Sharptown's family-friendly atmosphere and annual events
With a population of just under 700 people and a rural location along the Nanticoke River, Sharptown has a small-town, family-friendly feeling. “The community is very close,” says Colby Phippin, a Realtor with Whitehead Real Estate Executives. “The volunteer fire department is huge and well-connected throughout the area. They host a carnival every year.” The Sharptown Firemen's Carnival has been running for nearly 100 years, and people from all over the area go for the locally famous oyster fritter sandwiches. The Sharptown Historical Commission's annual Sharptown Heritage Day is another popular time for the community to gather. There are also multiple parks in the area. Sharptown has a CAP Index crime score of 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4. Most residents tend to drive to Delaware for things like shopping and dining, but it's only about 20 minutes.
An older inventory of homes with public water and sewer in Wicomico County
Housing styles range from farmhouses built in the early 1900s to the occasional newly built Craftsman home. Properties are often fairly spaced out on gridded streets. “Pride of ownership has been growing in Sharptown,” Phippin says. “It’s an older inventory, but a lot of the homes have been pretty well-maintained. A lack of inventory and new construction in the area has led to people buying more existing homes.” Prices start at $86,000 and go up to $489,000. "In town limits, Sharptown has public water and sewer, which isn’t super prevalent in Wicomico County,” Phippin says.
Wicomico County Public Schools with a combination middle/high school
"The school district is a huge draw,” Phippin says. “Kids attend Wicomico County schools, and Sharptown is very desirable because of that.” Wicomico County Public Schools earns a B grade on Niche. Students can attend Northwestern Elementary before graduating to Mardela Middle/High School, which teaches grades 6 through 12. Both schools receive a B rating. "It’ll take about 10 minutes to drive to the elementary and middle/high school. They’re right next to each other,” Phippin says. “If a family stays in Sharptown, the kids are only going to go to two schools their whole lives.”
Sports at Gene Lowe and Cope Bennett parks, swimming at Cherry Beach
Sharptown is home to three parks. Gene Lowe Park has soccer fields and basketball courts, while Cope Bennett Park has pickleball and tennis courts. The latter also has a walking path that runs under the Sharptown Bridge and connects to Cherry Beach Park, where there's a boat ramp and fishing and swimming access to the Nanticoke River. Even the end of Main Street has a public fishing area. “There are a lot of activities on the water. People enjoy taking boats out,” Phippin says. The Sharptown Recreation and Parks Commission offers recreation sports programs like soccer and kickball for kids and adults. They host several annual events, including a kids’ fishing derby, family movie nights, and a soapbox derby and bike parade.
Tax-free shopping in Delaware and Seaford eateries
The town has a Dollar General, but most shopping and dining will require a drive north on U.S. Route 13 to Seaford or Laurel, Delaware, or south on U.S. Route 50 to Salisbury, Maryland. "A lot of people in Sharptown go to Seaford, Delaware, to shop because it’s tax-free and not any farther than Salisbury,” Phippin says. The city has a mix of local eateries, like La Casita Mexican Restaurant, and chains, including Chick-fil-A.
Taking U.S. routes 13 and 50 to nearby cities
The drive to Salisbury is around 20 miles and takes a little under half an hour in usual traffic. Seaford is about 12 miles from Sharptown, approximately a 20-minute drive and home to the nearest hospital, TidalHealth Nanticoke. Sharptown is primarily car-dependent, and U.S. routes 13 and 50 are the major thoroughfares in the area. “U.S. Route 50 goes toward Ocean City to the beaches,” Phippin says. Salisbury Regional Airport is about a 22-mile drive south.
