Prince George's County, Maryland Eviction Risk: High

Prince George's County carries an average eviction-risk score of 7.7/10, placing it firmly in the High risk tier across its 82 cities and communities. Among Maryland eviction laws's 24 counties, it ranks 7th highest for risk, meaning only 6 counties statewide present a harder operating environment for landlords, while 17 are comparatively more landlord-friendly. With a total population of roughly 906,709 and an average rent of $1,984, the county is a large, densely populated suburban market directly adjacent to the District of Columbia, and the demand pressures and policy environment that come with that location are clearly reflected in the risk score.

What makes the county particularly important to understand at the sub-market level is the width of the intra-county spread. Scores range from 4.1 at the low end to 8.3 at the high end, a gap of 4.2 points across a single county. A landlord operating in the lowest-risk corner of Prince George's County faces a meaningfully different set of conditions than one operating in the highest-risk neighborhoods, even if those properties sit just a few miles apart. Treating the county average as a single operating number obscures that reality.

The cities inside Prince George's County

At the top of the risk range, eight communities all score 8.3/10, the county maximum: Chillum (population 34,871), College Park (population 34,540), Greenbelt (population 24,678), South Laurel (population 29,272), Landover, Suitland, Langley Park, and East Riverdale. College Park eviction risk, a university-anchored city, combines high renter turnover with a tenant-protective legal environment. Chillum eviction risk and Greenbelt eviction risk are dense, high-poverty communities where eviction rates and tenant-side legal advocacy tend to run elevated.

On the lower end, Fort Washington scores 7.1/10 (population 25,134) and Clinton scores 7.2/10 (population 38,376), both considerably calmer than the county's hotspots, though still above the national midpoint. Bowie, the county's largest city at 57,926 residents, sits exactly at the county average of 7.7/10. The key takeaway for investors is that risk is genuinely hyper-local here: a portfolio in Fort Washington and one in College Park are operating under very different practical conditions, even though both technically fall under Prince George's County.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Prince George's County operates under Maryland eviction laws state law, specifically Md. Real Prop. § 8 (Landlord and Tenant). Notice requirements depend on the reason for termination: nonpayment of rent requires a 10-day notice under Md. Real Property § 8-401, a material lease violation requires 30 days under § 8-402.1, and ending a month-to-month tenancy requires 60 days under § 8-402. Just-cause eviction is required under state law, which constrains a landlord's ability to non-renew without documented grounds. Understanding the full Maryland eviction process from notice through lockout is essential preparation before purchasing in this market. Court filing fees run $50 to $60, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically range from $500 to $3,000, so even an uncontested case carries real cost. Uncontested proceedings typically resolve in 30 to 45 days, but a contested matter can extend to 45 to 120 days.

Source of income is a protected class under state law (enforced by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights), which limits screening flexibility in ways that matter when evaluating applicants holding housing vouchers. Maryland eviction costs, while not the highest in the region, are real and cumulative when attorney fees are included. Landlords who are not yet familiar with the Maryland security deposit limits and Maryland tenant protections built into Md. Real Prop. § 8-208.1 and § 8-211 should review those provisions carefully before signing leases here.

With an average poverty rate of 10.3% and a renter share of 36.8% across the county, the financial fragility that drives eviction risk is present in a meaningful portion of the tenant base; the city grid above breaks those conditions down city by city so you can identify where the exposure is most concentrated before committing capital.