Salisbury, MD-DE
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.28×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Maryland
- 3.39×-0.11
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.15
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
23.8%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Maryland
- 22.9%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.71%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Maryland
- 3.88%+0.83
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.36
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.04%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Maryland
- 0.04%=
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.01
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
0.50
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Maryland
- 2.17
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.9%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Maryland
- 3.9%=
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%=
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+59.5%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+6.9%
Median home value
$228,300
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,061 | $12,732 | 18.3% |
| 2 BR | $1,378 | $16,536 | 23.8% |
| 3 BR | $1,818 | $21,816 | 31.3% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.9%
Median household income
$69,592
What's being built
Total TTM
213
Single-family
172
2–4 unit
2
5+ unit
39
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicomico County | 103,815 | $238,900 | $72,861 | 172 | |
| Somerset County | 24,672 | $164,300 | $52,462 | 41 | -8.9% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Salisbury | 421,982 | $69,592 | 3.28× | 4.71% | +59.5% | 0.50 | 3.9% |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 419,715 | $69,378 | — | — | +65.4% | — | 2.5% |
| Peoria, IL | 401,702 | $70,872 | — | — | +44.9% | — | 5.6% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 422,187 | $65,801 | — | — | +39.2% | — | 4.3% |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 400,960 | $65,666 | — | — | +53.1% | — | 4.4% |
| Savannah, GA | 406,575 | $74,632 | — | — | +72.8% | — | 2.8% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+173
+0.04% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Worcester County, MD | 406 |
| Sussex County, DE | 382 |
| Wicomico County, MD | 221 |
| Somerset County, MD | 203 |
| Dorchester County, MD | 95 |
| Baltimore County, MD | 83 |
Who lives in Salisbury
- Median age
- 37
- Bachelor's+
- 26.7%
- Owner-occupancy
- 62.1%
- Vacancy rate
- 11.9%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 48.0%
- Median household income
- $69,592
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.