Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 48/100
D+
Median home value$501,200
Washington $579,900
Median rent$2,163/mo
Washington $2,027/mo
Cost-burdened households32%
Washington 31%
Wheaton
Montgomery County52,926 residentsMontgomery County Public Schools
62
C
Suburbgrade score
32nd of 60 Washington suburbs. Strong on amenities and schools, held back by employment & income.
62
Washington median 64
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Wheaton yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 62 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Wheaton is like to live in, by category
Bars show Wheaton against Washington. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 78/100
B+
Within-state proficiency78th pct
Washington median 78th pct
Student–teacher ratio13.3
Washington median 14.1
Graduation rate89%
Washington median 86%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 70/100
B−
Housing cost index95
Washington 100
Eff. tax rate0.82%
Washington 0.85%
Local sales tax6.00%
Washington median 5.77%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 47/100
D
Mean commute31.6 min
Washington 32.4 min
Under 30 minutes45%
Washington 47%
Transit stops / sq mi18
Washington median 6.4 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 85/100
A−
Restaurants & cafés86
Washington median 87 · within 2 miles
Groceries11
Washington median 8 · within 2 miles
Parks138
Washington median 85 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 46/100
D
Median household income$111,478
Washington $126,684
Unemployment6.9%
Washington 4.8%
Professional occupations42%
Washington 58%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Wheaton yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Wheaton on employment & income
Wheaton's weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbEmploymentOverall
McLean10 mi from WheatonB+ 72 B− Oakton17 mi from WheatonB+ 66 C+ West Springfield21 mi from WheatonB+ 66 C+ Bethesda5 mi from WheatonB+ 73 B McNair20 mi from WheatonB 66 C+ Arlington12 mi from WheatonB 73 B Median household income: ACS 2020–24 · Unemployment: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Wheaton
Is Wheaton, MD a good place to live?
Wheaton scores 62 out of 100, 32nd of 60 Washington suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on employment & income. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Wheaton expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $501,200, 14% below the Washington median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.82%. $2,163/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Wheaton?
Schools grade B+. The districts serving Wheaton sit at the 78th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 89% graduation rate and a 13.3 student–teacher ratio. Wheaton is served by Montgomery County Public Schools. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Wheaton?
The mean commute is 31.6 min, with 45% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 20% working from home. Transit density is 18 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Wheaton?
Within two miles there are 11 groceries, 86 restaurants and cafés and 138 parks, which grades A− on amenities.
Are the homes in Wheaton old or new?
The median home in Wheaton was built in 1960 — older than the Washington median of 1983. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 74% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.