Talbot County, MD
County Profile
37,917 residents. Safety, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Talbot County, MD.
Several figures AreaProfile publishes are measured by county and nowhere finer — death rates by intent among them. On this page those describe the geography they are printed on, which is not true of the city and ZIP pages that inherit them.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 13 sourcesTalbot County ranks in the top 18% of counties measured for employment opportunity, with unemployment at 3.8% and median household income of $84,811.
In the public schools here, 39% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 13.3 students for every teacher.
Residential permitting has slowed: 159 units authorized over the past twelve months, 29% below the prior year. That follows a longer stretch moving the other way, through 2025.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment of 3.8%, lower than in 61% of the 1,467 measured US counties.
Employment fell 0.3% over the past year, to 17,184 employed residents.
42% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 93% of measured US counties.
Median household income of $84,811 is higher than in 87% of measured US counties.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsfiling years 2022–2023 | $128,233 | 97th percentileof 1,417 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftfiling years 2022–2023 | $79,014 | 87th percentileof 1,417 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$6,6362024 ACS 5-Year | $84,811 | Top 13%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$3,4462024 ACS 5-Year | $56,059 | Top 4%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per-capita personal income2023 | $97,931 | Top 4%of 1,389 | 2023 |
| Poverty rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.9% | Top 20%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±1.5 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 26.4 min | Bottom 45%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 42.0% | Top 7%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 71.9% | 20th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentJuly 2026 | 17,184 | Bottom 25%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)July 2026 | +2.3% | Top 24%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)July 2026 | −0.3% | Top 45%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceJuly 2026 | 17,865 | 25th percentileof 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 79.5% | Top 30%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.5% | 74th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)July 2026 | −0.4% | Top 32%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateJuly 2026 | 3.8% | Top 39%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 15.1% | 87th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Unemployment rate
Median household income, successive ACS releases
39% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 49% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 13.3 students for every full-time teacher across 8 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easton High | Talbot County Public Schools | 1,179 | 16.6 | 43% | 55% |
| Easton Elementary | Talbot County Public Schools | 1,075 | 11.1 | 33% | 38% |
| Easton Middle | Talbot County Public Schools | 703 | 12.6 | 21% | 34% |
| St. Michaels Middle/High School | Talbot County Public Schools | 449 | 15.0 | 36% | 57% |
| Chapel District Elementary | Talbot County Public Schools | 359 | 13.3 | 57% | 67% |
| St. Michaels Elementary | Talbot County Public Schools | 332 | 12.8 | 47% | 47% |
| White Marsh Elementary | Talbot County Public Schools | 289 | 13.1 | 47% | 57% |
| Tilghman Elementary | Talbot County Public Schools | 99 | 11.0 | 65% | 65% |
60.8% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Maryland’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the non-metropolitan parts of Maryland is up 46% over five years, and up 5.3% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $2,647 a year in real estate taxes, about 0.65% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,409, some 12% above the $1,256 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,409 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $56,400 a year, about 67% of the median household income here of $84,811.
The typical renter household here spends 31% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $1,256 a month.
A median home at $409,700 costs 4.1 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $100,978, above the historic benchmark of about 3 times income.
The figures above are measured against Talbot County’s median household income of $84,811, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price change (1 year)the non-metropolitan parts of Maryland’s figure2026 Q2 | +5.3% | 78th percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Maryland’s figure2026 Q2 | +46.0% | 57th percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Maryland’s figure2026 Q2 | +90.3% | 45th percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.32024 ACS 5-Year | 4.1 | Bottom 11%of 3,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 75.1% | 53rd percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±342024 ACS 5-Year | 19,720 | 64th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $1,282 | Bottom 22%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,960 | Bottom 25%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,409 | Bottom 28%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$1492024 ACS 5-Year | $1,256 | Bottom 14%of 3,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$19,2342024 ACS 5-Year | $409,700 | 92nd percentileof 3,219 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1072024 ACS 5-Year | $2,647 | 80th percentileof 3,172 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$6,8512024 ACS 5-Year | $100,978 | Top 13%of 3,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.04%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.65% | 34th percentileof 3,126 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 30.9% | Bottom 21%of 3,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±2362024 ACS 5-Year | 1,656 | 82nd percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.4% | 77th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.3% | 44th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±3222024 ACS 5-Year | 3,287 | 69th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has grown 2% since 2020, reaching 38,244 in 2024.
New construction is predominantly single-family: of 159 units permitted over the past twelve months, none were in buildings of five or more homes.
Federal tax returns show Talbot County gained about 0.3% of its residents through moves within the US in the most recent year, counting those who arrived against those who left. Households that moved in reported an average income of $128,233, above the $79,014 of households that moved out.
At 4.2 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US counties.
Population, annual estimates
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Dorchester County, MD 205 people · 12% of arrivals
- Caroline County, MD 204 people · 12% of arrivals
- Anne Arundel County, MD 141 people · 8.0% of arrivals
- Queen Anne's County, MD 138 people · 7.8% of arrivals
- Montgomery County, MD 76 people · 4.3% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Dorchester County, MD 241 people · 14% of departures
- Caroline County, MD 187 people · 11% of departures
- Queen Anne's County, MD 86 people · 5.2% of departures
- Anne Arundel County, MD 83 people · 5.0% of departures
- Wicomico County, MD 71 people · 4.3% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
Housing units permitted per year
Weather & climate
7 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 86°F and January a low of 30°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 44.0 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 44.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 7 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, hurricane and heat wave, with inland flooding alone responsible for 25% of it. Inland flooding and heat wave are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 90% of measured US counties.
Low or minimal exposure: heat wave, winter weather, ice storm, cold wave, tornado, inland flooding, landslide, hail, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). These are FEMA’s own figures for this county rather than a value derived from surrounding geographies. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
These are deaths, not offenses — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.
Talbot County records 0.0 homicide deaths per 100,000 residents a year, lower than most counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.
Firearm deaths of all intents run at about 10.4 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, since the figure counts suicides and accidents as well as homicides.
Drug overdose deaths run at about 12.5 per 100,000 residents in Talbot County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe Talbot County as a whole. They are shown and not scored. How to read death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. City profiles inside this area carry their own figure where their department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index only where a monitor sits. There is none in this county, and a modeled value would be a different kind of number from the measured ones everywhere else on this page.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
5 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Baltimore/Washington Intl Thurgood Marshall at 40 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 90.1% | Top 25%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 40 mi | Bottom 44%of 1,463 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 5 | Top 26%of 1,463 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 7.8% | Top 30%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore/Washington Intl Thurgood Marshall | BWI | 40 mi | 10,503 ft |
| Dover AFB | DOV | 46 mi | 9,602 ft |
| Washington Dulles Intl | IAD | 70 mi | 11,500 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Income | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
Cities in Talbot County, MD
ZIP areas
Only ZIP areas whose income or home value differ from their city’s by at least ten percent get a profile of their own, so this is a selection rather than every ZIP code in the county.