The 10 Worst Small Towns In Maryland For 2024


The worst small towns in Maryland are Crisfield and Eden for 2024 based on Friday Night Science.

Most Americans have never been to small town Maryland. However, as the Marylander who live there know, small town Maryland is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Maryland has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Old Line State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 127 of Maryland’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Maryland where you’d never want to live:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


These are the worst small towns in Maryland for 2024:

  1. Crisfield
  2. Eden
  3. Perryman
  4. Federalsburg
  5. Willards
  6. Snow Hill
  7. Hurlock
  8. Greensboro
  9. Denton
  10. Hancock

Worst Small Towns To Live In Maryland Map

So what is the worst small town to call home in Maryland for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Crisfield is the worst small town to live in Maryland.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Crisfield home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Maryland or the worst places to live in Maryland.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Maryland For 2024

1. Crisfield

Crisfield, MD

Source: Wikipedia User Acroterion | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,445
Median Home Value: $150,670
Median Income: $38,417
Unemployment Rate: 14.5%

2. Eden

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,008
Median Home Value: $314,053
Median Income: $28,808
Unemployment Rate: 10.3%

3. Perryman

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,403
Median Home Value: $241,594
Median Income: $48,158
Unemployment Rate: 19.7%

4. Federalsburg

Federalsburg, MD

Source: Wikipedia User Don Woods | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,818
Median Home Value: $213,489
Median Income: $33,511
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%

5. Willards

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,161
Median Home Value: $265,430
Median Income: $71,184
Unemployment Rate: 12.6%

6. Snow Hill

Snow Hill, MD

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,359
Median Home Value: $273,497
Median Income: $51,667
Unemployment Rate: 10.4%

7. Hurlock

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,284
Median Home Value: $245,505
Median Income: $57,313
Unemployment Rate: 6.5%

8. Greensboro

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,780
Median Home Value: $281,695
Median Income: $43,750
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%

9. Denton

Denton, MD

Source: Wikipedia User AMK1211 | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,836
Median Home Value: $329,754
Median Income: $59,155
Unemployment Rate: 7.2%

10. Hancock

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,583
Median Home Value: $215,603
Median Income: $44,792
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Maryland is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Maryland, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower, the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 127 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Maryland.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Maryland

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Old Line State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Maryland are Crisfield, Eden, Perryman, Federalsburg, Willards, Snow Hill, Hurlock, Greensboro, Denton, and Hancock.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Maryland, according to science:

  1. Chevy Chase Section Three (Pop. 1,026)
  2. Chevy Chase Village (Pop. 1,885)
  3. Somerset (Pop. 1,028)

For more Maryland reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Maryland

