Worcester County, Maryland: commercial real estate data.
Worcester County, Maryland has a population of 53,700 across 468 square miles, up 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.14 bn in 2024, 2,256 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 65 7(a) approvals worth $24.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Worcester County
How many people live in Worcester County
- Population53,700
- Households24,136
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$81,745
- Median age50.7
- Median gross rent$1,159 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$374,700
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over40,803
- Population under 189,185
- Share under 1817.1 percent
- Population 65 and over15,371
- Share 65 and over28.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,144
- Civilian labor force26,713
- Unemployment rate6.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.0 percent
- Rank by population among Maryland counties17th of 24
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents966th
Worcester County is the 17th largest of 24 Maryland counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 28.6 percent against 17.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Worcester County
Is Worcester County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.57 percent
- Census 2020 base population52,463
- Births, 2024430
- Deaths, 2024764
- Natural change, 2024-334
- Net domestic migration, 2024310
- Net international migration, 2024132
- Total net migration, 2024442
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,714
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents762nd
The county has grown 3.57 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Worcester County
Where people moving to Worcester County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,945
- People arriving, from those returns3,310
- Adjusted gross income arriving$199.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$102,475
- Largest single originWorcester County Non-migrants (22,640 households)
- Largest single destination (22,640 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County Non-migrants | 22,640 | 41,705 | $2.18 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 726 | 1,173 | $64.1 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 307 | 512 | $29.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 304 | 484 | $24.3 m |
| Wicomico County | 272 | 505 | $20.6 m |
| Baltimore County | 150 | 265 | $16.1 m |
| Sussex County | 136 | 222 | $13.3 m |
| Anne Arundel County | 108 | 180 | $15.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Worcester County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Worcester County
What the Worcester County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.14 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.81 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.6 percent
- GDP change over five years50.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Maryland counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents789th
- GDP per resident$77,060
Output grew 8.6 percent in the latest year and 50.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Worcester County
Who employs people in Worcester County
- Covered employment, annual average26,303
- Establishments reporting2,455
- Average annual pay$45,838
- Average weekly wage$882
- Sector 72, employment8,377
- Sector 72, average annual pay$32,914
- Sector 44-45, employment3,906
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,263
- Sector 62, employment2,383
- Sector 62, average annual pay$59,810
- Sector 71, employment1,285
- Sector 71, average annual pay$36,338
- Sector 23, employment1,217
- Sector 54, employment931
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 8,377 | 494 | $32,914 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,906 | 372 | $36,263 |
| Sector 62 | 2,383 | 155 | $59,810 |
| Sector 71 | 1,285 | 70 | $36,338 |
| Sector 23 | 1,217 | 221 | $54,498 |
| Sector 54 | 931 | 235 | $62,885 |
| Sector 81 | 801 | 172 | $39,967 |
| Sector 31-33 | 788 | 57 | $57,791 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,377 jobs, 31.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Worcester County
What businesses operate in Worcester County
- Establishments, all industries2,256
- Employment at those establishments20,249
- Annual payroll$921.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents42.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Worcester County
What is being built in Worcester County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024354
- Declared construction value permitted$111.0 m
- Single family units authorised338
- Multifamily units authorised16
- Multifamily share of units4.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$313,646
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.7
Multifamily is 4.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Worcester County
How much SBA lending happens in Worcester County
- 7(a) approvals recorded65
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$24.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$373,158
- Median 7(a) approval$101,200
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,549,400
- Largest single approval$2,865,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)446
- Jobs per approval6.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active20
- Distinct industries receiving approvals41
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter54
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals9.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (26)
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.1 m
- Average 504 approval$2,010,818
- Median 504 approval$1,562,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval23.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.8
- Most active CDCChesapeake Business Finance Corporation (7)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$46.4 m
The average approval of $373,158 sits well above the median of $101,200, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 12.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Worcester County
Do SBA loans in Worcester County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full14
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.7 percent
- Status: Cancelled14
- Status: Exempt from disclosure28
- Status: Paid in full14
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
- Status: Charged off1
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Worcester County
Which parts of Worcester County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- OCEAN CITY, approvals27
- BERLIN, approvals23
- POCOMOKE CITY, approvals4
- SNOW HILL, approvals4
- WHALEYVILLE, approvals3
- OCEAN PINES, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| OCEAN CITY | 27 | $10,538,900 |
| BERLIN | 23 | $6,948,500 |
| POCOMOKE CITY | 4 | $3,491,400 |
| SNOW HILL | 4 | $296,500 |
| WHALEYVILLE | 3 | $2,910,000 |
| OCEAN PINES | 2 | $40,000 |
| NEWARK | 1 | $10,000 |
| Bishopville | 1 | $20,000 |
OCEAN CITY accounts for 27 approvals against 23 in BERLIN. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Worcester County
How big is Worcester County
- Land area468 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Maryland counties7th of 24
- Width, east to west33.3 mi
- Height, north to south31.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land115
- Establishments per square mile4.82
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Worcester County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Worcester County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population53,700
- Households24,136
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$81,745
- Median age50.7
Common questions
Worcester County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Worcester County, Maryland?
53,700, in 24,136 households, ranking 17th of 24 Maryland counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Worcester County growing?
The population has grown 3.57 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 430 births against 764 deaths, with net migration of 442. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Worcester County?
$81,745. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $374,700, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,159 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Worcester County?
2,256 establishments, employing 20,249 people with an annual payroll of $921.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Worcester County?
Average annual pay is $45,838, or $882 a week, across 26,303 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Worcester County?
65 7(a) approvals totalling $24.3 m since FY2020, across 20 lenders, with a median approval of $101,200, plus 11 504 approvals worth $22.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Worcester County get paid back?
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Worcester County?
354 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $111.0 m. Multifamily was 4.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Worcester County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Worcester County come from?
The largest single origin is Worcester County Non-migrants, with 22,640 households. Arriving households report an average income of $102,475 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Worcester County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Worcester County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.