A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Wheaton$2,980/mo

Typical home $501K (Census) · tax rate 0.85% · or rent about $2,163/mo · Housing →

Forest Glen$3,610/mo

Typical home $606K (Census) · tax rate 0.85% · or rent about $1,582/mo · Housing →

The difference: $620 a month, about $7,500 a year, between Forest Glen and Wheaton.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Forest Glen places higher on 12 of 20 MD lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Maryland ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

B+WheatonBetter than 72% of districts in the state B+Forest GlenBetter than 72% of districts in the state

Health

A−WheatonHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns AForest GlenHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns

6Wheaton

12Forest Glen

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most educatedPeople · 262 towns #157#27 Most activeHealth · 262 towns #159#39 Cheapest rentCost of living · 252 towns #186#75 HealthiestHealth · 262 towns #124#26 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 262 towns #245#149 Most remote workersWork · 256 towns #102#9 Lowest property taxCost of living · 259 towns #132#196 Fastest growingGrowth · 250 towns #110#164

Left end = #1 in Maryland. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Wheaton’s rankings →

Where they are

Wheaton and Forest Glen share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WheatonForest Glen

Wheaton ↔ Forest Glen2.2 miles apart · They share a border

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

WheatonForest Glen

Snow a year16″16″

January low25°F 25°F

July high87°F 87°F

Growing season (days)202d 202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)7th 8th

Outdoors & history

WheatonForest Glen

Trails12 mi 3 mi

Conserved land21.9%14.1%

Settled1700 —

Archive photos12 12

Famous people born here5 2

Community

WheatonForest Glen

Library hours a week61 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Maryland average

WheatonForest Glen

People

Population 52,926Highest 6,840Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8%Highest MD: +7% +4.8%Lowest MD: +7%

Median age 37.7±1.2Lowest 4% below MD 37.8±3.3Highest 4% below MD

Forest Glen and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.5%±1.5Lowest MD: 22.2% 27.8%±6.9Highest MD: 22.2%

Forest Glen and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 13.3%±1.1Lowest MD: 16.7% 18.8%±3.2Highest MD: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 38.7%Lowest MD: 43.4% 65.2%Highest MD: 43.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±1Lowest MD: 6.9% 6.2%±2.6Highest MD: 6.9%

Forest Glen and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $111,478±$9kLowest 8% above MD $127,820±$30kHighest 23% above MD

Forest Glen and Wheaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $501,200±$17kLowest 19% above MD $606,100±$26kHighest 44% above MD

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,163±$123Highest 27% above MD $1,582±$465Lowest 7% below MD

Wheaton and Forest Glen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,254Lowest 4% above MD $5,144Highest 26% above MD

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.1%±7.3Highest MD: 51.5% 43.2%±22.1Lowest MD: 51.5%

Wheaton and Forest Glen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 13.1%Highest MD: 9.4% 7%Lowest MD: 9.4%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 64.6%Lowest MD: 67.6% 66.3%Highest MD: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1960Highest 19 yrs older than MD 1958Lowest 21 yrs older than MD

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minLowest about the MD average 32 minHighest 4% above MD

Work from home 20.3%±2.3Lowest MD: 19.3% 37%±5.8Highest MD: 19.3%

Work in townworking residents 3.6%Highest 1.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miHighest 8.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.42Lowest 1.40Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Washington (21%)Washington (30%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Forest GlenFew work in Wheaton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 21.9%Highest 14.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 11.8 miHighest 2.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miLowest 2.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 21Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 142Highest 134Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #98 of 235 in MD #78 of 235 in MD

School district Montgomery County Public SchoolsMontgomery County Public Schools

High school in town Wheaton HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 16.2 —

Maryland average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Wheaton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wheaton’s Town Square.

Forest Glen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forest Glen’s Town Square.

Add a town

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One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Wheaton

+ Compare

Glenmont17,208 people · $571K homes

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North Bethesda49,677 people · $732K homes

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Kemp Mill13,042 people · $597K homes

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Aspen Hill53,279 people · $570K homes

Towns like Wheaton

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Frederick83,395 people · $402K homes

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Annapolis40,720 people · $549K homes

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Gaithersburg69,825 people · $497K homes

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Laurel29,798 people · $386K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Wheaton vs Forest Glen

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $620 more a month in Forest Glen

Forest Glen places higher on 12 of 20 MD lists

Wheaton and Forest Glen share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wheaton and Forest Glen

Bordering Wheaton

Towns like Wheaton

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