Somerset County is a county in Maryland, United States, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, bordering Virginia at the peninsula’s southern tip. It had a population of 24,620 at the 2020 census and covers 610 square miles (1,581 km2), of which 320 square miles (828 km2) is land, centred near 38\u00b005\u2032N 75\u00b052\u2032W.<\/p>\n
Princess Anne is the county seat, and its postal code is 21853. The county has one incorporated city (Crisfield) and one incorporated town (Princess Anne), plus a dozen unincorporated communities and Census-designated places scattered across its marshy, low-lying land. Somerset County observes Eastern Time and carries FIPS code 24039.<\/p>\n
Somerset County has one incorporated city and one incorporated town; everything else on the list below is an unincorporated community, hamlet, or crossroads — some recognized by the Census Bureau as Census-designated places (CDP), others simply named clusters of houses along a county road. Several of the smallest entries are landings, corners, or single-family settlements that appear on county maps but have no formal boundary.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Anne<\/td>\n | Town · seat<\/td>\n | 3,138<\/td>\n | 21853<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Crisfield<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | 2,489<\/td>\n | 21817<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Byrdtown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Camp Somerset<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cash Corner<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cassatt<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Champ<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chance<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21816<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cokesbury<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Conners Corner<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Costen<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cottage Grove<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Dames Quarter<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21821<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Daugherty Town<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Deal Island<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21821<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Eden<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Eden Estates<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Ewell<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21824<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fairmount<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Frenchtown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Frenchtown-Rumbly<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Frogeye<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Greenhill<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Hearts Ease<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Hopewell<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Hudson Corner<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Indian Hammock<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Iverness<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Jersey<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Kings Creek<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Kingston<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Landon Station<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Landonville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lawson<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lawsonia<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Loretto<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Manokin<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mariners<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Marion<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21838<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Marumsco<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Monie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mount Vernon<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Nelson<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Oakville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Oriole<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21841<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Palmetto<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Parsonville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Pauls Corner<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Pine Beach<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Polk Landing<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Polk Road<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Puncheon Landing<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rehobeth<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21851<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rhodes Point<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21824<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rumbley<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sackertown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Saint Stephen<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Shelltown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Smith Island<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21824<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tulls Corner<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tyler<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tylerton<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21866<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Upper Fairmount<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21867<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Upper Hill<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Venton<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Wagner Landing<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Ward<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Wellington<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Wenona<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| West<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| West Pocomoke<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Westover<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 21871<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Widgeon<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Wilson Landing MH Park<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Ewell, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton are the three inhabited settlements of Smith Island, reached only by boat from Crisfield — no bridge or causeway connects the island to the mainland. Deal Island, by contrast, is linked to the mainland by a short causeway across the Little Annemessex River.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nMost of the smaller crossroads and landings scattered through the county share a ZIP code with the nearest post office town rather than having one of their own.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nSomerset County sits at the southern tip of Maryland’s Eastern Shore peninsula, a flat, low-lying landscape of tidal marsh, pine woodland, and farmland cut by the Wicomico, Manokin, Big Annemessex, and Pocomoke rivers as they drain into the Chesapeake and Tangier sound. Nearly half the county’s total area is water, and Smith Island, its inhabited outpost in the Chesapeake Bay, is one of the last remaining offshore fishing communities on the East Coast.<\/p>\n Somerset County borders Wicomico County to the north, Dorchester County<\/a> to the northwest across the Nanticoke, Worcester County to the northeast, Accomack County, Virginia<\/a> to the south, and reaches Chesapeake Bay waters shared with St. Mary’s County to the west. Wicomico County has no live directory page yet; Worcester County’s page currently redirects to its Massachusetts namesake, so neither is linked here.<\/p>\n Somerset County had 24,620 residents at the 2020 census, spread over 320 square miles of land for a density of roughly 77 people per square mile — among the lowest densities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Princess Anne (3,138) and Crisfield (2,489) are its two largest communities; most of the rest of the population lives in unincorporated rural settlements and along the Deal Island and Smith Island waterfronts. Household income in Somerset County runs well below the Maryland median of $98,678; the county is consistently ranked among Maryland’s least affluent, reflecting its dependence on seasonal watermen’s work and agriculture rather than the commuter economy that lifts incomes elsewhere on the shore.<\/p>\n Seafood defines Somerset County’s economy. Crisfield, once the self-proclaimed “Seafood Capital of the World,” still processes blue crab, oysters, and soft-shell crabs, and hosts the annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake each summer. Agriculture (soybeans, corn, poultry) covers much of the inland acreage, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a historically Black land-grant university in Princess Anne, is the county’s largest single employer alongside Somerset County government and the local school system. Smith Island’s watermen still work the Chesapeake for crab and oyster under one of the last commercial-fishing-based ways of life on the bay.<\/p>\n Somerset County was formed in 1666 by order of Lord Baltimore, one of Maryland’s original colonial-era counties, and named for Mary, Lady Somerset, wife of Sir John Somerset. Its early economy centred on tobacco and shipbuilding along the many tidal rivers; Crisfield grew rapidly in the mid-to-late 19th century once the railroad reached its oyster-packing waterfront, briefly making it one of Maryland’s largest cities by shipping tonnage. Smith Island has been continuously settled by English colonists since the 17th century and retains a distinct dialect and Methodist religious tradition tied to its isolation.<\/p>\n US Route 13 (the Ocean Highway) runs the length of Somerset County north-south, with MD Route 413 branching off to Crisfield and MD Route 363 to Deal Island.<\/p>\n Smith Island has no roads connecting it to the mainland; passenger ferries run from Crisfield to Ewell and Tylerton.<\/p>\n Where is Somerset County, Maryland?<\/strong> What is the population of Somerset County?<\/strong> How big is Somerset County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Somerset County?<\/strong> How many towns and villages are in Somerset County?<\/strong> What ZIP codes are in Somerset County?<\/strong> |