Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cambridge earns a D−, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns, mostly because of safety and incomes. It reports more crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, including 65 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $47K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 11 places on the National Register. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Cambridge, above both Maryland’s towns (7%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 3 of Maryland’s 329 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include PATRICIA (log canoe) and Stanley Institute.
Where Cambridge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Stanley Institute
Census counts: 1,862 in 1860, 13,096 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1849 and 4 maps from 1904 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Cambridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cambridge, 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 Cambridge.
Cambridge fares better on crime within Maryland than nationally and trades workers with Easton and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the Maryland rate.
At 60.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 82% of Maryland’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 624 to 553 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Cambridge is 36.7 per 1,000 residents. Cambridge reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less. The violent crime rate in Cambridge is 4.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Cambridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 36.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Dorchester County Public Schools. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, with 811 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mace's Lane Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 490 | C− |
| Cambridge-South Dorchester High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 811 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
19% of Cambridge adults have diabetes. Only 1 of the 261 Maryland towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Cambridge. 46% of Cambridge adults have obesity.
| Cambridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 35% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Cambridge | MD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.6% | 76.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.6% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 58 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cambridge.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Cambridge home is worth about $260,000, about the same as a year ago, 39% below the Maryland typical home. 41% of households own their home in Cambridge.
| Cambridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,058 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7.7 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Blackwater Area - East, at 433 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Great Marsh Park | 0.5 mi | 18 |
| 2. Sailwinds Park | 0.5 mi | 16 |
| 3. Blackwater Area - East | — | 433 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Cambridge has mild winters and warm summers. Cambridge’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cambridge has about as many jobs (6,312) as working residents, but only 1,442 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 23.5 minutes, against 31.1 across Maryland.
Among 261 Maryland towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than Cambridge. About one in 4 of Cambridge’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Cambridge grew to 6,312 in 2023, 459 more than in 2013.
| Cambridge | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cambridge. Close and well known come first.
38 mi Stadium & arenaNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
37 mi State parkPoint Lookout State Park
37 mi LandmarkUnited States Naval Academy Cemetery
21 mi Ancient siteWye House
39 mi Ancient siteU-1105
37 mi LandmarkTripoli MonumentNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium: Damon J. Moritz, Public domain · Point Lookout State Park: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · United States Naval Academy Cemetery: Unknown, Public domain · Wye House: Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain · U-1105: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Tripoli Monument: Employees of the United States Naval Academy, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Cambridge; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Cambridge residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
Coastal flooding makes up 10% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
11 places in Cambridge on the National Register of Historic Places.
20 notable people were born in Cambridge.
City in Maryland, United States
Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 13,096 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality. Cambridge is the fourth most populous city in Maryland's Eastern Shore region, after Salisbury, Elkton and Easton.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Cambridge.
Algonquin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Algonquin reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Cambridge with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cambridge grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns. It grades D for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($61,839 across the Cambridge, MD area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
20 notable people were born here, including John Barth and Stephen Allen Benson.
