City profile · Maryland · Census ACS 2023

Ocean City, MD

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ocean City - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

6,887
Residents
$69,675
Median income
$373,700
Median home
$1,194
Median rent (state)

Ocean City - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ocean City lands in the 49th percentile for household income and the 0th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

49th
percentile, household income
75th
percentile, home value
36th
percentile, median rent
0th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Ocean City, MD

6,887 people live in Ocean City, Maryland - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Ocean City brings in $69,675 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.0%. Home values in Ocean City run a median of $373,700, and the median resident age is 56.0 years. Educational attainment runs 40.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 39 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 36% from five years earlier. Ocean City's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 9786.7 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Maryland carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 105.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,194 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Maryland's average monthly utility costs around $255 (state average). Commute times here average 16.0 minutes, with 66.9% driving alone and 16.9% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 68.2 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

6,887 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Maryland

Median Household Income

$69,675 /yr

Poverty 5.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Maryland average

How does Ocean City compare to other US cities?

Where Ocean City sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 75% pricier than other cities
Median rent 36% pricier than other cities
Safety 0% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Maryland and the picture shifts: Ocean City ranks #70 of 70 Maryland cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Ocean City's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Maryland, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

49thIncome percentile
0thSafety percentile

49th percentile nationally for median household income · 0th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Ocean City's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Ocean City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 31 Avg. percentile National median
Ocean City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Ocean City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$373,700 25th percentile more affordable than 25% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ocean City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Ocean City, MD Ocean City, MD's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ocean City, MD-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Ocean City, MD median $69,675/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ocean City, MD's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Ocean City, MD. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 40.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
6,887
Median Income
$69,675
Median Home Value
$373,700
Median Age
56.0
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Labor force participation
59.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
9786.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
980.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
8806.6
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
6,800 residents6,850 residents6,900 residents6,950 residents 202020212022202320242025 6,846 residents 6,840 residents ▼ -0.1%
Ocean City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
39
housing units authorized
Single-Family
35
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 61
2020 60
2021 86
2022 64
2023 133
2024 39

Permit volume decreased 36% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
16.0 minutes
Drive Alone
66.9%
Carpool
3.2%
Public Transit
1.5%
Walk
4.3%
Work from Home
16.9%
Other
7.2%

Based on 3,648 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Maryland - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$255
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Maryland state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Maryland state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ocean City sits in

Cost of Living Index
105.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,194/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
68.2 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Maryland

Darnestown
6,835 people
Bowleys Quarters
6,795 people
Frostburg
7,025 people
Lutherville
6,670 people
Forest Glen
6,650 people
Woodlawn CDP (Prince George's County)
7,221 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ocean City's 6,887 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Huntingdon, PA
6,884 people
Shamokin, PA
6,890 people
Lacombe, LA
6,883 people
Silsbee, TX
6,883 people
Hurricane, WV
6,891 people
Mount Carmel, IL
6,892 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ocean City's $69,675 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Grand Canyon, AZ
$69,674 median income
Lantana, FL
$69,677 median income
Manhattan, MT
$69,671 median income
Peru, NY
$69,671 median income
Sanford, MI
$69,667 median income
West Allis, WI
$69,685 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ocean City, MD Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Ocean City, MD - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 89.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.5% White 89.0% Black or African American 1.0% Asian 1.2% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 4.9% Two or more races 3.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Ocean City compares to nearby Maryland cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Ocean City (this city) 6,887 $69,675
Darnestown 6,835 $217,679
Bowleys Quarters 6,795 $107,339
Frostburg 7,025 $51,052
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MD FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ocean City, MD?

What is the population of Ocean City, MD? +

Ocean City, MD counts 6,887 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ocean City, MD? +

In Ocean City, the typical household earns $69,675 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ocean City? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ocean City; the closest available measure is the Maryland state average, a cost of living index of 105.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Maryland vary by metro area.

Is Ocean City, MD safe? +

Ocean City has a total crime rate of 9786.7 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Ocean City, MD? +

The median home value in Ocean City is $373,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.