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income
1 Crisfield 2,445 14.5% $150,670 $38,417
2 Eden 1,008 10.3% $314,053 $28,808
3 Perryman 2,403 19.7% $241,594 $48,158
4 Federalsburg 2,818 7.4% $213,489 $33,511
5 Willards 1,161 12.6% $265,430 $71,184
6 Snow Hill 2,359 10.4% $273,497 $51,667
7 Hurlock 2,284 6.5% $245,505 $57,313
8 Greensboro 2,780 4.4% $281,695 $43,750
9 Denton 4,836 7.2% $329,754 $59,155
10 Hancock 1,583 4.1% $215,603 $44,792
11 Ridgely 1,727 7.5% $339,144 $65,060
12 Cresaptown 4,746 0.0% $152,032 $54,070
13 Trappe 1,019 8.8% $379,887 $65,139
14 Prince Frederick 2,491 10.1% $435,850 $61,293
15 Hebron 1,127 6.0% $280,156 $63,523
16 Maugansville 2,770 7.1% $274,793 $62,375
17 Pittsville 2,205 3.3% $272,948 $68,594
18 Mountain Lake Park 2,117 7.4% $201,074 $55,000
19 Wilson-Conococheague 1,694 3.0% $260,238 $56,307
20 Lonaconing 1,071 3.9% $108,016 $51,944
21 Delmar 3,897 8.7% $272,682 $69,028
22 Seat Pleasant 4,544 18.9% $299,746 $54,613
23 Edmonston 1,751 10.3% $374,627 $88,750
24 Fairmount Heights 1,490 7.1% $334,037 $74,750
25 Westernport 1,993 6.1% $88,358 $50,938
26 Pocomoke City 4,318 6.7% $207,547 $48,609
27 Charlotte Hall 1,410 6.5% $455,616 $119,306
28 Cottage City 1,115 5.2% $348,639 $66,250
29 Melwood 3,438 5.2% $429,856 $76,625
30 Highfield-Cascade 1,031 2.7% $248,713 $73,854
31 Brentwood 3,782 5.6% $386,783 $78,494
32 Emmitsburg 2,818 4.0% $334,964 $74,563
33 Forest Heights 2,641 12.4% $336,362 $94,555
34 Algonquin 1,055 8.0% $304,384 $64,185
35 Colmar Manor 1,516 7.8% $348,778 $91,250
36 Oakland 1,995 2.0% $288,061 $61,568
37 Rock Hall 1,456 5.2% $311,192 $56,442
38 Church Hill 1,084 0.4% $391,586 $66,432
39 Perryville 4,398 5.3% $316,204 $71,579
40 Capitol Heights 4,033 6.8% $313,153 $89,167
41 Landover Hills 2,118 11.3% $355,664 $100,739
42 Andrews Afb 3,099 4.9% $0 $83,966
43 St. Michaels 1,523 7.6% $673,274 $73,415
44 Williamsport 1,915 4.1% $305,121 $58,819
45 Princess Anne 3,440 2.1% $203,226 $42,250
46 Marlboro Meadows 3,757 5.0% $372,804 $97,330
47 North East 4,061 4.7% $351,633 $85,378
48 Potomac Heights 1,166 2.9% $79,681 $66,202
49 Chester 4,456 2.4% $468,606 $90,201
50 Grasonville 3,332 3.0% $538,488 $109,375
51 Morningside 1,035 12.2% $324,779 $84,444
52 Smithsburg 3,028 3.4% $338,755 $89,167
53 Bowling Green 1,102 5.6% $126,534 $59,773
54 Aberdeen Proving Ground 2,703 6.3% $0 $118,750
55 Piney Point 1,033 11.1% $447,868 $100,313
56 Croom 2,842 7.8% $623,642 $146,387
57 Mechanicsville 1,783 3.9% $398,348 $114,318
58 Berwyn Heights 3,312 4.8% $427,367 $132,625
59 North Beach 2,646 16.9% $385,369 $78,442
60 Konterra 3,104 7.6% $511,450 $150,274
61 Rising Sun 2,756 4.9% $362,196 $78,403
62 Lusby 2,350 3.1% $334,575 $109,861
63 Derwood 1,850 6.6% $588,369 $77,083
64 New Windsor 1,304 12.9% $433,786 $96,667
65 Spencerville 1,277 0.0% $722,147 $107,019
66 Jarrettsville 2,677 7.6% $503,837 $157,422
67 Braddock Heights 2,857 3.4% $497,001 $121,466
68 Calvert Beach 1,026 4.6% $335,300 $104,063
69 Kingstown 1,874 1.3% $264,330 $88,214
70 Crownsville 1,363 3.4% $609,366 $112,411
71 Charle 2,050 3.2% $367,598 $103,098
72 Arden On The Severn 1,363 4.7% $467,891 $89,375
73 Queen Anne 1,516 8.7% $435,606 $179,625
74 National Harbor 4,268 2.6% $421,463 $128,446
75 Boonsboro 3,785 3.5% $376,592 $96,111
76 Springdale 4,950 5.2% $463,025 $134,688
77 Indian Head 3,931 2.2% $323,189 $77,948
78 Gambrills 3,111 2.0% $586,212 $146,875
79 La Vale 4,351 2.7% $178,699 $73,778
80 Kingsville 4,652 0.6% $502,268 $120,481
81 Libertytown 1,275 1.6% $445,473 $106,444
82 Baden 1,902 6.3% $537,479 $144,712
83 Bel Air 1,670 1.8% $432,116 $76,250
84 Deale 4,706 7.3% $485,635 $117,253
85 Keedysville 1,172 4.8% $421,716 $136,667
86 Paramount-Long Meadow 2,795 4.8% $399,773 $89,490
87 Drum Point 2,979 3.0% $421,356 $135,216
88 Woodmore 4,375 7.3% $547,678 $172,388
89 Woodsboro 1,240 1.7% $467,682 $127,000
90 Leonar 4,586 1.4% $492,008 $138,295
91 Cobb Island 1,298 3.9% $348,629 $127,442
92 Bartonsville 2,373 2.5% $576,470 $131,789
93 Buckeystown 1,235 3.4% $509,962 $124,137
94 Shady Side 4,959 4.6% $392,700 $133,378
95 St. James 4,106 0.5% $413,167 $105,962
96 Golden Beach 3,933 2.1% $373,547 $118,500
97 Jefferson 2,742 3.5% $529,681 $137,667
98 Centreville 4,700 2.3% $479,673 $101,455
99 West Laurel 4,332 2.8% $476,602 $154,014
100 Point Of Rocks 2,360 3.6% $447,770 $126,944
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

