RANK #788 / 1001 NAT · #11 / 18 MD · POP 104,960
1YR FORECAST: +0.1%
5YR OUTLOOK: +24%
Cecil County, Maryland, distinguishes itself with its position at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, where five major rivers converge. This northeastern Maryland county borders both Pennsylvania and Delaware, placing it about an hour's drive from Baltimore and Philadelphia. Towns like Chesapeake City offer canal-side dining and boutiques, while North East is known for its Main Street with shops and marinas. The county's landscape features rolling hills, scenic rivers, and waterfronts, providing opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding at locations such as Elk Neck State Park and Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area.
Life in Cecil County blends rural charm with suburban conveniences, attracting families and individuals seeking more space and a slower pace. Commute options include easy access to I-95 and Route 40, and Cecil Transit provides fixed-route and on-demand bus services, with connections to MARC train service in Perryville. The Cecil County Public School System includes five high schools, six middle schools, and seventeen elementary schools. Economically, the county has a growing job market in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and education. Recent developments include an expansion of the Cecil County Enterprise Zone in Elkton, aimed at attracting new businesses and supporting existing employers like Northrop Grumman.
Cecil County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +1.1% YoY, population +0.6%, wages +4.9%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 14.7x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 21/100, Cecil County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $92,007 combined with job growth of +0.2% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Housing in Cecil County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $343,400 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.27, with rents averaging $1,377/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Cecil County's population is growing — up +0.6% YoY — while the job market is roughly flat (employment change of +0.2%). Home values shifted +1.1% over the past year. In-migration is outpacing local hiring, which often points to remote workers or retirees driving the headcount.
Not particularly — 1.95% of Cecil County's population moved in from another state, which is below the national average. Most residents are long-term locals rather than recent transplants.