Captain Robert S. Craig Cottage · Photo: Linda Roy Walls · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Maryland, Ocean City is healthier than 39% of graded towns
Ocean City differs from Maryland on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ocean City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ocean City
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Ocean City
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.4%), vs 7.6% across Maryland. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.4%), vs 5.8% across Maryland. COPD is also above the state: 8.2%, vs 5.9% across Maryland. In all, Ocean City runs above Maryland on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Maryland 17%), and cancer, heart disease and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Maryland sets a high bar
Ocean City is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, but only 39% of the 261 Maryland towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Ocean City is short on dental care and mental health care
Ocean City’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
More high blood pressure in Ocean City, and more people treating it
42.3% of adults have high blood pressure (Maryland 36.8%), but 81.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.6% statewide. Checkups ↓
Ocean City keeps up with checkups
It beats Maryland on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.2% vs 79.2%) and cholesterol checks (91.4% vs 89.6%). Checkups ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Maryland figure falls outside Ocean City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
What’s behind Ocean City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ocean City is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns, #161 of 261 in Maryland. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 89% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 25%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Ocean City’s median household income is $77,750; among the 10,828 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$97K), it’s healthier than 74%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Ocean City adults…
Ocean City runs above MD on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Ocean City is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Maryland. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Ocean City as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ocean City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
Care in and near Ocean City
No hospital or community health center in Ocean City itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Ocean City; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
12 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves
How Ocean City adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Ocean City does better than Maryland.
3 in 10 Ocean City adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.4% of Ocean City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Ocean City and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean City | B+ | 32.6% | 13.8% | 12.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ocean City adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ocean City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ocean City is better than Maryland on 12 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Ocean City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ocean City | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.9%15.4–20.5 | 17.9% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.2–15.8 | 12% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%12.4–15.8 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.6%28–37.7 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.8%12.1–15.7 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.3%38.9–46 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.5%40–47.2 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 35.1%32–38.3 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.8–11.1 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.4%11.3–13.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.4%7.4–9.5 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%7–9.4 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9%7.4–10.9 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.1%10.2–14.3 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.9%21.3–28.8 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.3%13.8–19 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.6%24.7–32.6 | 37.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7%5.9–8.4 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.2%80.6–85.6 | 79.2% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.5%61.4–67.4 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.4%90.2–92.6 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.8%79.3–84.2 | 76.6% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.6%69.7–77.1 | 68.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.3%73.4–84.2 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.6%17.9–23.6 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.8%25–32.8 | 34.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.6%15.8–21.5 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.2%8.5–12.2 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.5%7.1–9.9 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.6%4.8–6.5 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%4.9–6.5 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.4%6.9–10.1 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.8%25.3–32.6 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.9%12.8–17.2 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.5%10–13 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.5%7.6–9.6 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%3.9–5 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.2–4.1 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Maryland figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Ocean City
Is Ocean City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ocean City is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #161 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 74%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ocean City?
CDC estimates 32.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 28% and 37.7%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ocean City?
Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, 9.1 miles in a straight line from Ocean City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ocean City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–8.4%), against 8.7% across Maryland.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Ocean City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Ocean City.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maryland figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.