Population 1,377 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Melson
Household size in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.85 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.94 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.88 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Melson holds 2.88 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.7 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.0 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.4 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.1 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Melson are younger than 39.1 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 40.7, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.4% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.7% of households in Melson, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Melson
Renters in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Melson is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over a third of owners (34.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Melson: just 4.6% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Melson was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Maryland as a whole, where the median home dates to 1978.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $815 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,051 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,073 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,543 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$728 | +$620 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Melson costs $1,543 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Maryland overall ($1,869). Rent takes 26.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Melson
Bachelor's degrees in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.5% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Melson than nationally: 25.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.3% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.7% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.9% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.3% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Melson: 95.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Melson
| Period | Melson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Melson runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Maryland. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Melson compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melson | 2.88 | 39.1 | 6.7% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1983 | $1,543 | 25.9% | 95.3% | 4.4% |
| Walston | 2.03 | 42.2 | 6.9% | 34.5% | 11.7% | 1976 | $1,104 | 34.8% | 91.5% | 0.6% |
| Parsonsburg | 2.57 | 38.9 | 15.7% | 18.3% | 6.2% | 1978 | $1,402 | 22.1% | 90.8% | 2.5% |
| Delmar | 2.51 | 38.1 | 12.9% | 30.5% | 9.8% | 1989 | $1,414 | 23.0% | 91.6% | 1.9% |
| Delmar | 2.99 | 45.4 | 10.1% | 15.4% | 9.2% | 1993 | $1,112 | 19.0% | 87.3% | 6.0% |
| Pittsville | 2.33 | 43.7 | 16.7% | 10.9% | 7.0% | 1995 | $1,092 | 15.4% | 90.2% | 3.5% |
| Lowes Crossroads | 2.94 | 37.6 | 16.6% | 16.9% | 11.1% | 1998 | $1,394 | 18.5% | 88.7% | 4.6% |
| Salisbury | 2.47 | 36.3 | 12.7% | 47.6% | 8.7% | 1981 | $1,341 | 29.5% | 89.7% | 6.5% |
| Willards | 2.60 | 43.8 | 18.6% | 15.9% | 10.5% | 1986 | $1,366 | 22.5% | 89.3% | 7.2% |
| Lake Pines | 2.84 | 43.2 | 6.2% | 15.6% | 5.8% | 1997 | $1,187 | 22.1% | 91.8% | 2.1% |
| Laurel | 2.61 | 41.2 | 19.8% | 34.0% | 6.7% | 1985 | $1,073 | 14.2% | 86.2% | 7.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Scales Mound, IL · Melbourne, IA · Menoken, ND · Merry, AL · Milnor, ND · Moss Bluff, FL · Rough Rock, AZ · Russell, FL · Rutledge, AL · Rye, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Melson. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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