The story of this market
The typical home in Dorchester County, Maryland sells for about $289,092, or $166 per square foot.
Prices are up +21.8% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 72 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 89% since 2000. Last year 4 of 9 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,159 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,159 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Low.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
0%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2005 (+24.5%). Worst: 2009 (-12%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+1.1%
MD · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,605
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
0%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 9 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
49
Relatively Low
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $15,676,705.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
69.3%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1295 | 615 | 69.3% | 1.8% | $175,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Dorchester County, Maryland
The Dorchester County housing market is characterized by low inventory and steady price appreciation, driven by its appeal as a rural, waterfront destination. While sales volume remains modest, the market is supported by consistent demand for single-family homes. High flood insurance costs and limited new construction continue to be the primary constraints on market activity.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: median price corroborated by the published ten-year series (2026) (within 12.5%).
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 5 cities · 8 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 72.1% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 92 days on market with 4.4 months of supply — a balanced-paced market.
12% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 97.5% of asking — demand is running ahead of supply.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 5.2% · poverty 13.8% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Deterministic aggregate of 1 researched ZIP reports of 8 — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Dorchester County, Maryland — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 6.4%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Each property observation weighs one in its ZIP's deterministic roll-up — property-level records (taxes, scores, permits) never roll individually. Latest property research run Sep 14, 2026.
researched Oct 19
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 16
| 21613 | Cambridge | $261,885 | $174 | +72.1% | 92 | 97.5% | 12% | 4.4 | 157 | $1,742 | researched Oct 19 |
| 21632 | Federalsburg | $235,000 | $148 | +4.5% | 52 | 97.2% | 12% | 4.7 | 28 | $1,031 | researched Sep 16 |
| 21635 | Galena | $426,633 | $215 | +1.2% | 68 | 97.5% | 18% | 5.2 | 42 | $1,088 | researched Sep 16 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Crime rates in Dorchester County are generally lower than in major urban centers, though property crime remains the primary concern in the county seat of Cambridge.
The Dorchester County Public Schools system serves the area, with performance metrics generally trailing the Maryland state average.
The county faces significant flood risk due to its extensive Chesapeake Bay shoreline and low-lying topography, necessitating strict adherence to FEMA flood zone regulations.
Economic momentum is driven by agriculture, seafood processing, and tourism, with limited large-scale industrial development currently underway.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (Maryland) — Maryland Real Property Assessment and Taxation: Property is assessed at its phased-in use value. The tax is calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the applicable state and local tax rates.
The economy is anchored by agriculture, food processing, and a growing tourism sector centered on the Chesapeake Bay's natural and historical assets.
Transportation is primarily served by US Route 50, which acts as the main artery connecting the county to the rest of the Eastern Shore and the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) conducts triennial assessments for all real property in the county.
The county is served by the Dorchester County Public Schools district and various local water and sewer authorities in incorporated areas.
Property insurance premiums are elevated due to the county's high exposure to coastal flooding and storm surge events.
- Chesapeake Beach Water Park427.2 mi
- Cabin Fever Play Centre4.911.9 mi
- Rod 'N' Reel Resort4.227 mi
- Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center4.715.7 mi
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum4.725.9 mi
- Running Hare Vineyard4.524.2 mi
- Foxy's Harbor Grille4.425.7 mi
- Calvert Cliffs State Park4.514.1 mi
- Flag Ponds Nature Park4.615.3 mi
- Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center4.715.7 mi
- Suicide Bridge Restaurant4.419.6 mi
- Calvert Marine Museum4.816.5 mi
- Point Lookout State Park4.526.1 mi
- Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park4.83.3 mi
- Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center4.715.7 mi
- Calvert Marine Museum4.816.5 mi
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum4.725.9 mi
- Calvert Cliffs State Park4.514.1 mi
- Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park4.83.3 mi
- Flag Ponds Nature Park4.615.3 mi
- Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center4.83.8 mi
- Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum4.817.8 mi
- Rod 'N' Reel Resort4.227 mi
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum4.725.9 mi
- Herrington Harbour South4.729.1 mi
- Dennis Point Marina & Campground4.323.8 mi
- Spring Cove Marina4.816.3 mi
- Chesapeake Hills Golf Course3.613.8 mi
- River Marsh Golf Club4.312.3 mi
- Cedar Point Golf Club4.613.8 mi
- Atomic Seafood4.214.1 mi
- KOOL Ice & Seafood Co4.311.6 mi
- Kohl's4.318.7 mi
- Marshalls4.218.7 mi
- Emily's Produce4.88 mi
- Navy Exchange Main4.418.1 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
A massive protected area offering bird watching, hiking, and kayaking, serving as a major regional ecological anchor.
A significant cultural landmark that draws visitors for its historical education and preservation of local heritage.
Provides extensive recreational boating, fishing, and waterfront access that defines the county's lifestyle.
Data retrieved from US Census Bureau ACS profiles for Dorchester County, MD.
Public schools whose reported address is in this area (NCES). Not attendance boundaries — schools that serve residents may sit outside it. Check the district's address locator for assignment.
applies when — Applies to residential parcels located within a development subject to a declaration of covenants or restrictions requiring mandatory membership in an association.
Imposes obligations on parcel owners to pay assessments, adhere to recorded covenants, and comply with association governance and disclosure requirements upon resale.
Real Property Article Title 11B.
Maryland utilizes a judicial-supervised process. Foreclosure actions cannot be filed until 90 days after a default. Homeowners have 30 days from the date of the Notice of Report of Sale to file exceptions to the sale.
Real Property Article § 7-105.1; Maryland Rules of Procedure.
Property is assessed at its phased-in use value. The tax is calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the applicable state and local tax rates. The Homestead Property Tax Credit limits the annual increase in taxable assessment for owner-occupied residential property to a fixed percentage (set by local jurisdictions, typically 10% or less) of the prior year's assessment.
Tax-Property Article § 8-103; COMAR Title 18.
≈ $28,909/yr on a $289,092 median
applies when — Applies to the transfer of residential real property of one to four single-family units, excluding specific transfers such as initial sales of never-occupied property, foreclosure sales, or transfers by fiduciaries.
Sellers must provide either a disclosure statement detailing known latent defects or a disclaimer statement selling the property 'as is' without warranties.
Real Property Article § 10-702, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.