Captain Robert S. Craig Cottage · Photo: Linda Roy Walls · CC BY-SA 4.01,058 homes sold in Ocean City in the last year, at a typical $442K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Ocean City homes are listed.
Every place Ocean City homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Ocean City.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 0% of Ocean City’s sales, at a typical — (year to May 2026)
1,058 homes sold in the year to September 2026.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
1,058 sales in the last year, against 1,962 in 2021 and a low of 823 in 2012. The typical sale went from $239K in 2016 to $442K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
Bidding wars in Ocean City are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Ocean City’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 1,058 sales.
If you’re buying in Ocean City
- Shop in August. It brings about 126 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (14% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.1% of the list price on average; 8% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 26% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 80 days.
Fall brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
October has the most new listings (about 152 a month), but May is the most competitive: 16% of May sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (14%). February has the least competition (13%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Maryland
| Ocean City now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MD now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 8% | 5% | 37% | 32% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 26% | 12% | 63% | 40% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.1% | 95.8% | 99.5% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 80 | 96 | 30 | 46 |
501 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.7 times the 2022 low (186), 24% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 1002.
Ocean City ranks 191st of 193 busy Maryland markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Ocean City is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Ocean City home costs about $2,649 a month
Price: Ocean City’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Ocean City’s 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Ocean City is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in October
The month with the most choice. January has the fewest, about 96.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $442K home, about $4,120 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Ocean City, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Ocean CityTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Ocean City.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Ocean Pines, West Ocean City, Selbyville and Ocean View sell for less a square foot; South Bethany for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Ocean City, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean City | 1,058 | $442K | $432 | 8% | 80 |
| Ocean Pines | 400 | $430K | $265 | 16% | 60 |
| Ocean View | 161 | $511K | $253 | 10% | 63 |
| West Ocean City | 104 | $549K | $263 | 14% | 71 |
| Selbyville | 103 | $425K | $241 | 12% | 76 |
| Bethany Beach | 69 | $865K | $517 | 21% | 36 |
| South Bethany | 32 | $1.5M | $667 | 23% | 50 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Ocean City, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Ocean City. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Ocean City with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Ocean City
What do homes sell for in Ocean City, MD?
1,058 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $442K, $432 a square foot.
Is Ocean City a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 569 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 82 sold, about 6.9 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.1% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Ocean City?
October brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Ocean City?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $442K home that’s near $4,120.
Where can I see homes for sale in Ocean City?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Ocean City’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Ocean City.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).