The story of this market
The typical home in ZIP 21610 sells for about $345,000, or $215 per square foot.
Prices are up +2.4% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 58 days to sell. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,143 a month.
ZIP 21610 — Betterton
The housing market in 21610 remains stable with low inventory and moderate price appreciation. Demand is driven by buyers seeking waterfront or rural lifestyle properties, though the limited sales volume reflects the small size of the community. Market conditions are currently balanced, with homes selling at a steady pace.
This ZIP is best suited for retirees, second-home buyers, and those seeking a quiet, rural waterfront lifestyle away from dense urban centers.
Median prices moved up 2.4% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 58 days on market with 4.0 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
15% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 98.5% of asking — demand is running ahead of supply.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 6.5% · poverty 10.1% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Researched annual trajectory for this ZIP, from published historical series
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 5.7%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Median annual property tax paid on this ZIP's residential parcels
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 5.3%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
versus the prior ACS vintage
net outflow — more people moved out than in
ZCTA 21610, Kent County MD
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this ZIP — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Betterton experiences low levels of reported crime, consistent with its status as a small, rural waterfront community in Kent County.
Public schools serving the area are part of the Kent County Public Schools system, which generally maintains small class sizes and moderate performance ratings.
The area is subject to flood risks due to its location along the Sassafras River and Chesapeake Bay, necessitating flood insurance for many waterfront properties.
Economic growth is limited by the area's rural character and focus on tourism and seasonal residential use, with minimal large-scale commercial development.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. State (Maryland) — Maryland Real Property Assessment and Taxation: Property is assessed at its phased-in use value. The tax is calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the applicable state and local tax rates.
Commuting typically requires personal vehicles, with travel times to major employment hubs like Chestertown or Wilmington, DE, exceeding 30-45 minutes.
The area is defined by its waterfront access, including Betterton Beach, local marinas, and proximity to regional parks and nature preserves.
The rental market is characterized by a mix of long-term residential leases and seasonal vacation rentals, with limited inventory availability.
The local economy is driven by tourism, seasonal hospitality, and small-scale agriculture, with many residents commuting to larger regional centers.
Public transit is extremely limited; residents rely almost exclusively on private vehicles for transportation.
Development is strictly managed by local zoning to preserve the historic and rural character of the Betterton waterfront.
Kent County assessments are conducted periodically to reflect market value changes for residential and agricultural properties.
Parcels are subject to Kent County property taxes and local municipal levies, with standard utility and school district assessments.
Property insurance premiums are influenced by proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and associated flood and wind risk profiles.
Maryland has seen modest net domestic migration, with rural areas like Kent County attracting retirees and remote workers.
Maryland is a judicial foreclosure state, requiring court oversight for the foreclosure process.
Maryland law requires sellers to provide a residential property disclosure statement covering the condition of the home's major systems.
Data retrieved from data.census.gov ZCTA 21610 profile tables.
Public schools whose reported address is in this area (NCES). Not attendance boundaries — schools that serve residents may sit outside it. Check the district's address locator for assignment.
A public beach on the Sassafras River popular for swimming and recreation.
Preserves the local history of the town as a former steamboat resort destination.
Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.