Population 3,689 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Ocean City
Household size in West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in West Ocean City has 2.42 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.64 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.1 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
West Ocean City skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.9% of households in West Ocean City, 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 West Ocean City
Renters in West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.6% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.0% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
West Ocean City is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (44.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above 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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.7% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 37.1% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.4% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in West Ocean City: 27.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1992 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in West Ocean City is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1997, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,139 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,184 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,492 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,599 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$459 | +$620 | +$606 |
Rent in West Ocean City runs $1,599 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Maryland overall ($1,869). The typical renter here spends 30.3% of household income on rent, just over 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 West Ocean City
Bachelor's degrees in West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.3% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.5% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.6% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a third of adults 25 and older in West Ocean City (36.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in Maryland overall (43.4%).
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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.1% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.8% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in West Ocean City have finished high school (92.9%), 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 West Ocean City
| Period | West Ocean City | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in West Ocean City: 9.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
West Ocean City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Ocean City | 2.42 | 49.1 | 6.9% | 24.0% | 27.4% | 1997 | $1,599 | 36.6% | 92.9% | 9.9% |
| Snug Harbor | 2.05 | 58.4 | 5.4% | 3.6% | 45.0% | 1996 | $1,402 | 30.7% | 95.0% | 7.2% |
| Ocean Pines | 2.14 | 60.8 | 6.8% | 9.6% | 32.7% | 1992 | $1,913 | 39.9% | 96.2% | 5.9% |
| Grays Corner | 2.58 | 50.6 | 4.6% | 30.1% | 15.7% | 1995 | $2,057 | 51.5% | 89.2% | 2.0% |
| Ocean City | 1.82 | 49.6 | 6.8% | 24.2% | 74.9% | 1985 | $1,366 | 45.4% | 95.2% | 5.9% |
| Berlin | 2.51 | 44.8 | 16.0% | 27.2% | 17.0% | 1989 | $1,232 | 37.1% | 92.2% | 6.0% |
| Showell | 2.24 | 53.2 | 3.9% | 7.1% | 26.9% | 1989 | $1,513 | 36.7% | 89.3% | 0.3% |
| Golf Club Shores | 2.36 | 53.4 | 2.8% | 5.5% | 33.5% | 2000 | $1,537 | 62.4% | 97.5% | 5.4% |
| Bishopville | 2.31 | 52.1 | 5.1% | 20.8% | 17.7% | 1992 | $1,125 | 27.8% | 92.3% | 3.7% |
| Fenwick Island | 2.12 | 69.1 | 0.4% | 8.6% | 80.1% | 1986 | $1,385 | 56.6% | 88.1% | 3.2% |
| Selbyville | 2.22 | 58.0 | 6.2% | 10.8% | 31.0% | 2000 | $1,126 | 36.5% | 91.3% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Atlantis, FL · Wolcott, NY · South Deerfield, MA · Park Falls, WI · Minford, OH · Gibsonburg, OH · Dewey-Humboldt, AZ · Clarksville, OH · Clyde, NY · Chatham, NY
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 West Ocean City. 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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