Smith IslandMD
The town, home to 345 people, lies in Maryland.
Is Smith Island a good place to live?
Smith Island’s average commute is 14 minutes, against 32 minutes in Maryland’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 262 Maryland towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Smith Island. Island Belle is on the National Register of Historic Places. Smith Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Smith Island lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 61% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Moving to Smith Island: who provides what
Smith Island is unincorporated, so Somerset County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Smith Island.
The FEMA risk score in Smith Island is higher than in most of Maryland or the rest of the country
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Smith Island once, in 2003. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 61% come from coastal flooding and 16% from hurricanes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most of Smith Island’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.3 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Salisbury (21%), Princess Anne (7%) and Crisfield (3%). Since 2013, Smith Island has lost 150 jobs, to 16 in 2023. The town’s median household income stands at $90,000. For half of commuters, work is under 36 miles away.
| Smith Island | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.6% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in Smith Island brings four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 88° and January nights drop to 29°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults in Smith Island have high blood pressure than in the typical Maryland or U.S. town
13% of Smith Island adults binge drink. Among 262 Maryland towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Smith Island. CDC measures, 32 in all: Smith Island beats Maryland on 3 and trails on 14.
| Smith Island | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Smith Island | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.1% | 13.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in Smith Island sell for about $120K
83% of households live in a home they own in Smith Island.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Smith Island
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Smith Island; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Smith Island residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
345 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Questions about Smith Island
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Smith Island, MD a good place to live?
Smith Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.