Population 6,275 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 21903
Household size in ZIP 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.64 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.68 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.65 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.57 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | −0.07 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in ZIP 21903 are small: just 2.37 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.53, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.5 | 38.5 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 39.3 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 40.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.1 | 40.4 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.6 | +1.9 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
ZIP 21903 skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.5, in line with the national trend.
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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 12.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 11.8% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 12.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.3% of households in ZIP 21903, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 21903
Renters in ZIP 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6% | 30.2% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.1% | 32.1% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.6% | 32.7% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 33.2% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.7 pts | +3.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in ZIP 21903 rent their homes (26.9%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 22.5% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share has fallen 10.7 points since 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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 9.1% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 9.2% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 9.0% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.5% of homes in ZIP 21903 are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.8 points, in line with the national trend. ZIP 21903 has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Maryland ZIP codes.
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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1964 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1965 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1965 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1968 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in ZIP 21903 are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in the wider Philadelphia area, where the median home dates to 1968. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east 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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $911 | $1,049 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $726 | $1,147 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,128 | $1,281 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,060 | $1,631 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$149 | +$582 | +$620 | +$606 |
Rent in ZIP 21903 runs $1,060 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $149 a month since 2006–10, up 16%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the southeast.
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 21903
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 32.7% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.9% | 34.4% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 37.9% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 42.3% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in ZIP 21903 have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Only 14 of the 240 Maryland ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.9% | 87.5% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.2% | 88.9% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.2% | 90.5% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.3% | 91.9% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in ZIP 21903 is a bit above the national rate: 92.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Philadelphia area. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.4 points, mirroring the country.
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 21903
| Period | ZIP 21903 | Philadelphia area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 8.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 10.2% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 6.1% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −2.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in ZIP 21903 runs well above the national rate: 9.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only six of the 240 Maryland ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Unemployment has risen 2.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 21903 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 21903 | 2.37 | 45.1 | 7.3% | 26.9% | 3.5% | 1980 | $1,060 | 19.8% | 92.3% | 9.1% |
| ZIP 21902 | 1.81 | 57.9 | 6.9% | 53.9% | 8.5% | 1986 | $799 | 18.9% | 88.4% | 8.3% |
| ZIP 21078 | 2.49 | 46.2 | 9.6% | 24.0% | 5.8% | 1985 | $1,649 | 41.5% | 93.9% | 3.9% |
| ZIP 21904 | 2.62 | 42.3 | 10.1% | 10.8% | 10.4% | 1986 | $1,432 | 23.3% | 92.6% | 7.4% |
| ZIP 21914 | 2.59 | 35.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | 18.4% | 1973 | $1,522 | 36.2% | 94.8% | 24.4% |
| ZIP 21901 | 2.56 | 39.9 | 13.3% | 26.8% | 7.1% | 1993 | $1,518 | 34.1% | 92.6% | 5.6% |
| ZIP 21005 | 2.33 | 33.9 | 9.1% | 97.2% | 12.2% | 1982 | $2,096 | 55.6% | 99.3% | 3.1% |
| ZIP 21917 | 2.71 | 41.7 | 12.2% | 11.9% | 7.9% | 1978 | $1,277 | 23.1% | 86.4% | 3.9% |
| ZIP 21001 | 2.50 | 39.4 | 14.1% | 36.3% | 5.0% | 1985 | $1,668 | 27.0% | 92.5% | 6.6% |
| ZIP 21911 | 2.78 | 41.9 | 11.0% | 19.0% | 4.3% | 1986 | $1,271 | 24.1% | 90.0% | 5.4% |
| ZIP 21918 | 2.34 | 47.1 | 10.2% | 12.8% | 2.0% | 1989 | $1,071 | 20.1% | 88.6% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 37022, TN · 12822, NY · 14047, NY · 18947, PA · 22572, VA · 23868, VA · 24065, VA · 26757, WV · 26836, WV · 27020, NC
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 21903. 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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