Population 13,404 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 21550
Household size in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.23 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
ZIP 21550 is a place of small households, averaging 2.23 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.35, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 240 Maryland ZIP codes with 5,000+ people, only 14 have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.3 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.7 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.7, ZIP 21550 is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 44.3 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only 20 of the 240 Maryland ZIP codes with 5,000+ people are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in ZIP 21550 (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.2 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in ZIP 21550
Renters in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.9% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.5% of households in ZIP 21550 rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 47.4% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.1% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.6% of the housing in ZIP 21550, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.3 points, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in ZIP 21550 was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $629 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $621 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $822 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$193 | +$620 | +$606 |
Rent in ZIP 21550 runs $822 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $193 a month from 2006–10, a 31% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only one other Maryland ZIP code with 5,000+ people has lower rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in ZIP 21550
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.2% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in ZIP 21550 (26.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 10.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.7% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.0% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.0% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.8% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in ZIP 21550 is a bit above the national rate: 90.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Maryland. The share with a diploma is up 8.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in ZIP 21550
| Period | ZIP 21550 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in ZIP 21550 is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
ZIP 21550 compared with nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP code | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 21550 | 2.23 | 46.7 | 10.2% | 23.5% | 17.6% | 1979 | $822 | 26.2% | 90.8% | 5.0% |
| ZIP 26764 | 2.30 | 45.3 | 8.3% | 22.6% | 25.0% | 1978 | $853 | 15.6% | 86.3% | 5.4% |
| ZIP 21538 | 2.35 | 31.7 | 21.5% | 21.7% | 25.0% | 1965 | $778 | 7.8% | 95.1% | 15.9% |
| ZIP 21561 | 2.23 | 50.3 | 6.8% | 14.2% | 41.5% | 1980 | $790 | 36.4% | 92.2% | 3.3% |
| ZIP 26705 | 2.22 | 46.9 | 8.4% | 29.3% | 22.4% | 1965 | $930 | 14.2% | 92.3% | 0.0% |
| ZIP 21541 | 2.43 | 41.4 | 6.1% | 11.7% | 52.6% | 1984 | $845 | 32.5% | 93.2% | 5.7% |
| ZIP 26717 | 3.06 | 40.6 | 12.9% | 7.3% | 17.5% | 1979 | $559 | 13.0% | 81.8% | 10.8% |
| ZIP 26519 | 2.68 | 43.1 | 8.2% | 19.2% | 9.0% | 1984 | $739 | 16.2% | 87.4% | 3.5% |
| ZIP 26425 | 2.17 | 52.8 | 5.8% | 19.5% | 24.6% | 1961 | $689 | 14.0% | 83.8% | 16.5% |
| ZIP 26537 | 2.28 | 45.4 | 9.5% | 23.4% | 13.5% | 1975 | $832 | 25.6% | 91.2% | 4.8% |
| ZIP 21523 | 2.47 | 39.6 | 2.2% | 6.3% | 12.6% | 1970 | $764 | 19.0% | 82.3% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 97361, OR · 89508, NV · 19003, PA · 28016, NC · 72455, AR · 75647, TX · 71302, LA · 68512, NE · 66219, KS · 66002, KS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up ZIP 21550. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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