Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety44#514/924
Economy48#477/925
Housing18#760/925
Health44#514/925
Healthcare81#175/923
Environment73#250/917
Education48#483/925
Infrastructure35#604/925
Community15#786/925
Leisure & amenities37#585/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Salisbury, MD metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Dentists · high111 /100k
97/100Maryland 82 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low10.6 /100k
95/100Maryland 10.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Job growth · high2.5%
94/100Maryland -1.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Firearm deaths · low8.2 /100k
92/100Maryland 9.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,946 /100k
84/100Maryland 2,655 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high8.8 /10k
82/100Maryland 8.9 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Income adjusted for local prices · low$52,097
6/100Maryland $75,514United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · high42.1%
12/100Maryland 31.7%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Severe housing problems · high16.7%
19/100Maryland 15.6%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low6.4 /10k
20/100Maryland 7.2 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high40.7%
20/100Maryland 36.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · low60.8%
21/100Maryland 92.1%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
1% (2021) → 69% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+68 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
0 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
31.1% (Dec 2021) → 42.1% (Aug 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
39.6 /100k (2021) → 22.4 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−44%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
52.3% (2010 & 2021) → 60.8% (2022 & 2024)
+8.5 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Preventable hospital staysImproving
3,367 /100k (2019) → 1,946 /100k (2023)
−42%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Salisbury, MD metro area improved on 15 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 6 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Price / income−0.6×3.9× → 3.3×
Commute−1.6 min24.9 min → 23.2 min
Firearm deaths−28%11.3 /100k → 8.2 /100k
Grocery stores+13%1.4 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Restaurants+10%5.9 /10k → 6.4 /10k

Declined4

Poverty+1.8 points12.6% → 14.3%
Homicides+28%3.7 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Pharmacies−23%2.7 /10k → 2.0 /10k
Traffic deaths+6.7%12.4 /100k → 13.3 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Salisbury, MD metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.9 /10k2020	3.0 /10k2025	+5%	Improved	40%
Average commute time	24.9 min2015-2019	23.2 min2020-2024	−1.6 min	Improved	94%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.3%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Broadband subscriptions	80.8%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+7.9 points	Improved	37%
Child poverty rate	20.2%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	−4 points	Improved	68%
Distance to an airport	81 mi2020	81 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	13%
Drug overdose deaths	49.2 /100k2020	22.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−54%	Improved	86%
Effective property tax rate	0.52%2015-2019	0.75%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Little change	0%
Firearm deaths	11.3 /100k2020	8.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−28%	Improved	90%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	82%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−2.8%	Little change	33%
High school diploma or higher	88.0%2015-2019	89.9%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	−0.6×	Improved	99%
Homicide rate	3.7 /100k2020	4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+28%	Declined	9%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,5822019	$52,0972024	+25%	Improved	9%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4542015-2019	0.4502020-2024	−0.004	Within the margin of error	68%
Median household income	$60,4462015-2019	$73,8022020-2024	+22%	Improved	23%
New business applications	9.7 /1k2020	11.5 /1k2025	+19%	Improved	16%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−23%	Declined	15%
Poverty rate	12.6%2015-2019	14.3%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Declined	7%
Property crime rate	1,589 /100k2020	1,147 /100k2025	−28%	Improved	37%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−1.4%	Little change	53%
Rent as share of income	31.6%2015-2019	29.9%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Rent-burdened households	52.9%2015-2019	49.8%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Restaurants and bars	5.9 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	80%
Traffic deaths	12.4 /100k2015-2019	13.3 /100k2020-2024	+6.7%	Declined	50%
Unemployment rate	7.0%2020	4.4%2025	−2.6 points	Improved	37%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.2%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Violent crime rate	445 /100k2020	359 /100k2025	−19%	Improved	55%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Salisbury, MD metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Salisbury, MD metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Salisbury, MD metro area itself moved −0.8 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

129,736 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

48,818 households (±674)

Salisbury, MD metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%8,083
$25k–50k17%8,094
$50k–75k18%8,754

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

48,818 households (±674)

Salisbury, MD metro area
United States share

Own64%31,307
Rent36%17,511

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Rent (+9.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

60,340 workers (±1,225)

Salisbury, MD metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%47,415
Carpool9.4%5,655
Public transit0.3%†173

