Wheaton, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wheaton, MD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wheaton | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,983 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7922.1 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.46% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.3 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,767 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wheaton grew by 18.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 54,983 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wheaton is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.8% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,520 21.0% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,622 24.8% +2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,168 20.3% -0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,370 13.4% -3.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maryland, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Wheaton and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 49.7% Maryland 48.5%
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Economy
Wheaton has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Wheaton | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,926 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.74% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wheaton is about 3% higher than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Wheaton | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $348,732 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,062 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.8% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wheaton is about 14.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,062 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wheaton spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 259 hours, about 10.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wheaton | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.1 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.2 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 259 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,037 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.3% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 60,707 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,339 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wheaton is 31 minutes, longer than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Wheaton has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Wheaton | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.1% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.08 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Health
Wheaton has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Wheaton | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.2 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.5% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.5% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wheaton, Maryland.
How many people live in Wheaton, Maryland?
About 54,983 people live in Wheaton, Maryland, in 17,767 households of 3.1 people on average. The median age is 38.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wheaton, Maryland mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wheaton, Maryland has 7,922 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 92 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wheaton, Maryland?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($348,732 against $106,926), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,062 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Wheaton, Maryland?
Unemployment in Wheaton, Maryland is 7.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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