You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the cost of living in Washington, D.C. is pretty pricey. Fortunately, with over 30 suburbs in the area, there are a few cheaper options out there that will give you city access while saving you a little dough.
While Greenbelt is a bit of a drive from D.C., it’s connected to the city via the Metro, making it convenient for commuting. A planned city that was built in the 1950s, the area has continued to grow and thrive thanks to the vibrant residents that live there. Fortunately, despite its growth, the cost of living has actually stayed relatively low, even compared to the other affordable suburbs on this list.
Once a humble railroad stop, the town of Bowie has experienced a ton of growth in recent years. With a population now over 50,000, this town has the lowest affordability ratio (median home value divided by median household income) of any of the Washington, D.C. suburbs we looked at, meaning it’s an awesome cheaper alternative for people wanting to live near the capital.
With a rich history that stems from colonial times, Frederick is often recognized as a sort of crossroads community for D.C., as well as Baltimore. It’s the second largest city in Maryland, meaning you’ll never have trouble finding something to do. Frederick also ranks very well when it comes to cost of living and other various expenses outside of just rent. If you want to be close to some major metropolitan areas but you’re on a budget, this place is worth checking out.
. Notable for its urban feel and close proximity to D.C., Hyattsville is surprisingly affordable for where it’s at. The city’s motto “a world within walking distance” proves true since living here gives you access to tons of unique culture, entertainment, and of course, Washington D.C. While incomes around this area aren’t super high, keep in mind that rent tends to be on the lower side as well.
Originally built as a mill town during the early 1800s, Laurel has since developed into a great community full of awesome people. A lot of the residents here are commuters, headed to D.C. or Baltimore for work everyday. Most of Laurel is residential, but its location gives you access to nearly any experience you could want.
Home to the first major land battle of the Civil War, Manassas has been an influential Washington, D.C. suburb for many years. Located in the Northern Virginia area, it’s home to a very convenient airport, nine public schools, and the intersections for several major roads. This is one affordable suburb that makes it easy to access D.C. while steering away from all of the hustle and bustle.
A prosperous community located south of D.C.’s downtown area, Fort Washington lands on our list become of its residents’ high median household income. There are also a ton of local amenities nearby, with a couple of the more unique ones including the relatively new YMCA recreation center and the 12,000 member Ebenezer A.M.E. Church.
An unincorporated community in Charles County, Waldorf is a great place to check out if you’ve got a little money but prefer to be frugal. Homes here are priced on the high side, but incomes are also high. An area with tons of new businesses and young professionals looking to build a life in the D.C. area, this suburb has a bright future to look forward to.
Roughly 25 miles outside of the downtown D.C., the urbanized city of Germantown gives you a little separation from the capital while still keeping it totally accessible when you want it. There’s a train stop on Washington Metro’s red line and multiple access points to I-270 meaning that it’s perfect for commuting. Germantown also has some pretty cool local features that provide plenty of recreational activities for it’s residents like the Black Rock Arts Center, a nice public library, and a long list of shops and restaurants.
Home to the annual Queen Anne’s County Fair, Centreville is a wealthy community that’s affordable if you’re in the right tax bracket. While home costs are high, this area also has very high average incomes meaning people here actually spend a smaller portion of the money they make on rent. Not only is this suburb affordable for the people that it attracts, it’s also a great place to raise a family with a good public school system and plenty of places to burn some calories outside.
To create this list of Washington, D.C. suburbs, we took a look at the following criteria, considering what might be important to young couples:
We then averaged those scores into one overall score and the places with the five lowest scores made up our list of the five most affordable Washington, D.C. suburbs. For this list, we sourced data from AreaVibes, amenities data from business listings, and the rest of the data from the 2013 U.S. Census American Community Survey. Want to see how all 32 Washington, D.C. suburbs stacked up? Take a look at the table below: 
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