Mount Rainier, MD — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Maryland·Mount Rainier

Prince George's County · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria · population 8,269

Small-town feel
View watchlist →
42
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Mount Rainier stands

Home values down 3.3% in the last year.

Median home $451,303
1-year -3.3%
5-yr CAGR +0.1%
vs 5-yr peak -6.5%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-06$451k$285k$357k$429k$502k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
48/100
Marginal for remote
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.3
Lean rent

At a 23.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Mount Rainier. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
33 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
35 · w22%
Distance from peak
56 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
54 · w10%
Long thesis

Mount Rainier has held up across the cycle: home values at $451,303 with +0.1% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Mount Rainier is a small market with thin transaction volume and modest appreciation. The bear case is liquidity: when you eventually sell, your buyer pool is small, slow, and price-sensitive.

About Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, with an estimated population of 8,269. It anchors the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area. The median home value in Mount Rainier is $451,303 as of 2026-04, down 3.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +0.1% annual growth (-6.5% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Mount Rainier average $1,615 per month. The composite momentum score is 42 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

Bull case

The data is the data: Mount Rainier has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.

Bear case

Cooling: -3.3% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Prince George's County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Prince George's County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Mount Rainier

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
42° / 25°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 68°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
203
~56% of year
Annual precip
44″ rain
18″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Mount Rainier listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
68%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$98,500
Maryland state median
Top industries (state-level)
Government/DefenseBiotechHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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