Suitland-Silver Hill is a
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in
Prince George's County, MarylandPrince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, United States. The census area include separate
unincorporatedIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
communities of
Silver Hill and
Suitland, and other smaller communities. The population was 33,515 at the 2000 census. The community was named for a 19th century landowner, State Senator
Samuel Taylor SuitSamuel Taylor Suit was a Maryland politician and landowner. Suit was born in Bladensburg, Maryland, the son of innkeeper Fletcher Suit. At age 14 he left home and traveled first to Keokuk, Iowa, and then to Louisville, Kentucky. In Kentucky Suit became involved in distilling whiskey, eventually...
and his estate.
The Suitland-Silver Hill area is known as having one of the highest crime rates in
Prince George's CountyPrince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
. The
Suitland ManorSuitland Manor is a neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Suitland in Prince George's County. It is located on the northern side of the intersection of Md. Rt 218 and Md. Rt 458...
neighborhoodA neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
, located at the intersections of
Maryland Route 218Maryland Route 218 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Suitland Road, the route runs from Southern Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border east to Maryland Route 458 in Suitland...
(Suitland Road) and
Maryland Route 458Maryland Route 458 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Silver Hill Road, the route runs from Maryland Route 5 in Hillcrest Heights north to Walker Mill Road in District Heights.-Route description:...
(Silver Hill Road) has been targeted for demolition by the county because of the frequent occurrence of
violent crimeA violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
and drug trafficking in the area. As of late 2005,
Prince George's CountyPrince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
was in the process of purchasing all of the
apartmentAn apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
buildings on the three roads that make up the neighborhood (Homer Avenue, Hudson Avenue, and Huron Avenue), so that they can be demolished and replaced with mixed commercial and residential properties. In 2005, seven people were shot and killed in this three-block area, and another was killed in a
hit and runHit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
.
Suitland ManorSuitland Manor is a neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Suitland in Prince George's County. It is located on the northern side of the intersection of Md. Rt 218 and Md. Rt 458...
is directly across Suitland Road from the Suitland Federal Center, which houses the national headquarters of the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, among other government agencies.
Revitalization is being attempted by the Suitlandfest Community Development Corporation, which hosts and designs activities, programs and events that try to bring forth positive change and enhance the education, recreation, health and fitness, artistic development, and social and economical conditions in this at-risk but growing area. Suitland remains one of the most dangerous places in the county.
Steny HoyerSteny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, House Minority Whip of the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, moved to the area in his teens and attended
Suitland High SchoolSuitland High School is a public magnet high school located at 5200 Silver Hill Road, Forestville, Maryland 20747, long regarded for its Visual and Performing Arts magnet program...
.
Geography
Suitland-Silver Hill is located at 38°51′2"N 76°55′25"W (38.850462, -76.923742).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 33,515 people, 13,149 households, and 8,652 families residing in the CDP. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,008.0 people per square mile (2,319.0/km²). There were 14,379 housing units at an average density of 2,577.6 per square mile (994.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 3.86% White, 93.01% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.
There were 13,149 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.8% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 33.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 78.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,870, and the median income for a family was $43,635. Males had a median income of $33,633 versus $31,460 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $19,031. About 9.3% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
The community is served by the
Washington MetroThe Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
station
SuitlandSuitland is an island platformed Washington Metro station in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on January 13, 2001, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority...
, on the
Green LineThe Green Line is one of five heavy rail subway lines that constitute the Washington Metro rapid transit system in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Green Line consists of 21 stations, with termini at Branch Avenue and at Greenbelt. The Green Line runs through Prince George's County,...
, located at the intersection of Silver Hill Road and Suitland Parkway.
Education
The area is served by
Prince George's County Public SchoolsThe Prince George's County Public Schools system is a large school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education...
, and zoned to
Suitland High SchoolSuitland High School is a public magnet high school located at 5200 Silver Hill Road, Forestville, Maryland 20747, long regarded for its Visual and Performing Arts magnet program...
, Drew Freeman Middle School, Suitland Elementary School.