Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Federalsburg earns a D, ranked 254th of 259 in Maryland, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $34K, and 34% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: 15% of its land is conserved. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Federalsburg, where Maryland’s towns sit at 7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 15 of Maryland’s 329 towns score lower on hazard risk. Its National Register listings include Exeter and Federalsburg West Historic District.
Where Federalsburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Exeter| Widest gap | Federalsburg | MD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.3% | 9.9% |
Census counts: 338 in 1880, 2,833 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Federalsburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Federalsburg, 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 Federalsburg.
Federalsburg is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Maryland (mostly hurricanes) and has poverty well above the Maryland rate.
For Federalsburg, the concentration of trails is 1.8 miles per square mile. Trails total 3.5 miles in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Idylwild Wildlife Management Area, at 60 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Idylwild Wildlife Management Area | 0.2 mi | 60 |
| 2. Marina Park | 0.1 mi | 24 |
| 3. Chambers Memorial Park | — | 23 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Caroline County Public Schools. Enrollment at Federalsburg’s public school: 415 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federalsburg Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 415 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,011 U.S. towns with household incomes like Federalsburg’s, it is less healthy than 71%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
Federalsburg: 46% of adults have high blood pressure. Among 261 Maryland towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Federalsburg.
| Federalsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 11% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Federalsburg | MD |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.8% | 8.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
63.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.5% across Maryland. The median property tax bill is $1,679, against $4,093 across Maryland, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Federalsburg’s typical rent is $1,017 a month. Among households locally, 51% live in a home they own. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 1.1% of its value.
| Federalsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,017 a month | $1,810 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Among 261 Maryland towns, just 10 have a higher typical July afternoon high than Federalsburg. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 27° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Federalsburg grew to 1,793 in 2023, 170 more than in 2013. The average commute for Federalsburg comes to 27 minutes. The top destinations are Easton (9%), Hurlock (6%) and Cambridge (4%). For working residents here, the share who work locally is 13%.
| Federalsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Maryland towns; that rating is what its B for hazard risk is built on.
Households in Federalsburg have drawn federal disaster aid in 10 declared disasters, most recently in 2016. The natural-hazard score from FEMA locally is 36 of 100. The town has had 11 paid flood insurance claims since 1979. Expected losses in Federalsburg break down as 39% from hurricanes and 27% from inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
5 violent crimes were reported in 2024. Federalsburg’s property crime rate stands at 8.6 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Federalsburg | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 8.6 per 1,000 residents | 19.1 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Federalsburg; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Federalsburg residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
4 places in Federalsburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Federalsburg.
Town in Maryland
Federalsburg is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census, Federalsburg had a population of 2,833. It has one high school, Colonel Richardson High School.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Federalsburg grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #254 of 259 in Maryland. It grades D− for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($68,457 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
3 notable people were born here, including Madeline Hurlock and Robert Houston Noble.
