Census-designated place · Maryland
Shady Side, Maryland
Shady Side, census-designated place, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Shady Side had 4,727 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±710). GEOID 2471450.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,727
±710 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,806
Median household income
$153,661
±$24,073 (90% margin)
Maryland: $103,678
Median home value
$503,500
±$70,111 (90% margin)
Maryland: $419,900
Median gross rent
$2,490
±$454 (90% margin)
Maryland: $1,705
Where is Shady Side and what county is it in?
Shady Side is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It covers 6.6 square miles of land, 873 residents per square mile in 2020.
Shady Side is in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Shady Side, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Shady Side's population at 4,727 (±710). The 2020 Census counted 5,806 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Shady Side is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Shady Side | Anne Arundel County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,727 ±710 | 598,166 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,925 ±209 | 224,748 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.46 ±0.27 | 2.60 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,363 ±189 | 236,262 | no clear change |
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 Shady Side?
The median resident of Shady Side is 49.8 years old; 23.2% are under 18 and 19.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 79.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 9.5%.
| Measure | Shady Side | Anne Arundel County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.8 ±6.4 | 39.0 | +7.3 |
| Under 18 years | 23.2% ±6.9 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.2% ±5.8 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Male | 54.3% ±4.4 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.6% ±3.4 pts | 10.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 79.5% ±7.4 pts | 61.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.5% ±7.5 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 4.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±2.7 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6% ±2.4 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.7% ±5.1 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.4% ±3.9 pts | 9.8% | – |
| With a disability | 9.9% ±5.2 pts | 10.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.8% ±3.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.9% ±1.2 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 37.4% ±7.2 pts | 45.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 18.0% ±4.4 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.4% ±5.6 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 2.9% | – |
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 Shady Side earn?
Half of Shady Side's 1,925 households earn less than $153,661 a year (±$24,073), against $124,911 in Anne Arundel County and $103,678 in Maryland. In 2015-2019 it was $133,325 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Shady Side | Anne Arundel County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $153,661 ±$24,073 | $124,911 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $167,909 ±$25,247 | $156,835 | – |
| Per capita income | $69,847 ±$11,903 | $59,733 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.8% ±4.1 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.1% ±11.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.0% ±6.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.3% ±1.8 pts | 97.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.3% ±1.8 pts | 95.5% | – |
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 Shady Side?
Owners occupy 88.9% of Shady Side's occupied homes and renters 11.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $503,500 by its owner (±$70,111). The median renter pays $2,490 a month including utilities, and 57.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Shady Side | Anne Arundel County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $503,500 ±$70,111 | $467,900 | +$107,709 |
| Median gross rent | $2,490 ±$454 | $2,071 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 57.7% ±32.4 pts | 38.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,666 ±$274 | $2,454 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 88.9% ±5.9 pts | 75.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 11.1% ±5.9 pts | 24.9% | – |
| Housing units | 2,363 ±189 | 236,262 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.6% ±5.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.0 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 98.9% ±1.3 pts | 59.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.8% ±2.2 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.9% ±6.9 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.7% ±1.3 pts | 4.1% | – |
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 do people in Shady Side work and get to work?
72.6% of Shady Side's workers drive alone and 14.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 36.7 minutes.
| Measure | Shady Side | Anne Arundel County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.5% ±5.5 pts | 69.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% ±2.9 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.6% ±8.9 pts | 70.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.0% ±7.9 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 14.9% ±6.8 pts | 18.5% | +10.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 36.7 min ±3.3 | 28.9 min | −6.1 min |
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 Shady Side?
1 census tract lies mostly in Shady Side (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 7070.01Anne Arundel County | 5,626 | $159,722 |
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 Shady Side) · Census block assignment files
How does Shady Side compare with other places in Maryland?
Shady Side ranks 60th of 322 places in Maryland with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 211th | 326 |
| Residents per square mile | 275th | 326 |
| Median household income | 60th | 322 |
| Per capita income | 48th | 326 |
| Median home value | 91st | 323 |
| Median gross rent | 33rd | 288 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 192nd | 325 |
| Median age | 25th | 326 |
| Owner-occupied share | 82nd | 323 |
| Work from home | 199th | 293 |
| Travel time to work | 62nd | 325 |
Shady Side's figures with every place in Maryland (CSV)
Every place in Maryland, sortable · Compare Shady Side 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 Shady Side?
22 of the 57 figures for Shady Side 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 Shady Side 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' school search.