St. Martins Church · Photo: Linda Roy Walls · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Ocean Pines is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Ocean Pines differs from Maryland on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ocean Pines. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ocean Pines
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Ocean Pines
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.1%), about twice the Maryland rate. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.5%), vs 5.8% across Maryland. Arthritis is also above the state: 36.8%, vs 25.8% across Maryland. In all, Ocean Pines runs above Maryland on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 44% of residents are 65 or older (Maryland 17%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Ocean Pines keeps up with checkups
It beats Maryland on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (84.9% vs 79.2%) and dentist visits (71.6% vs 64.4%). Checkups ↓
Ocean Pines is short on dental care and mental health care
Ocean Pines’ 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 ↓
Ocean Pines adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (28.1% vs 34.3%), frequent mental distress (12.7% vs 15%) and lack of emotional support (17.8% vs 24.2%) all run below Maryland. Mind & connection ↓
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 Pines’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Ocean Pines’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ocean Pines is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, #116 of 261 in Maryland. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 96% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 34%).
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 Pines’ median household income is $91,824; among the 9,750 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($69K–$115K), it’s healthier than 77%, about where its income would put it.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Ocean Pines is healthier than 56% of graded towns, against 77% nationally.
Out of every 100 Ocean Pines adults…
Ocean Pines runs below MD on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Ocean Pines is an older town: 44% 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 Pines as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ocean Pines adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Ocean Pines adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Ocean Pines does better than Maryland.
3 in 10 Ocean Pines 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.
Care in and near Ocean Pines
No hospital or community health center in Ocean Pines 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 Pines; ≈ 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.
4.2 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.5% of Ocean Pines adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Ocean Pines and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Pines | A− | 30.2% | 13.1% | 10% | CDC place |
| West Ocean City | A− | 31.4% | 11.5% | 11.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ocean Pines adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ocean Pines
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ocean Pines is better than Maryland on 16 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Ocean Pines’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ocean Pines | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.9%13.8–18.2 | 17.9% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.7–14.9 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%11.3–14.3 | 15% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.2%25.8–34.8 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 13.1%11.6–14.9 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.9%39.5–46.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.8%41.2–48.4 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.8%33.8–39.8 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.6–10.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.1%12.9–15.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.6–9.4 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.6%6.6–8.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.6%5.3–7.9 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10%8.5–11.8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23%19.9–26.6 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%12.8–17.8 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.2%22.6–30.1 | 37.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.5%4.6–6.6 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.9%82.4–87.1 | 79.2% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.6%68.9–74.3 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.3%92.3–94.2 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.6%81.1–85.8 | 76.6% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76.9%73.3–80.2 | 68.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.3%74.9–85 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%17.2–22.4 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.1%24.4–32.1 | 34.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.8%15.2–20.5 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.4%6.1–8.7 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.4%5.4–7.5 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.5–4.7 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.3%3.8–4.9 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.5%4.6–6.6 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.7%24.7–31.3 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%12.5–16.4 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10%8.8–11.3 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.4–4.2 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.4%5.6–7.2 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.5 | 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 Pines
Is Ocean Pines a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ocean Pines is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #116 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 77%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ocean Pines?
CDC estimates 30.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.8% and 34.8%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ocean Pines?
Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, 4.7 miles in a straight line from Ocean Pines’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ocean Pines have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.6–6.6%), 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 Pines more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Ocean Pines.
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.