The community was named after Edward Temple, who in the 1860s lived in a home beside Henson Creek known as Moor Park.[4] Within the area are numerous garden apartments, duplexes, and single family communities constructed mostly from the 1950s through 1970s. The adjacent, unincorporated communities of Hillcrest Heights and Marlow Heights, which are home to both the Iverson Mall & Marlow Heights Shopping Center, which both serve the community of Temple Hills, are assigned Temple Hills addresses and zipcodes.
Temple Hills CDP, Maryland – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
At the 2000 census,[9] there were 7,792 people, 3,156 households and 1,937 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5,756.1 inhabitants per square mile (2,222.4/km2). There were 3,388 housing units at an average density of 2,502.8 per square mile (966.3/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 9.32% White, 85.01% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 2.37% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.39% of the population.
There were 3,156 households, of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.8% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.11.
Age distribution was 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.2 males.
The median household income was $44,868 and the median family income was $49,318. Males had a median income of $35,192 compared with $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,939. About 9.9% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Samuel Chase and J. Frank Dent elementaries serve sections of the CDP.[14] All residents of the CDP are zoned to Thurgood Marshall Middle School,[15] and Crossland High School.[16] Crossland High is physically in Camp Springs CDP and has a Temple Hills postal address.[17]