Talbot County Public Schools, MD

Original Research by School Decision on Talbot County Public Schools

Talbot County Public Schools is the sole public school district serving Maryland’s Talbot County, a system of eight schools that spans pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. With an enrollment in the mid-thousands, the district runs a mix of elementary schools, a middle school, a combined middle-high school, and a comprehensive high school, spread across towns including Easton, St. Michaels, Oxford, and others. The district brief turned up no recent major changes—no referendum, curriculum overhaul, or construction project that cleared a four-year window for inclusion here, so the picture is one of relative stability rather than transition.

Academically, the state testing picture is mixed. On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), the district’s proficiency rates in grades three through eight show a gap between subjects. In English language arts, a little more than two out of five students scored at the proficient or above level. In math, the rate was notably lower, roughly one in five. Science proficiency in those same grades was similar to math. Social studies, tested only in grade eight, fell between the two. The numbers suggest that the district’s middle-grade students, on the whole, are stronger in reading and writing than in mathematics, and that both math and science are areas where many students are not yet meeting the state’s benchmark. Because the district is the only one in the county, there is no local comparison set to place these results against neighboring systems; a parent would want to look into how these rates compare to Maryland’s statewide averages and to individual schools within the district to get a finer picture. The district’s high school graduation rate was not available in the data, so that measure cannot be assessed here.

The student body is diverse in composition. Roughly half of the students are white. A substantial share—about a quarter—are Hispanic, and a significant minority are Black. Smaller groups include Asian students and those of two or more races. The racial and ethnic mix gives the district a multi-heritage peer environment, though the breakdown varies likely by school and town. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the material we worked from, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about its special education and language support programs.

Housing in Talbot County reflects the area’s appeal. Across the district’s zip codes, home values vary considerably, from more modest levels in some towns to well above the national median in waterfront communities like Royal Oak, Oxford, and St. Michaels. The weighted average home value for the district is above the national typical, and in a range that makes homeownership a significant investment relative to the national median household income. Rents are available only for Easton, where they fall in a moderate range for the region. The overall housing market suggests a mix, with some parts of the county more expensive than others, and a parent moving into the area would want to check specific towns.

What is not here matters as much as what is. The data we have does not include information on advanced coursework, career and technical programs, or dual-enrollment offerings at the high school level. Similarly, there is no record of class sizes, teacher experience, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism. For a district of this size, those are relevant details for any family weighing a move. The district’s website would be the logical next stop for those specifics.

Talbot County Public Schools presents as a stable, single-district county system with a diverse student population and academic results that are stronger in literacy than in math and science. The housing market tilts toward the pricier side for the region, and the absence of high school outcome data and program details means a parent has some homework to do.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,502

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 26%

Black 15%

White 50%

Asian 2%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

32%

57%

Gr 4

39%

61%

Gr 5

23%

48%

Gr 6

—

52%

Gr 7

35%

62%

Gr 8

24%

50%

Gr 38

31%

55%

Math

Gr 3

21%

50%

Gr 4

17%

48%

Gr 5

14%

34%

Gr 6

17%

Gr 7

27%

Gr 8

Gr 38

12%

33%

Science

Gr 5

13%

35%

Gr 8

11%

28%

Gr 38

12%

32%

Social studies

Gr 8

22%

41%

Schools in this District

8 schools are officially reported under this district.

Chapel District Elementary

Easton High

Easton Middle

Easton Elementary

St. Michaels Elementary

St. Michaels Middle/High School

Tilghman Elementary

White Marsh Elementary

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

22%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

42%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

21%

Grades 3-8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

31%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$518,665

Year-over-year change-0.5%

Range across 15 ZIP codes$424K to $1.1M

vs. state typical1.20x

vs. national typical1.41x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (15 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
21601	Easton	$450K	-0.5%	39.9%
21673	Trappe	$424K	-3.4%	19.3%
21625	Cordova	$440K	+0.4%	15.3%
21663	Saint Michaels	$731K	+3.3%	4.5%
21654	Oxford	$893K	+0.1%	4.1%
21662	Royal Oak	$1.1M	+2.6%	3.1%
21679	Wye Mills	$662K	+2.4%	2.8%
21657	Queen Anne	$467K	+2.4%	2.3%
21612	Bozman	$919K	+3.9%	2.1%
21665	Sherwood	$730K	-0.7%	2.0%
21676	Wittman	$472K	-1.9%	1.5%
21647	McDaniel	$505K	-3.9%	1.3%
21624	Saint Michaels	$460K	-6.1%	0.9%
21671	Tilghman	$483K	+3.5%	0.8%
21652	Bozman	$581K	+0.3%	0.2%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,152/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
21601	Easton	$2,152	—	39.9%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,617/mo

Home price / national median income6.2x

Annual rent / national median income30.8%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$465/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$431,934 (+0.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.