9 thoughts on “The 10 Worst Small Towns In Maryland For 2024

  1. You have an inaccuracy regarding Crellin. I’m not from Crellin, but rather a larger town nearby that didn’t make your list. I realize you qualified that 45 minutes to the nearest town would be during a snow storm, but you’d have to be walking for it to take that long even with bad weather. I get the impression you didn’t interview many people when compiling your list. A lot of people in the areas with which I am familiar are quite happy living there, which is why they haven’t moved. I understand the spirit of your article, but highly recommend more thorough fact checking.

  2. Not only that. But I’d say your unemployment numbers are way off. You don’t think a hard working farmer is,employed?

  3. I’ve been sitting here trying to think of a polite way to respond to your article, but alas the only thing I can come up with is that you are a complete bonehead! Maryland has long considered the real Western Maryland, west of Frederick for you flatlanders, and the Eastern Shore red headed step children, but where do you all go in Maryland for your winter and summer fun close to home? I live in Garrett County and am darn proud of it, having been born and raised in the Baltimore metro area, I’ll take these small towns and the people here any day of the week. I challenge you to spend more than a few days out here and just maybe you’ll change your tune and if not go back to the city life cause we don’t need you anyway! By the way, your crime rate figures are a joke, nobody out here trashed their city or town because someone got killed, yes we have our crime and drug problems but at least I don’t have to carry a gun with me everywhere I go.

  4. Grew up in kitzmiller don’t know where you got your info but No One goes to that shop in elk garden. The town does rather quickly after the county stopped funding the elementary school and took our children 30 minutes away. Rather a shithole town with the worst mayor and council in many years.

  5. There on thing that bugs me about this, I’ve lived in pocomoke the majority of my life and this post said, “This Somerset county has a Walmart” first off most of this town especially the part where the Walmart is is in Worcester County, there is a very small portion was Pocomoke that is in Somerset and that is across the bridge more on the Northern eastern side, not West Pocomoke. This isn’t a big deal I just can stand the inaccuracy. If you did described the real West Pocomoke you would be right in this town it is the undesirable part of town, but you completely missed the area you were talking about when you were describing it. In fact the one area that is in Somerset is the country and is somewhat a desirable place to live, well at least more desirable than West Pocomoke.

  6. This “article” is insulting. Who apporved this trash? The only reason anyone has read it is because the title immediately comes off as snobby and directed at people who live in small towns. You cannot write something, and publish it based solely on statistics crunching and Google Street View. It’s rediculous and the author and whoever appoved it should see just how hard it is to live as an Unemployment Statistic.

  7. Where do you get off posting such crap?? I don’t know where you got your numbers but they are WRONG!! Finzel has the worst crime rate – are you kidding me??? I guess you haven’t counted Baltimore and all the surrounding areas?? Who are you to call any town a douchebag town? And GHETTO??? Again, have you over looked Baltimore and surrounding areas??? DID you even bother to drive through any of these towns – spend any time there – talk with any of the people?? You are completely wrong in this so called assessment and have absolutely no clue what you are talking about! Get the facts by spending time in these areas – go to the courthouses and get the public records and employment before you go running your mouth. Clearly the pictures came from Google maps and you showed the worst possible pictures out there! You are a complete moron of the worst kind. You think you are so smart but all you have done is piss off a bunch of people who love their towns and their people.

  8. It’s funny, people from the rest of the state like to look down on us in Western Maryland but you don’t seem to have a problem coming to vacation here or taking our tax dollars. It’s okay though, articles like this keep snobbish city people out of our lovely rural communities where there is incredibly little crime (your numbers aren’t particularly detailed and are, of course, skewed by the population). In fact, crime only seems to start to go up when people from downstate move here. Isn’t that an odd coincidence?

  9. I live in eden. I like the small town values, it beats city life any day. Don’t agree with the most high school drop outs either just your personal opinion which I don’t give a rat’s ass about.

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