Town · Maryland
Betterton, Maryland
Betterton, town, in Kent County, Maryland. Betterton had 283 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 286 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 391 (±175). GEOID 2407200.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
283
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 286 · ACS 2020-2024: 391 ±175
Median household income
$86,250
±$31,134 (90% margin)
Maryland: $103,678
Median home value
$226,700
±$30,707 (90% margin)
Maryland: $419,900
Median gross rent
$1,143
±$329 (90% margin)
Maryland: $1,705
Where is Betterton and what county is it in?
Betterton is a town in Kent County, Maryland. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 290 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Betterton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 283 people lived in Betterton on July 1, 2025, down 1.0% since 2020, while Maryland grew 1.4%. The 2020 Census counted 286 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 391 (±175).
| Measure | Betterton | Kent County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 391 ±175 | 19,346 | no clear change |
| Households | 132 ±36 | 8,493 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.96 ±0.92 | 2.09 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 246 ±43 | 10,363 | −102 |
Betterton's population since 2000
From 376 in 2000 to 283 in 2025: down 24.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Betterton as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Betterton?
The median resident of Betterton is 39.2 years old; 28.1% are under 18 and 16.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 73.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.9%.
| Measure | Betterton | Kent County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.2 ±7.7 | 48.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 28.1% ±13.3 pts | 15.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.9% ±8.8 pts | 27.4% | – |
| Male | 38.4% ±10.3 pts | 47.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19.9% ±20.6 pts | 5.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 73.9% ±19.6 pts | 75.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±6.0 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±2.6 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.8% ±3.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.3% ±5.6 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.5% ±5.0 pts | 7.2% | – |
| With a disability | 10.5% ±6.1 pts | 15.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.4% ±5.5 pts | 6.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.2% ±3.2 pts | 92.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 37.8% ±10.2 pts | 39.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.7% ±8.5 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.7% ±5.0 pts | 85.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.6% ±1.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Betterton earn?
Half of Betterton's 132 households earn less than $86,250 a year (±$31,134), against $80,147 in Kent County and $103,678 in Maryland. In 2015-2019 it was $65,958 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Betterton | Kent County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,250 ±$31,134 | $80,147 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $96,727 ±$16,226 | $106,060 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,548 ±$7,860 | $47,492 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.1% ±10.1 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.8% ±6.2 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.4% ±11.2 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.4% ±9.6 pts | 94.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.9% ±10.8 pts | 85.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Betterton?
Owners occupy 81.8% of Betterton's occupied homes and renters 18.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $226,700 by its owner (±$30,707). The median renter pays $1,143 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Betterton | Kent County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $226,700 ±$30,707 | $330,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,143 ±$329 | $1,209 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 20.8% ±26.6 pts | 45.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,705 ±$213 | $1,892 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.8% ±11.8 pts | 72.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.2% ±11.8 pts | 27.5% | – |
| Housing units | 246 ±43 | 10,363 | −102 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±31.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.1% ±21.0 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 78.9% ±8.4 pts | 81.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.2% ±2.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.8% ±1.5 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.4% ±11.3 pts | 19.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.3% ±8.2 pts | 5.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Betterton building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Betterton in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 3.5 per 1,000 residents against 2.1 across Maryland.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Betterton work and get to work?
72.2% of Betterton's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.3 minutes.
| Measure | Betterton | Kent County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.8% ±12.2 pts | 60.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% ±8.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.2% ±11.9 pts | 68.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.9% ±6.5 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±25.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 3.5% ±4.6 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.4% ±9.3 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.3 min ±5.4 | 25.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Betterton?
No census tract lies mostly in Betterton; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Kent County | 4,288 | $72,778 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Betterton) · Census block assignment files
How does Betterton compare with other places in Maryland?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Betterton is the 15,340th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 136th-most populous of 157 in Maryland.
Betterton is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 136th | 157 |
Betterton's figures with every place in Maryland (CSV)
Every place in Maryland, sortable · Compare Betterton with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Betterton?
25 of the 57 figures for Betterton on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Betterton are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Betterton.