Twenty-one miles east of Washington, DC in Prince George's County, lies the sprawling suburb known as Bowie, MD. Large in square footage and dense in population, this Maryland town was rated number 28 on CNN's list of Best Places to Live in America in 2014. Rankings were determined by a variety of factors, including job opportunities, economy, school ratings and more.
Bowie is home to over 54,000 people, making it one of the most densely populated of DC suburbs. Located east of the Nation's Capital, the majority of Bowie's residents are Black, followed closely by Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian demographics. The people of Bowie are well-educated, most possessing at least a four-year college degree, although a decent percentage have attained Master's Degrees. Most work in white-collar jobs within the fields of management, business, and finance.
Average annual household salaries in Bowie top out at around $120,000, making this one of the more affluent towns in the Baltimore, Washington metropolitan area. A home in Bowie will run you a modest $286,000, rent falls between $1,100 and $2,400 a month.
Bowie is a town with a young, bustling vibe. The average resident is only 30 years old, and crime is slightly lower than the national average, making this a nice area to settle down and raise a family.
Bowie is a town that's big on community spirit. Residents gather throughout the year for a number of fun, family festivals that celebrate holidays, history and more. If hometown parades, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies and outdoor wine and music festivals sound like good times, you're going to love all the activities that this charming suburb has to offer throughout the year.
The living is easy in Bowie, MD. A short commute of just 36 minutes takes you into Washington, DC, yet you'll return to gorgeous old Cape Cod-. Colonial-, and Bungalow-style homes with large yards and plenty of room to play.
Just a short hop away is Bowie's shopping hub, the Bowie Town Center on Emerald Way. Featuring 70 different shops that cater to every taste and budget, this attractive mall offers such staples as Sears, Macy's, and Barnes and Noble, as well as a variety of convenient places to dine such as Olive Garden and Red Robin.
For those who are interested in exploring the local arts scene, there's the Bowie Center for Performing Arts that acts as a hub for local theater, music, dance, creative arts and workshops.
Several of the schools in Bowie score high ratings of 7 and up on the scale of 1 to 10 compiled by Greatschools.org. The student-to-teacher ratio in this area is an impressive 16 to 1. This area is also home to Bowie State University.
Bowie, MD is best known as an old railroad town that still embraces its cultural heritage today. Born from the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad of the late 1800s, the town of Bowie sprang up around the railroad junction. Once called Huntington City, the name was later changed to Bowie to honor then-president of the B&P Railroad, Oden Bowie.
Over the years, more railroads came to this area, causing exponential growth. The Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis Electric Railway was an electric trolley line that began serving the city in 1908, which made travel throughout the town easily accessible to everyone.
If you're planning your new home search within the Washington, DC, Baltimore Metro Area, don't forget to ask your realtor to take you on a tour of handsome and historic Bowie. You're going to love everything about this scenic suburb, from it's rich railroad history to its thriving community spirit, the town of Bowie has everything you need to settle in and begin enjoying a high quality of life in the shadow of the Nation's Capital. Check out everything Bowie has to offer today.
