Population 4,009 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Riverdale
Household size in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.99 | 2.73 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.40 | 2.82 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.88 | 2.86 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.22 | 2.77 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | +0.04 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Riverdale is a place of big households: 3.22 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.99 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0 | 37.0 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.2 | 37.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.5 | 38.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.0 | 39.2 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Riverdale is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.0, against 40.1 nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 11.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.0% | 11.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 10.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 10.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in five households in Riverdale (19.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Riverdale
Renters in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.8% | 34.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.1% | 36.6% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 36.8% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 36.3% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Riverdale own their homes; 28.5% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. About a quarter of owners (25.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.7% | 8.7% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 6.6% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Riverdale: just 4.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1977 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1978 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1979 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1964 | 1982 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −4 | +6 | +4 | +6 |
Riverdale is a place of older homes: half were built before 1964, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,317 | $1,470 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,266 | $1,583 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,410 | $1,907 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,585 | $2,236 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$269 | +$766 | +$620 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Riverdale costs $1,585 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Washington area overall ($2,236). Rent takes 27.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Riverdale
Bachelor's degrees in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 46.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.8% | 48.2% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 51.0% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 53.9% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Riverdale: 20.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.6% | 89.4% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.8% | 90.2% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 71.7% | 90.8% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 71.2% | 91.2% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −8.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults in Riverdale never finished high school, well above the national share: only 71.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Riverdale
| Period | Riverdale | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 5.9% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 6.9% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Riverdale: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Riverdale compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverdale | 3.22 | 37.0 | 19.2% | 28.5% | 4.4% | 1964 | $1,585 | 20.3% | 71.2% | 7.5% |
| East Riverdale | 3.83 | 31.4 | 19.3% | 47.5% | 5.9% | 1962 | $1,815 | 19.0% | 64.6% | 9.1% |
| Landover Hills | 3.46 | 37.8 | 12.5% | 22.1% | 2.3% | 1952 | $2,261 | 14.6% | 70.5% | 6.1% |
| New Carrollton | 3.22 | 35.7 | 14.2% | 50.5% | 3.4% | 1966 | $1,962 | 24.4% | 79.3% | 6.1% |
| Riverdale Park | 3.09 | 32.2 | 26.0% | 52.0% | 3.8% | 1956 | $1,820 | 27.3% | 66.7% | 2.7% |
| Bladensburg | 3.30 | 31.0 | 17.7% | 74.0% | 6.6% | 1966 | $1,649 | 17.6% | 81.6% | 8.5% |
| Edmonston | 2.84 | 34.1 | 9.4% | 35.3% | 3.9% | 1964 | $1,884 | 36.5% | 78.9% | 7.3% |
| Cheverly | 2.64 | 38.7 | 16.2% | 29.9% | 4.9% | 1962 | $2,190 | 49.7% | 91.4% | 5.9% |
| Landover | 2.74 | 38.0 | 15.9% | 49.9% | 5.3% | 1969 | $1,779 | 22.6% | 81.3% | 6.6% |
| Lanham | 3.47 | 39.6 | 17.8% | 24.3% | 7.1% | 1976 | $1,892 | 35.2% | 81.5% | 4.8% |
| University Park | 2.63 | 45.0 | 1.6% | 11.7% | 5.6% | 1954 | $2,717 | 74.2% | 93.8% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hermann, MO · Bottineau, ND · Angels, CA · Nanty-Glo, PA · Annetta, TX · Eastover, NC · Antwerp, OH · Madison, IL · Mulino, OR · Eastham, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Riverdale. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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