Salisbury, MD

This city of 33,962 residents needs 1,585 more housing units over the next five years. Salisbury is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Salisbury is part of the Salisbury-Wicomico MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
33,962 (2026)
Households
13,224
Median household income
$66,733 (2026)
Typical home value
$249,958
Owner-occupied
24%
Five-year housing need
1,585 units

Comparison to other Maryland municipalities

Salisbury: $66,733 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$33K >$230K
Salisbury: 1.99 jobs to household ratio
<0.07 >2.94
Salisbury: Permits since 2021 represent 2.6% of housing
<0.1% >13.7%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

At $249,958, homes in Salisbury, MD cost well below the Maryland average of $394,079. Salisbury, MD's median household income of $66,733 puts the typical home within reach for most households.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Salisbury, MD has a population of roughly 33,285, growing modestly at 0.7% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

With roughly 13,224 households, Salisbury, MD is growing modestly at 0.7% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

The housing stock in Salisbury, MD is relatively mixed, with detached single-family as the most common type at 38%. Salisbury, MD is a heavily renter-occupied market, with just 24% of households owning their home.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Salisbury, MD needs 1,585 new units over the next 5 years.

844
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
6.4%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 13,224 in 2026 to 14,068 in 2031.
741
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
123
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.7 per 1,000 units.
439
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 3.3%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
179
Overcrowding adjustment
Overcrowding rate is 4.8%. This is above National avg. of 3.4%.
1,585
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
317
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
10.8%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
2.2%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How does this place compare to similar communities?