21643 ZIP Code — Hurlock, MD

Dorchester County, Maryland

ZIP code 21643 is located in Hurlock, Maryland, within Dorchester County. It covers approximately 46.18 square miles and serves a population of 5,021 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/667.

About ZIP code 21643

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $176,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 86%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $52,143. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 36% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 21643 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

5,021

population

46.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21643 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21643

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21643. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hurlock	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21631 East New Market (5.2 mi) 21659 Rhodesdale (5.4 mi) 21632 Federalsburg (6.9 mi) 21835 Linkwood (7.9 mi) 21655 Preston (8.4 mi) 21673 Trappe (10.1 mi) 21837 Mardela Springs (12.5 mi) 19931 Bethel (13.8 mi) 21601 Easton (14.4 mi) 21629 Denton (14.4 mi) 21654 Oxford (14.5 mi) 19973 Seaford (15.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	5,021
Population density	109 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	46.18 sq mi
Water area	2.35 sq mi
Latitude	38.6389
Longitude	-75.8669
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	410/667

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.1%	48.7%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	37.9%	30.4%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	19.7%	17.3%	30.1%
Over $200k	0.3%	3.7%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

5,021

Population

109

People per sq mi

40.4

Median age

$52,143

Median household income

$27,186

Per capita income

$176,100

Median home value

$953

Median monthly rent

85.9%

Home ownership

16.4%

Poverty rate

4.3%

Unemployment

1,997

Housing units

10.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

138

Under 5

232

5–9

125

142

10–14

237

100

15–19

167

151

20–24

252

207

25–34

346

230

35–44

384

217

45–54

364

161

55–59

270

60–64

144

206

65–74

346

138

75–84

230

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,147	22.8%
18 and over	3,874	77.2%
65 and over	994	19.8%
Median age	40.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 56.1%

Black or African American 25.5%

Hispanic or Latino 7.3%

Other race 6.1%

Two or more races 4.1%

Asian 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	3,038	56.1%
Black or African American	1,383	25.5%
Hispanic or Latino	397	7.3%
Other race	330	6.1%
Two or more races	220	4.1%
Asian	50	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.1%	48.7%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	37.9%	30.4%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	19.7%	17.3%	30.1%
Over $200k	0.3%	3.7%	13.4%

Under $10k 5.5%

$10k–$15k 12.1%

$15k–$25k 6.8%

$25k–$35k 6.2%

$35k–$50k 17.2%

$50k–$75k 13.5%

$75k–$100k 16.2%

$100k–$150k 12.6%

$150k–$200k 8.1%

$200k+ 1.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.5%
$10k–$15k	12.1%
$15k–$25k	6.8%
$25k–$35k	6.2%
$35k–$50k	17.2%
$50k–$75k	13.5%
$75k–$100k	16.2%
$100k–$150k	12.6%
$150k–$200k	8.1%
$200k+	1.7%
Median income	$52,143

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.4%

$50k–$100k 8.0%

$100k–$150k 21.0%

$150k–$200k 15.1%

$200k–$300k 40.1%

$300k–$500k 4.9%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$176,100
Median rent / month	$953
Owner occupied	85.9%
Renter occupied	14.1%
Vacant	12.7%
Single-family detached	77.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.7%
Mobile homes	14.8%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.47

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.5%
2000–2009	13.7%
1990–1999	23.6%
1980–1989	14.2%
1970–1979	21.6%
1960–1969	3.4%
1950–1959	7.0%
1940–1949	2.7%
1939 or earlier	8.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	3.9%
2 bedrooms	16.2%
3 bedrooms	66.6%
4 bedrooms	7.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.9%
1 vehicle	29.5%
2 vehicles	39.7%
3 or more	22.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.6%
Electricity	65.5%
Propane / LP gas	13.3%
Fuel oil	15.8%
Wood	0.4%
Solar	4.2%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	879	44.2%
Cohabiting couple	160	8.0%
Male householder, no spouse	213	10.7%
Female householder, no spouse	736	37.0%
Households with children under 18	601	30.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	730	36.7%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.8%	38.1%
Married	54.7%	34.3%
Separated	3.1%	4.1%
Widowed	0.7%	12.7%
Divorced	12.7%	10.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.7%

Some HS, no diploma 10.6%

HS graduate 42.5%

Some college, no degree 22.9%

Associate's degree 8.3%

Bachelor's degree 7.5%

Graduate / professional 2.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.7%
Bachelor's or higher	10.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	22	2.1%
Kindergarten	6	0.6%
Elementary school	566	54.6%
High school	211	20.3%
College / grad school	232	22.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.5%

Professional & management 10.7%

Manufacturing 7.7%

Transportation & utilities 7.4%

Public administration 7.2%

Retail trade 6.4%

Construction 6.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.0%

Agriculture & mining 5.6%

Other services 3.6%

Information 2.8%

Wholesale trade 2.7%

Finance & real estate 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.0%
Service	24.3%
Sales & office	20.4%
Natural resources & construction	9.3%
Production & transportation	16.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.3%
Government	16.0%
Self-employed	8.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.0%
Carpool	8.5%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	3.9%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.2

Poverty

All people 16.4%

Under 18 years 14.6%

18 and over 16.9%

Married-couple families 4.1%

Female-led households 15.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.7%
Retirement income	28.4%
Supplemental Security	6.2%
Cash public assistance	6.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.9%
High blood pressure	39.9%
High cholesterol	33.0%
Diabetes	13.3%
Heart disease	6.5%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	11.1%
Arthritis	27.4%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.0%
Binge drinking	14.2%
No physical activity	28.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.2%
Depression	20.1%
Fair or poor health	17.0%
Poor mental health	15.5%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	13.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.1%
Visited dentist	57.1%
Cholesterol screening	91.0%
Teeth loss	15.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	270	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.8%
Under 18	3.4%
18–64 years	12.4%
65 and over	29.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.7%
Public insurance	53.6%
No insurance	4.3%
Uninsured under 19	1.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,651	92.6%
Spanish	100	2.2%
Other Indo-European	64	1.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	27	0.6%
Other languages	9	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,820	96.0%
Born in same state	4,818	96.0%
Born in different state	4,025	80.2%
Foreign born	2	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	201	4.0%
Not a US citizen	87	43.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	531	10.6%
Italian	362	7.2%
French	333	6.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	38	0.8%
English	30	0.6%
Norwegian	4	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.6%
Internet access	86.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21643

What city is ZIP code 21643 in?

ZIP code 21643 is primarily assigned to Hurlock, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21643 in?

ZIP code 21643 falls within Dorchester County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 21643?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 21643 mostly owner-occupied?

86% of occupied units in ZIP code 21643 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21643?

16% of residents in ZIP code 21643 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 21643 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 21643 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 21643 in?

ZIP code 21643 observes the EST timezone.