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Salisbury, MD employ 12,220 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 8 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Salisbury, MD by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons1,790 jobs	1,790	$33,010US $35,410	−7%	1.33×
Registered Nurses1,620 jobs	1,620	$94,880US $97,550	−3%	1.39×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,590 jobs	1,590	$31,200US $31,200	0%	1.19×
General and Operations Managers1,410 jobs	1,410	$91,500US $105,770	−13%	1.17×
Cashiers1,200 jobs	1,200	$31,200US $32,880	−5%	1.12×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive1,150 jobs	1,150	$47,140US $47,540	−1%	1.95×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,010 jobs	1,010	$37,570US $35,800	+5%	0.68×
Nursing Assistants830 jobs	830	$38,740US $42,260	−8%	1.65×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners810 jobs	810	$35,650US $36,840	−3%	1.07×
Customer Service Representatives810 jobs	810	$37,260US $44,770	−17%	0.91×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Salisbury, MD.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Salisbury, MD has 2,855 employer establishments, 219 for every 10,000 residents (0.88× the US rate of 248), with 39,390 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,716. The Census Bureau also counts 9,989 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,855; 9,989 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 219; US 248
Paid employees: 39,390
Average annual pay: $51,716; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Salisbury, MD by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	247	18.9	0.91×About typical	3,086	$79,285	445
Specialty trade contractors	205	15.7	1.01×About typical	1,480	$54,789	708
Restaurants and other eating places	198	15.2	0.83×About typical	3,716	$20,805	48
Lessors of real estate	141	10.8	0.88×About typical	410	$43,829	914
Limited-service restaurants	101	7.7	0.96×About typical	1,806	$19,287	21
Religious organizations	92	7	1.27×More than typical	537	$23,546	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	92	7	1.04×About typical	608	$38,572	921
Construction of buildings	89	6.8	0.90×About typical	335	$66,122	349
Full-service restaurants	76	5.8	0.76×Fewer than typical	1,634	$22,344	22
Offices of physicians	76	5.8	0.90×About typical	1,298	$110,760	59
Building equipment contractors	71	5.4	0.90×About typical	635	$57,731	129
Offices of other health practitioners	69	5.3	0.87×About typical	326	$50,227	173

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 130,620 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4.7M on contracts performed in Salisbury, MD metro area: $35.78 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $4.7M; −73% vs FY2025
Per resident: $35.78; US $1,994
Sole-source: 4.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$3.1M66%
Defense Logistics Agency$611.1K13%
Departmental Offices$431.1K9.1%
U.S. Coast Guard$374.6K7.9%
Department of the Air Force$238.7K5.1%
Federal Aviation Administration$85.9K1.8%
Department of the Navy$76.7K1.6%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$72.8K1.5%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

41MFY2017
56.4MFY2018
51.2MFY2019
26.6MFY2020
23MFY2021
26.6MFY2022
18MFY2023
22.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$3.8M81%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$431.1K9.1%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$339.1K7.2%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$253.1K5.4%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$170.1K3.6%
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors · 2381

Largest awards

THE PURPOSE OF DO W15QKN25F0042 IS FOR THE MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLY, INSPECTION, PACKAGING, AND DELIVERY OF THE 120MM (M31) MORTAR TAIL FINS.$3.4M
MACHINING TECHNOLOGIES, INC· Wicomico County, MD· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Dec 17, 2024 – Jan 6, 2026· W15QKN25F0042
H.SANDY CRISFIELD REPAIR WATERFRONT PN: 5251661 CG STATION CRISFIELD CRISFIELD, MD AC&I ACCOUNT: 3403S8$2.5M
AMERICAN ARTISANS GROUP LLC· Somerset County, MD· Construction & real property· Oct 14, 2025 – Oct 14, 2025· HSCG8314CPAC125
TO MANUFACTURE, TEST, PACKAGE, AND DELIVER 120MM (M31) MORTAR TAIL FINS.$2.5M
MACHINING TECHNOLOGIES, INC· Wicomico County, MD· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jun 12, 2026 – Jun 12, 2026· W15QKN26F0201

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $817.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Salisbury, MD metro area: $6,199 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $817.5M; −5.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,199; US $12,955
Loan face value: $25.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$486M59%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$64.6M7.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$62M7.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$39.4M4.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$29.7M3.6%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$27.7M3.4%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$9.1M1.1%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$8.9M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND ES$34.1M4.2%
PRINCESS ANNE, MD
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$23.4M2.9%
BALTIMORE, MD
SALISBURY UNIVERSITY$12.8M1.6%
SALISBURY, MD
WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE INC$7.8M1.0%
SALISBURY, MD
SHORE UP, INC.$6.5M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$619.6M76%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$70.2M8.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$39.7M4.9%
Federal Highway Administration$23.5M2.9%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner$9.2M

Assistance by fiscal year

772.5MFY2021
694.7MFY2022
760.1MFY2023
796.7MFY2024
861.3MFY2025
817.5MFY2026

County aggregates

85%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Salisbury, MD

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SalisburyPrincipal city33,285

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Maryland

Areas based in Maryland, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M41540

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Salisbury, MD metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Salisbury, MD

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Maryland

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type