of 6.5% is slightly above the national average, which can be a contributing factor to property crime, but the 6.2% poverty rate is well below national norms. The fact that not a single Fort Washington neighborhood received a grade below B- distinguishes it from many Maryland zip codes where D and F neighborhoods are common.

Is Fort Washington a good place to buy a home?

From a crime and safety perspective, Fort Washington presents a compelling case. All three analyzed neighborhoods carry safe grades — Friendly at A-, Fort Washington at B+, and Oxon Hill at B- — and the city's median home value of $372,421 suggests a stable real estate market. The median household income of $122,206 is well above the national median, and the low poverty rate of 6.2% indicates that the community has the economic foundation to sustain neighborhood safety over time. Buyers prioritizing safety should focus on the Friendly and Fort Washington neighborhoods, which combine the highest income levels with the strongest crime grades. Oxon Hill offers a more affordable entry point while still maintaining a B- safety grade.

What types of crime are most common in Fort Washington?

Like most suburban communities in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area, Fort Washington sees property crime as the dominant crime category, with vehicle theft, larceny, and residential burglary representing the most frequent incident types. Violent crime — including assault and domestic incidents — occurs at lower rates and tends to be concentrated in specific corridors rather than spread evenly across neighborhoods. The Oxon Hill area, which carries the lowest grade of the three neighborhoods at B-, has historically seen slightly higher incident density compared to Friendly and Fort Washington proper. Drug-related offenses also appear in local incident data, consistent with regional trends across Prince George's County. Using the Fort Washington crime map to filter by incident type and time period can help residents pinpoint exactly which crime categories are trending up or down in their specific block.