The Town Files

Ocean Pines, Maryland

Community in Worcester County · population 12,145 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ocean Pines is in MarylandOcean Pines
Median home
$380,100
Household income
$91,824
Jan low / Jul high
28° / 84°
Snow a year
8 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
62.4

Ocean Pines is a community of 12,145 people in Worcester County, Maryland. The median home is worth $380,100, below the typical Maryland town ($412,300). It ranks better for a vacation home than 100% of Maryland towns, better for retirees than 97% of Maryland towns, quieter than 92% of Maryland towns.

How Ocean Pines ranks

Percentile among Maryland towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maryland towns.

Ocean Pines lifestyle rankings vs other Maryland townsRetirement97th pctFamilies73rd pctQuiet92nd pctWalkability27th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals9th pctVibrancy40th pctHip & trendy32nd pctCollege town38th pctUpscale39th pctVacation homes100th pctSeaside character88th pctCyclingbottomTransit16th pctDriving79th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Ocean Pines is worth $380,100, below the typical Maryland town ($412,300). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $91,824, which is more affordable than 37% of Maryland towns. Median rent is $2,069 a month. 90.5% of households own their home.

Ocean Pines vs Worcester County vs typical Maryland townOcean PinesWorcester CountyTypical Maryland townHome value$380,100$374,700$412,300Household income$91,824$81,745$108,677Monthly rent$2,069$1,159$1,748
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maryland towns with 500+ people.
HousingOcean PinesTypical Maryland town
Median home value$380,100$412,300
Median rent$2,069$1,748
Median household income$91,824$108,677
Home value ÷ income4.1×3.8×
Homeownership90.5%77.3%
Median year built19921980
Seasonal / vacation homes32.9%—

Who lives in Ocean Pines

PeopleOcean PinesTypical Maryland town
Median age62.440.2
Age 65 and over44.2%16.4%
Under 1812.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher40.4%39.4%
Below the poverty line5.5%7.1%
Veterans11.4%—
Born outside the U.S.4.1%—
Work from home17.2%17.4%
Average commute25.9 min31.4 min
Homes with broadband93.1%94.3%

Weather in Ocean Pines

July highs average 84.2°F and January lows 27.9°F. About 42.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 7.8 inches of snow (typical Maryland town: 15.9 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 81 nights at or below freezing.

Ocean Pines monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing45°28°Jan47°29°Feb52°35°Mar62°44°Apr70°53°May79°63°Jun84°68°Jul83°67°Aug77°61°Sep68°49°Oct58°39°Nov50°32°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.42.53.02.93.90.93.00.13.83.33.83.83.94.03.23.61.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Ocean City Muni Ap station (5.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ocean Pines since 1950, compared with 18 for the typical Maryland town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 9, 1962 about 4.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 4, 2020.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ocean Pines by decade11950s21960s01970s01980s11990s12000s22010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 13 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 30, 1976.

Severe weather in Worcester County since 1996

Storm events in Worcester County since 1996 by typeHail27Flood14High Wind16Heavy Rain67Flash Flood26Rip Current13Strong Wind10Winter Storm56
NOAA Storm Events Database, Worcester County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 13 deaths recorded.

Worcester County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3634: Severe Winter Storm
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4491: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3430: Covid-19
March 4, 2016SnowstormDR-4261: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
November 20, 2012HurricaneDR-4091: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Worcester County

Worcester County had 26,303 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,838 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Ocean Pines itself the ACS puts it at 6%.

Largest industries in Worcester CountyHotels & restaurants8,377 jobs · $32,914Retail3,906 jobs · $36,263Health care & social assistan…2,383 jobs · $59,810Arts & recreation1,285 jobs · $36,338Construction1,217 jobs · $54,498Professional & technical serv…931 jobs · $62,885
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Worcester County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Worcester 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Ocean Pines

Ocean Pines questions

Is Ocean Pines, Maryland a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ocean Pines scores better for retirees than 97% of Maryland towns and quieter than 92%. 44.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 62.4).

How much does a house cost in Ocean Pines?

The median owner-occupied home in Ocean Pines is valued at $380,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $91,824, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $2,069 a month.

What is the weather like in Ocean Pines?

July highs average 84.2°F and January lows 27.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.6 inches of precipitation a year and 7.8 inches of snow.

Does Ocean Pines get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ocean Pines since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 9, 1962. The typical Maryland town has had 18.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ocean Pines's Census boundary (GEOID 2458275). Comparisons use the median of Maryland towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.