Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,075, established in 1781. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Trash day: WednesdayDenton grades D− overall, ranked 257th of 259 in Maryland, mostly because of health and safety. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country. It reports more crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns, including 21 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. It also has a long history, with 3 places on the National Register. Only 15 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on incomes. Its National Register listings include Denton Armory and Denton Historic District. Only 23 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on hazard risk.
Where Denton beats most towns.
Census counts: 431 in 1870, 4,848 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 3 maps from 1905 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Denton is from typical.
Its best grade is an A for history (#12 of 261 in Maryland; established 1781; 3 places on the National Register; 5 notable people born here), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its D− comes from the livability subjects above.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Denton, 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 Denton.
19% of Denton adults smoke cigarettes, against 11% in Maryland’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Denton. Denton beats the Maryland average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 24.
| Denton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Denton | MD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.2% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 5.9% |
| More smokers | 18.8% | 10.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Caroline County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockerman Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 827 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
At 28.6 per 1,000 residents, Denton’s property crime rate is above both Maryland’s towns (13.8) and U.S. towns (9.9). The violent crime rate in Denton is 4.1 per 1,000 residents. Denton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 87% report less.
| Denton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 28.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Denton has chilly winters and warm summers. Denton’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.1 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Sharp Road Community Park, at 20 acres.
| Denton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sharp Road Community Park | 0.9 mi | 20 |
| 2. Daniel Crouse Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Wheeler Park | 0.2 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Denton has about as many jobs (2,633) as working residents, but only 276 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Denton for work: only 12% work in town. Since 2013, Denton has lost 622 jobs, to 2,633 in 2023. 13% of Denton residents live below the poverty line.
| Denton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Denton home is worth about $358,000, about the same as a year ago, 16% below the Maryland typical home.
| Denton | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,043 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Denton. Close and well known come first.
37 mi Stadium & arenaNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
19 mi Ancient siteWye House
37 mi LandmarkUnited States Naval Academy Cemetery
26 mi MuseumAir Mobility Command Museum
36 mi LandmarkTripoli Monument
40 mi LandmarkFort MilesNavy–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 · Air Mobility Command Museum: Teamski1, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tripoli Monument: Employees of the United States Naval Academy, Public domain · Fort Miles: Unknown, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Denton
About 5 of every 100 Denton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
3 places in Denton on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Denton.
Town in Maryland
Denton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census, Denton had a population of 4,848. It is the county seat of Caroline County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Denton.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denton | #257 | D− | C | D | C | D |
| West Denton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
West Denton isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Denton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Denton grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #257 of 259 in Maryland. It grades D for health, D for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Maryland, it does better than 35% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
Denton was established in 1781 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 5 notable people were born here, including Anna Murray-Douglass and Sherman W. Tribbitt.
