Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Berlin grades B+ overall, ranked 103rd of 259 in Maryland. Its public schools beat 96% of Maryland towns on state tests and graduation. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $440K, 5.4 years of the Ocean Pines area’s $82K median household income. Berlin has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Burley Manor and Caleb's Discovery. Among 55 Maryland towns, just 2 have a lower violent crime rate than Berlin. Berlin is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns.
Where Berlin beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Elementary | PK–4 | 518 |
| Stephen Decatur Middle | 7–8 | 665 |
| Berlin Intermediate | 5–6 | 613 |
Burley Manor4,485 counted in 2010 and 5,026 in 2020; an estimated 5,335 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5.9% since 2020, after 12.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Berlin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 834 in 1860, 5,026 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 5 maps from 1901 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berlin. Close and well known come first.
6 mi National SeashoreAssateague Island National Seashore2.3M visitors a year8 mi Theme parkJolly Roger Amusement Park
7 mi Theme parkTrimper's Rides
32 mi LandmarkFort Miles
28 mi Theme parkFunland (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware)20 mi Zoo & aquariumSalisbury ZooAssateague Island National Seashore: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Trimper's Rides: Mttbme, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Miles: Unknown, Public domain · Funland (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware): Tsole, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berlin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Berlin.
Berlin has schools in the top 5% of Maryland and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Maryland; it also has poverty well above the Maryland rate.
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 261 Maryland towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $440K.
Its public schools are run by the Worcester County Public Schools. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Stephen Decatur High, with 1,462 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Decatur MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 665 | B+ |
| Stephen Decatur HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,462 | A+ |
| Berlin IntermediateTop results in townGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 613 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
2.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Heron Park, 36 acres with 1.1 miles of trail. At 0.7 miles per square mile, Berlin’s trail density is close to Maryland’s towns (0.6) and above U.S. towns (0.4).
| Berlin | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.5% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heron Park | 1.1 mi | 36 |
| 2. Stephen Decatur Park | 0.7 mi | 18 |
| 3. Northern Worcester Athletic Complex | 0.2 mi | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 2012, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Berlin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
At 6.3 per 1,000 residents, Berlin’s property crime rate is below both the Maryland town median (14.4) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Berlin has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 29° and about 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,156 working residents takes 21.3 minutes, against 31.1 across Maryland.
Most working residents leave Berlin for work: only 14% work in town. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Berlin. The top destinations are Ocean City (13%), Salisbury (10%) and West Ocean City (7%).
| Berlin | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
18.9% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.4% across Maryland, which weighs on its B− for jobs and income.
Children under 18 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). Berlin has grown 5.9% since 2020, to 5,335 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 42% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 44% across Maryland.
| Berlin | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.6 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 42% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 16% | 18% |
58% women, 42% men
About 71 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.7 points). Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 72% are women (MD 49%).
| Berlin | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.2% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.1% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.6% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.8% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.3% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.2% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.2% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 69% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar.
Berlin beats the Maryland average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 18% of Berlin adults binge drink.
| Berlin | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 38% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 79% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Berlin | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 32.1% | 37.7% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.8% | 14.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median rent in Berlin is $1,091 a month.
| Berlin | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,091 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Berlin; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Berlin residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
4 places in Berlin on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Berlin.
Town in Maryland, United States
Berlin is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States which includes its own historical Berlin Commercial District. As of the 2020 census, Berlin had a population of 5,026. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Berlin grades B+ overall, better than 75% of U.S. towns and #103 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
8 notable people were born here, including Charles Albert Tindley and Charles Heber Clark.
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