An Eastern Shore river town with a quaint yet city-like atmosphere
Along the banks of the Wicomico River, Salisbury was originally established in 1732 as Maryland’s second-ever port. Today, the waterway continues to define life in this town of 33,000 residents. “We are river folk,” says Talane Hastings, a Salisbury resident and a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty. “We fish, we boat and we walk on trails around the river.” As the largest city on the Eastern Shore, Salisbury also has a slight metropolitan character with a quaint downtown district and lively community events. “It’s a smaller town in terms of population. Some people have lived here all their life and never left,” Hastings says. “But we have everything we need to be considered a city.” Salisbury is the Wicomico County seat and home to major employers like Perdue Farms. Bustling beaches like Ocean City and big cities, including Washington, D.C., are also within driving distance.
A tugboat pushes a barge lazily down the Wicomico River through North Camden.
Despite its downtown setting, there is lots of green entertaining space in Downtown Salisbury.
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Salisbury has historic neighborhoods and riverfront homes
Queen Annes and Colonial Revival-style houses fill Newtown-North Division, one of Salisbury’s oldest neighborhoods, dating back to the late 1800s. Minimal traditional cottages and ranch styles built between the 1940s and ‘70s dot East Main Street’s sidewalk-lined streets. Similar styles are common along the Wicomico River in the Johnson Pond neighborhood. The median home price here is $290,125, which is right in line with Wicomico County’s $290,000. Salisbury experiences all four seasons, with mild winters and humid summers. Heavy rainfall occasionally causes the Wicomico River to overflow, making it a requirement for homeowners near the waterway to have flood insurance.
Based on 2023 data from the Maryland State Police, there was a higher violent crime rate in Wicomico County than in the state of Maryland. However, the county’s property crime rate was less than Maryland's.
A row of bi-level, single homes show off their large front yards in Church Street-Doverdale.
A Swedish Colonial home is flanked by two American Foursquares in North Camden.
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Recreation on the Wicomico River
Salisbury has seven parks, many of which are along the Wicomico River. Salisbury City Park sits at the center of town and offers shoreline fishing spots, tennis courts, playgrounds and a disc golf course surrounding the waterway. It’s also home to the Salisbury Zoo, which has over 100 animals, like flamingoes, Andean bears and bison. There’s a public paddleboat and powerboat ramp on Rose Street and another near the Port of Salisbury, which has 86 boat slips available to rent.
The Salisbury Riverwalk is a mile-and-a-half-long waterside walking route starting at the Paul S. Sarbanes Library and ending at Salisbury City Park. In 2023, the city received a grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to expand and improve the riverwalk. The project hasn’t started, and there’s no projected end date.
Even with these green spaces, Hastings says locals frequently drive to Ocean City Beach and Assateague Island National Seashore, both about 30 miles east. “People here will drive to the beach every Saturday during the summer," says Hastings. She adds that proximity to these beaches also affects traffic in Salisbury. “We call U.S. Route 50 'Ocean Gateway' because it leads directly to the Ocean City and Assateague. It backs up all the time with people coming and going from the beaches.”
The marina in Salisbury sits along the Wicomico where the river widens in North Camden.
Salisbury Zoological Park is free to enter and is home to over 40 animal species.
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Wicomico County Public Schools and a few private options
Salisbury is zoned for the Wicomico County Public Schools district, which earns a B grade from Niche. The district serves 14,900 students between prekindergarten and high school and has a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
The Salisbury School earns an A-plus rating and educates students from prekindergarten through high school. St. Francis De Sales Catholic School and Wicomico Day School are both unrated private options for kindergarteners through eighth graders.
Wicomico Middle School is a public school located in Salisbury, MD.
Seagull Stadium at Salisbury University hosts many competitive, inter-collegiate sports.
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Colleges and major employers in Salisbury
Founded in 1925, Salisbury University educates over 7,000 undergrad and graduate students. The school has over 100 majors, including business and education, and it’s one of the top employers in the county, providing around 1,800 jobs. Salisbury is also home to Wor-Wic Community College, which offers associate degree programs and career certificates.
Salisbury has several other major employers, including Chesapeake Shipbuilding, a cruise ship and tugboat manufacturer on the Wicomico River. Perdue Farms is a chicken processing company headquartered here. It has a plant downtown and several farms on the city’s rural outskirts.
Salisbury University provides a quality eduction for thousands of students in Maryland.
Salisbury University is the areas most prominent resident and provider of jobs.
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Salisbury is near cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia
The city has several on-ramps for U.S. Route 50. Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are both about a 120-mile drive northwest. Depending on traffic, the trip to either city can take about two and a half hours. U.S. Route 13 connects with Interstate 95, making Philadelphia about a 140-mile drive north. Traffic in Salisbury occasionally stops at streets intersecting with the Delmarva Central Railroad and when drawbridges over the Wicomico River are raised for ships to pass under. Shore Transit buses provide rides around the lower Eastern Shore. The Salisbury Regional Airport offers daily flights with American Airlines, and TidalHealth Peninsula Regional is a 300-bed hospital with a Level III Trauma Center.
Downtown Salisbury offers nightlife and community events
Lively bars, upscale restaurants and art galleries fill downtown Salisbury’s Italianate-style buildings. The district shuts down to car traffic as musicians, food vendors and local artists gather for 3rd Friday, an event celebrated monthly between April and November. The Centre at Salisbury is an indoor mall with over 60 chain restaurants and stores, like H&M and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Though it’s the largest shopping center on the Eastern Shore, Hastings admits it’s not as popular as it once was. “Macy’s and Sears and a few other stores shut down in the 2010s, and there are still a bunch of empty stores,” she says. “Nobody really goes there anymore. A lot of us drive to Baltimore or D.C. if we really want to shop.”
Face-painting is always a fun activity at street fairs such as Salisbury 3rd Friday.
Delicious cocktails are always on the menu at The Market Street Inn in Church Street-Doverdale.
A real estate professional since 1988, Wayne Phillips is known for his integrity, tenacity, and sincerity in all his transactions. Born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Wayne has witnessed the tremendous change and growth that has transformed the area into one of the country's top destinations for those seeking recreation, relaxation, or retirement.
With hundreds of millions of dollars in sales, Wayne has extensive knowledge of the Ocean City real estate market. Whether you want to buy (or sell) an oceanfront condo or a single-family home on the bay, Wayne knows everything there is to know about locations, value, property types, and pricing in the Worcester County area.
Wayne prides himself in his passionate and heartfelt drive to serve his clients' best interests. He understands that buying and selling real estate can be stressful, and as a full-time Realtor, he will work hard to lower your stress level and make your experience as pleasurable as possible.
When Wayne is not working hard for his clients, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, as well as getting outdoors on Delmarva.
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