Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway - Choptank Settlement Plaque, 2008
Choptank’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1995 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
- 1883Choptank is settled
ChoptankMD
With 186 residents, this town was settled in 1883.
Population
186
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$286K
Census ACS
Household income
$128K
median
Median age
43.2
years
Jobs based here
2
A commuter town
Settled
1883
143 years ago
Is Choptank a good place to live?
6.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Choptank, below both the Maryland town median (42%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Choptank has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
186 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Choptank.
Work & commute
Choptank has 0.0 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
0%work in town
The average trip to work for Choptank comes to 36 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 14 miles. The top destinations are Easton (19%), Cambridge (7%) and Federalsburg (3%).
| Choptank | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $128,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.1% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Choptank0%
Easton19%
Cambridge7%
Federalsburg3%
Denton3%
14 mi
median commute distance
2
jobs based in Choptank
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–47°
Spring45–66°
Summer67–86°
Fall50–69°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Apr 1
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Choptank is
Choptank: 31% of adults feel lonely. Against the Maryland average, Choptank comes out ahead on 10 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 7.
| Choptank | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 79% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
10 better15 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Choptank | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.9% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.1% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.9% | 7.6% |
University of MD Shore Medical Center at Easton
9.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Choptank is 46 of 100, against 6 of 100 in Maryland’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns
46risk score of 100
FEMA puts a third of Choptank’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 21% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingDrought
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
A home in Choptank sells for about $262K at the median
$262Kmedian sale price
Among households in Choptank, 63% own their home.
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Choptank
15pages on Choptank
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 168 attractions →Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Choptank. Close and well known come first.
37 mi Stadium & arenaNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
17 mi Ancient siteWye House
36 mi LandmarkUnited States Naval Academy Cemetery
36 mi LandmarkTripoli Monument
40 mi MuseumPatuxent River Naval Air Museum
16 mi MuseumChesapeake Bay Maritime MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium: Damon J. Moritz, Public domain · Wye House: Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain · United States Naval Academy Cemetery: Unknown, Public domain · Tripoli Monument: Employees of the United States Naval Academy, Public domain · Patuxent River Naval Air Museum: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Dough4872, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Choptank: who provides what
Choptank is unincorporated, so Caroline County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDelmarva Power21.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCaroline CountyCaroline County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Maryland you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCaroline County Board of ElectionsCaroline County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2165521655 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Choptank for work
Where Choptank’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2jobs based in Choptank
0%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Choptank; the nearest are
Chesapeake CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wye Mills20 mi$4,274 in-state tuitionSalisbury UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Salisbury29.8 mi$11,084 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Choptank residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
About Choptank
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Choptank is an unincorporated town and census-designated place on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 129. The town was founded in the 17th century. It is located on the tidal Choptank River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Tradition has it that the name "choptank" was an Anglicization of the Algonquian tshapetank and its namesake tribe. The town is located at the southwestern corner of Caroline County on the northeast bank of the Choptank River, just north of where Hunting Creek enters the river from the east. The Choptank River flows southwest 11 miles (18 km) to the city of Cambridge and 25 miles (4…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5 ft
Questions about Choptank
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Choptank, MD a good place to live?
Choptank has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Choptank is in here
Say something about Choptank.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.