Housing data for West Ocean City, MD
West Ocean City, MD has an estimated 5,198 residents and 3,085 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Worcester County.
18.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,620 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+20.6%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 5,198 (±558)
- Housing units
- 3,085 (±310)
- Households that rent
- 18.1%
- Median gross rent
- $1,620
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +20.6%
What stands out in West Ocean City
Rental vacancy rate: 0.0% (±9.2 points) in West Ocean City, lower than in Worcester County (10.9%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 6.2% (±3.9 points) in West Ocean City, lower than in Worcester County (38.9%).
Median gross rent: $1,620 (±$304) in West Ocean City, higher than in Worcester County ($1,159).
Working from home: 5.9% (±3.3 points) in West Ocean City, lower than in Worcester County (12.3%).
Housing in West Ocean City at a glance
- Median rent: $1,620 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,563 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 51.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 18.1% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $97,165 median household income
- Home values: $423,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,338 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,711 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 6.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 82.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 19.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 59.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 19.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +20.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 16.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room
West Ocean City against Worcester County, its state and the nation
| West Ocean City | Worcester County | Maryland | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,198 (±558) | 53,700 (exact) | 6,206,011 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 3,085 (±310) | 56,867 (±96) | 2,560,784 (±424) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 18.1% (±5.9 points) | 22.0% (±1.9 points) | 32.4% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,620 (±$304) | $1,159 (±$85) | $1,705 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $97,165 (±$19,806) | $81,745 (±$4,130) | $103,678 (±$597) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $423,700 (±$39,317) | $374,700 (±$9,482) | $419,900 (±$1,385) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,711 (±$316) | $2,738 (±$72) | $4,093 (±$21) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 19.5% (±5.9 points) | 36.8% (±2.0 points) | 51.2% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 19.6 minutes (±2.5) | 23.3 minutes (±1.3) | 31.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.2% (±3.0 points) | 91.2% (±1.6 points) | 92.4% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 49.5 years (±4.6) | 50.7 years (±0.3) | 39.4 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
West Ocean City covers 4.2 square miles of land, about 1,241 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How West Ocean City has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,310 (±394) | 5,198 (±558) | +20.6% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 2,786 (±166) | 3,085 (±310) | +10.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,245 (±$178) | $1,620 (±$304) | +30.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $307,800 (±$32,178) | $423,700 (±$39,317) | +37.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $68,519 (±$14,345) | $97,165 (±$19,806) | +41.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,952 (±$213) | $2,338 (±$324) | +19.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,157 (±$240) | $2,711 (±$316) | +25.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 30.8% (±6.6 points) | 18.1% (±5.9 points) | −12.7 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±5.6 points) | 0.0% (±9.2 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Worcester County
West Ocean City has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Worcester County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Worcester County recorded 298 violent and 1,657 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in West Ocean City
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21842 | 39% | 11,226 | $1,394 | $447,700 | $79,876 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near West Ocean City
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Pines | 3.3 mi | $2,069 | $380,100 | 9.5% |
| Ocean City | 3.8 mi | $1,353 | $429,000 | 25.8% |
| Berlin | 5.8 mi | $1,091 | $423,500 | 44.4% |
| Fenwick Island | 8.4 mi | $1,438 | $1,394,700 | 5.4% |
| Selbyville | 9.4 mi | $1,152 | $432,900 | 16.0% |
| South Bethany | 12 mi | — | $955,200 | 0.0% |
| Ocean View | 12 mi | $1,774 | $514,200 | 7.0% |
| Millville | 13 mi | $1,750 | $494,500 | 5.3% |
Places in Maryland most like West Ocean City
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Pines | $2,069 | $380,100 | $91,824 | 9.5% |
| Stevensville | $1,771 | $481,200 | $115,357 | 22.2% |
| California | $1,927 | $346,800 | $119,855 | 37.1% |
| Easton | $1,197 | $358,900 | $74,653 | 35.6% |
| Havre de Grace | $1,416 | $392,900 | $105,817 | 28.4% |
| Hebron | $1,556 | $235,300 | $97,841 | 27.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Maryland.
HUD Fair Market Rent for West Ocean City, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $990 | $995 | $1,184 | $1,639 | $1,979 |
HUD income limits for West Ocean City, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,350 | $38,900 | $62,250 |
| 2 people | $26,700 | $44,450 | $71,150 |
| 3 people | $30,050 | $50,000 | $80,050 |
| 4 people | $33,350 | $55,550 | $88,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $60,000 | $96,050 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $64,450 | $103,150 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $68,900 | $110,250 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $73,350 | $117,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Worcester County, MD, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $111,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
West Ocean City is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about West Ocean City
What is the average rent in West Ocean City, MD?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in West Ocean City is $1,620 (±$304) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
Are renters in West Ocean City rent-burdened?
51.8% of renting households in West Ocean City pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in West Ocean City?
West Ocean City has an estimated 403 (±152) renting households, 18.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in West Ocean City?
The median household income in West Ocean City is $97,165 (±$19,806) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in West Ocean City, MD?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $423,700 (±$39,317) for owner-occupied homes in West Ocean City (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in West Ocean City?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in West Ocean City, MD is $2,338 (±$324) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is West Ocean City growing?
In West Ocean City, the number of residents went from 4,310 in 2015–2019 to 5,198 in 2020–2024 (+20.6%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in West Ocean City?
The ZIP code that covers West Ocean City is 21842.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 21842?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 21842 is $1,394 (±$99) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — West Ocean City CDP, Maryland
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Worcester County, MD
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Worcester County, MD
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for West Ocean City CDP, Maryland (place:83225, in state:24).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .