Wicomico County, MD

County Profile

104,914 residents. Safety, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Wicomico 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.

67out of 100
Area Score
Top 31% of 1,225 profiles measured

How we calculate this

How this area ranks
OpportunityTop 27% of 1,255 counties measured67
Schools579th of 973 counties measured43
GrowthTop 48% of 1,226 counties measured51
Housing affordability740th of 1,255 counties measured90
ClimateTop 18% of 1,254 counties measured76
Physical resilienceTop 27% of 1,255 counties measured77
Access1119th of 1,255 counties measured53
Economic stabilityTop 39% of 1,255 counties measured69
The quick read

Unemployment is 4.4% and median household income $76,210, putting employment conditions in the middle range of published profiles.

In the public schools here, 11% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 12.8 students for every teacher.

206 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 6% of the prior year — steady rather than turning.

At a glance

Population
104,914
2024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income
$76,210
Top 24% nationally
Density
280/sq mi
374.4 sq mi of land
Median age
36.2
2024 ACS 5-Year
County
Wicomico County
Maryland
Metro area
Salisbury, MD
Nearest major airport
BWI
79 mi · Baltimore/Washington Intl Thurgood Marshall
Median home value
$254,700
2024 ACS 5-Year

Jobs & opportunity

Unemployment of 4.4% is lower than 42% of the 1,255 measured US locations.

Employment grew 1.0% over the past year, to 52,145 employed residents.

29% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 75% of measured US locations.

MetricValueCompared nationallySource period
Median household income ±$3,602$76,210Top 24%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income ±$1,540$37,997Top 34%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Per-capita personal income$48,917Bottom 18%of 1,2062023
Poverty rate13.9%Top 46%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Average commute24.5 minBottom 41%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Bachelor's degree or higher29.5%Top 25%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Employment52,145Top 43%of 1,255June 2026
Employment change (3 years)2.0%Top 29%of 1,255June 2026
Employment change (year over year)1.0%Top 15%of 1,255June 2026
Labor force54,553Top 43%of 1,255June 2026
Labor force participation66.3%Top 13%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment change (year over year)0.0%Bottom 45%of 1,255June 2026
Unemployment rate4.4%Top 42%of 1,255June 2026
Unemployment rate
2021/062022/032022/122023/092024/062025/032025/102026/066.02.3
Monthly unemployment rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most recent value 4.4% in June 2026. A break in the line is a month the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish for this area — it is left empty rather than estimated.
Median household income, successive ACS releases
202120222023202476k64k
Each point is a separate five-year estimate, most recently $76,210 in the 2024 ACS 5-Year. Consecutive releases share four years of sample, so AreaProfile shows them as a record of successive estimates and does not compute a year-over-year change from them.
Largest occupations — Salisbury, MD
OccupationPeople employedMedian annual wage
Retail Salespersons1,790$33,010
Registered Nurses1,620$94,880
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,590$31,200
General and Operations Managers1,410$91,500
Cashiers1,200$31,200
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive1,150$47,140

Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

11% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 18% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.

There are 12.8 students for every full-time teacher, fewer than in most measured places.

Public schools
25
2024-25 school year
Students per teacher
12.8
across all schools here
Math proficiency
10.6%
Bottom 35% in Maryland
Reading proficiency
18.4%
Bottom 29% in Maryland
SchoolDistrictStudentsPer teacherMathReading
James M. Bennett HighWicomico County Public Schools1,47415.5
Wicomico HighWicomico County Public Schools1,30414.2
Parkside HighWicomico County Public Schools1,27211.8
Prince Street SchoolWicomico County Public Schools97615.34%8%
Bennett MiddleWicomico County Public Schools96311.917%26%
Delmar ElementaryWicomico County Public Schools91417.23%12%
Salisbury MiddleWicomico County Public Schools8478.812%22%
Wicomico MiddleWicomico County Public Schools82711.23%17%
Mardela Middle & HighWicomico County Public Schools74214.312%42%
Beaver Run SchoolWicomico County Public Schools74114.5
Pinehurst ElementaryWicomico County Public Schools56412.510%7%
North Salisbury ElementaryWicomico County Public Schools52612.829%32%

59.4% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with rather than how the schools perform, which is why AreaProfile shows it and does not score it.

Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data. Schools are placed by ZIP code, so this is which schools are in this place rather than which one a particular address is zoned for — district boundaries do not follow municipal ones, and enrollment zones change. Fully virtual schools are excluded: they enroll students from across the state while reporting one administrative address, and counting them here would describe a school population this place does not have. The assessment covers grades 3 through 8, so a high school shows no proficiency figure — a dash in those columns means the test was not given at that school, not that it performed badly. Proficiency is measured against Maryland’s own standard, so it compares cleanly within the state and only broadly against other states; AreaProfile therefore ranks it within state. The directory is current, while the proficiency figures are from the last school year with national coverage before the pandemic interrupted testing.

Housing & affordability

How it’s calculated →

Median rent of $1,327 takes 21% of median household income, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened.

A median home costs 3.3 times median household income here, above the historic benchmark of about three times income.

Rent as a share of income
20.9%
Below the 30% cost-burdened threshold
Home price to income
3.3×
median home value ÷ median income
Median gross rent
$1,327
2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value
$254,700
2024 ACS 5-Year
MetricValueCompared nationallySource period
Home price to income3.34Top 36%of 3,2192024 ACS 5-Year
Homeownership rate62.3%Bottom 10%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units ±6544,127Top 19%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent ±$54$1,327Top 12%of 3,2162024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value ±$10,820$254,700Top 27%of 3,2192024 ACS 5-Year
Rent as a share of income20.9%Top 16%of 3,2162024 ACS 5-Year
Vacancy rate8.3%Bottom 21%of 3,2222024 ACS 5-Year

Both affordability measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with, so the comparison is like for like. They describe housing cost against local earnings and are not a cost-of-living index — transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not included, and a place can look affordable here and still be expensive to live in for reasons this does not capture.

