Moving to
Ocean Pines.

All Ocean Pines data Compare Ocean Pines

12,351people live here $91,824median household income▲ 14% above US $2,069median rent per month▲ 46% above US $380,100median home value▲ 14% above US

Ocean Pines is an unincorporated community in Worcester County, MD. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Ocean Pines

Ocean Pines is an unincorporated community in Maryland with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Ocean Pines deals with rent well above the national average, a population that has been shrinking, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
Shrinking population
High rent burden for renters
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Ocean Pines compares

Median household income

Ocean Pines$91,824

Maryland avg$103,678

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Ocean Pines$2,069

Maryland avg$1,705

US$1,413

Median home value

Ocean Pines$380,100

Maryland avg$419,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Ocean Pines

Based on Ocean Pines's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,138

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $82,760 a year
55% of Ocean Pines renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$76,020

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $38,010
Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 46% above US

$2,069/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,069 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $380,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $380,100 · 55% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.3% county unemployment

Unemployment in Worcester County is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Worcester County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 93% below US

25 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 196/100k · Ocean Pines Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

26 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 25.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

73%

Work from home

17%

Carpool

7.0%

Other

1.6%

Walk

0.9%

Public transit

0.3%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 12% above US

40% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 40% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

0 public schools inside the boundary

No public school is located inside the boundary; students attend schools in the surrounding district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Assateague Island National Seashore (24 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Ocean Pines's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($2,069/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.

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