Somerset County, Maryland Eviction Risk: Elevated

Somerset County sits on Maryland's lower Eastern Shore with a total population of about 9,925 and an eviction risk score of 5.9/10 - an Elevated rating that places it 12th out of 24 Maryland counties. That ranking means 11 counties carry higher risk while 12 sit below Somerset, putting it squarely in the middle third of the state. The score reflects a combination of economic stress, high renter exposure, and a legal framework that, while not the most tenant-restrictive in the region, carries real cost exposure for landlords who need to act.

The economic picture here is stark for a rural county. Nearly 39.8% of households rent rather than own - well above what you would expect in a predominantly agricultural area - and those renters pay an average of $986/month while spending 33.9% of their income on housing. A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for housing cost stress, and Somerset sits above that line on average. The county's 19.4% poverty rate compounds the picture: when income shocks hit - a medical bill, a reduced work week, a lost seasonal job - that rent burden gap closes fast and nonpayment filings follow. Landlords need a realistic view of that dynamic before pricing rents or sizing reserves. Under Md. Real Prop. § 8-401, a landlord can file for failure to pay rent after just a 10-day notice, one of the shorter windows in the mid-Atlantic, but filing fees of $50 to $60 and sheriff lockout costs of $40 to $150 are only the start of the expense chain.

Within the county, risk is uneven by city. Princess Anne, the county seat and largest community at about 3,569 residents, scores 5.8/10 - below the county average. Crisfield, the second-largest city with roughly 2,499 residents, scores 6.2/10 and is the highest-risk city in the county, alongside Fairmount and Smith Island (both also at 6.2/10). Crisfield's combination of a declining seafood-processing economy, high renter share, and deep poverty makes it a notable outlier even by Somerset standards. Nanticoke scores 6.1/10 and Frenchtown-Rumbly, West Pocomoke, and Chance all land at or just below 6.0/10. At the lower end, Mount Vernon scores 5.4/10 and Deal Island sits at 5.6/10 - meaningfully calmer, though still Moderate-Elevated by statewide comparison. For landlords holding property across multiple Somerset communities, that 0.8-point spread from Mount Vernon to Crisfield is enough to warrant different reserve strategies by location. Maryland also does not preempt local rent control, meaning any municipality that chose to adopt controls could do so - something worth tracking as tenant advocacy expands across the state. Just-cause eviction requirements apply under Maryland law, adding a procedural layer beyond simple notice deadlines that landlords in Somerset need to understand before non-renewal decisions.

Scores across Somerset County's 13 tracked localities range from 5.4 (Mount Vernon) to 6.2 (Crisfield, Fairmount, Smith Island), reflecting the county's mix of a modestly-protected county seat and several economically stressed waterfront communities where renter financial fragility is high.