Growth & development

How it’s calculated →
Development Momentum
51/ 100
Top 48% of 1,226 published city profiles
Permitting is decreasing, measured from 2020 to 2025.

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 3% since 2020, reaching 106,329 in 2024.

Permitting has turned downward after moving the other way the year before.

At 2.0 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US locations.

Units permitted
206
12 months ending July 2026
Per 1,000 residents
2.0
Bottom 34% nationally
Year over year
−6%
vs the prior twelve months
Multifamily share
23.8%
units in 5+ unit buildings
Population, annual estimates
20202021202220232024106k104k
Census Population Estimates Program, July 1 of each year. These annual estimates are designed for year-over-year comparison, unlike the ACS five-year figure shown as this profile's population.
Housing units permitted per year
202020212022202320242025413172
Annual totals from the Census Building Permits Survey. Permitting in 2025 was lower than 2020 (−43%).

Weather & climate

7 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 88°F and January a low of 28°F.

Normal annual precipitation is 47.5 inches, including 8.0 inches of snow.

20°40°60°80°100°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid line: normal daily high. Dashed line: normal daily low. 1991-2020 normals from NOAA station SALISBURY WICOMICO RGNL AP, 6.9 miles from this location.
Precipitation
JFMAMJJASOND5.3"
Normal monthly precipitation, in inches.
MetricValueSource period
Annual precipitation47.5"1991-2020 Normals
Annual snowfall8.0"1991-2020 Normals
Average January low28°F1991-2020 Normals
Average July high88°F1991-2020 Normals
Comfortable months71991-2020 Normals
Seasonal temperature swing41°F1991-2020 Normals

Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. They describe what a typical year looks like rather than what the weather is doing today.

Physical risk

77 / 100
Physical resilience

The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are hurricane, drought and wildfire.

HurricaneElevated
WildfireModerate
DroughtModerate
Coastal floodingModerate
Strong windModerate

Low or minimal exposure: winter weather, lightning, heat wave, ice storm, earthquake, cold wave, inland flooding, tornado, landslide, hail.

Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA National Risk Index county record. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.

These are deaths, not offences — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.

Wicomico County records 5.8 homicide deaths per 100,000 residents a year, near the middle of counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.

Firearm deaths of all intents run at 7.5 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, because nationally most firearm deaths are suicides.

Drug overdose deaths run at 22.9 per 100,000 residents in Wicomico County.

Homicide
5.8
per 100,000 residents · under 10 deaths
Firearm deaths, all intents
7.5
per 100,000 residents · under 10 deaths
Drug overdose
22.9
per 100,000 residents
Suicide
10.6
per 100,000 residents · under 10 deaths

Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides. The two columns overlap and should not be added.

Age-adjusted rates from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC for Wicomico County as a whole — these rates are not published below county level. A county can hold both a dense city centre and a suburb whose experience of it is nothing alike, so this describes the county around Wicomico County rather than Wicomico County itself. That is why AreaProfile shows these figures and does not put them in the Area Score. Where fewer than ten deaths were recorded the count is suppressed at source, and a rate built on single figures moves sharply between releases. What this measure has that reported crime does not: a death certificate is filed whether or not the local police agency submitted a return that year, so the figures stay comparable between places and over time.

What this profile does not cover

Three things people look for are missing from every AreaProfile page, and each is missing for a reason rather than by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them and the weighting is documented on the methodology page.

Reported crime
Offences reported to police are published by department rather than by town, and only where a department reported every month of the year. No municipal department reports for this place — many smaller communities are policed by the county — so there is no figure to show. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
Taxes
Taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Cost of living now is — the index above is the Bureau of Economic Analysis price parity for this area — but it is a price level for all consumption rather than a budget for a household, its spread is driven mostly by housing, and it excludes taxes. Housing affordability is computed separately from rent, price and income, because that answers a narrower and more actionable question. Nothing here is individualised tax advice.
Anything about a specific address
Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house. School attendance zones, insurance pricing and the character of a neighbourhood all vary within the places measured here.

Access

3 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest 79 miles away.

AirportCodeDistanceLongest runway
Baltimore/Washington Intl Thurgood MarshallBWI79 mi10,503 ft
Atlantic City IntlACY94 mi10,001 ft
Newport News/Williamsburg IntlPHF97 mi8,003 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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Area Score
67
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Data & methodology

Used forSourceSource periodUpdated
AccessFederal Aviation Administration
Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service
NASR current cycle28-day NASR cycle
Physical riskFederal Emergency Management Agency
National Risk Index
National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0)Periodic dataset versions (v1.20.0 current)
ClimateNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly)
1991-2020 NormalsEvery ten years (next release follows the 2001–2030 period)
IncomeU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Regional price parities and county personal income
2023Annually, each December
JobsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Local Area Unemployment Statistics
June 2026Monthly
DevelopmentU.S. Census Bureau
Building Permits Survey
12 months ending July 2026Monthly, roughly three weeks after the reference month
DemographicsU.S. Census Bureau
Population Estimates Program
July 1, 2024 estimateAnnual (vintage released each spring)
Demographics, Housing, Income, JobsU.S. Census Bureau
American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File)
2024 ACS 5-YearAnnual (5-year estimates released each December)
safetyU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
Provisional county-level mortality by intent
April, 2025 to March, 2026Quarterly, with a rolling twelve-month window alongside complete calendar years
schoolsU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments
2019-20 school year; 2024-25 school yearDirectory annually; assessment results as EDFacts releases them

Profile recalculated August 30, 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 browse every source.

Cities in Wicomico County, MD