Deal Island is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Somerset County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, United States. The population was 375 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The small town was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as the Deal Island Historic District in 2006.

Geography

Deal Island is located at (38.154551, −75.945659). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (39.66%) is water. Deal Island is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) to the west-southwest of

Deal Island Wildlife Management Area Deal Island Wildlife Management Area protects in western Somerset County, Maryland near the community of Deal Island. As a wildlife management area, the area is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources The Maryland Department ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2020, there were 375 people, 240 households, and 165 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 352 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 7.96%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.87% Native American, 0.17% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.69% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.21% of the population. There were 240 households, out of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 65.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,029, and the median income for a family was $38,571. Males had a median income of $30,592 versus $24,219 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $13,936. About 4.1% of families and 5.98% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

Deal Island was historically known as Deal's, Deil's, and Devil's Island. Nearby Dames Quarters also had an unappealing name: Quarters of the Damned. At least one source also attributes these nicknames to the area's use by pirates. Also the island is famous for Joshua Thomas, who predicted the British defeat in the War of 1812. Thomas is buried alongside the Joshua Thomas Chapel. The Deal Island Historic District,

Sea Gull (skipjack) The ''Sea Gull'' is a Chesapeake Bay skipjack, built in 1924 at Crisfield, Maryland. She is a two-sail bateau, or "V"-bottomed deadrise type of centerboard sloop. She has a beam of , a depth of , and a net register tonnage of 10. She is one of ...

, and St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church and Joshua Thomas Chapel are listed on the

Events

Since 1959, Deal Island has hosted an annual Labor Day weekend Skipjack Race. The race features skipjacks, which are traditional wooden sailing vessels with triangular sails, designed for dredging oysters. They are two-sail bateaux, and the term 'bateau' is still preferred by watermen. These vessels were operated extensively between the 1880s to the 1960s. Deal Island was once the home port for a large fleet of skipjacks and today has most of the few remaining skipjacks operating commercially for oystering on the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

. Also, during the Labor Day weekend, there is the annual Deal Island yard sale. It begins on Saturday and continues into Monday. Participants from other communities near Deal Island are also included.

Transportation

Deal Island's main road is

Maryland Route 363 Maryland Route 363 (MD 363) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for almost all of its length as Deal Island Road, the state highway runs from a dead end on Deal Island east to Mansion Avenue in Princess Anne. ...

; its entire length known as Deal Island Road. Route 363 traverses the entire island and travels due east to

U.S. Route 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...

in Princess Anne. Deal Island's communities were once served by the Somerset Commuter (now

Shore Transit Shore Transit is a public transit agency that provides commuter bus service on the Lower Eastern Shore of the state of Maryland in the United States, serving Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. A major transfer point is located in Salisb ...

), on Route 4, starting from Princess Anne's main transfer point. This route was removed in 2005.

Notable person

* William Daniel (1826-1897), Maryland politician, was born in Deal Island.Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections-William Daniel
/ref>

References

External links

{{authority control Census-designated places in Somerset County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland Salisbury metropolitan area Maryland populated places on the Chesapeake Bay