21085 ZIP Code — Joppa, MD

Harford County, Maryland

ZIP code 21085 is located in Joppa, Maryland, within Harford County. It covers approximately 18.97 square miles and serves a population of 16,590 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 443.

About ZIP code 21085

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $323,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $100,573. 33% 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 34 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 21085 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

16,590

population

18.97

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21085 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21085

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21085. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Joppa	Acceptable
Joppa	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21156 Upper Falls (2.1 mi) 21040 Edgewood (3.4 mi) 21087 Kingsville (3.5 mi) 21009 Abingdon (3.9 mi) 21162 White Marsh (4.7 mi) 21128 Perry Hall (5.6 mi) 21051 Fork (5.7 mi) 21014 Bel Air (6.3 mi) 21010 Gunpowder (6.3 mi) 21017 Belcamp (6.4 mi) 21082 Hydes (6.7 mi) 21047 Fallston (7.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	16,590
Population density	875 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	18.97 sq mi
Water area	0.89 sq mi
Latitude	39.4474
Longitude	-76.3527
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	443

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	23.7%	25.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	32.2%	28.0%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	35.2%	34.2%	30.1%
Over $200k	8.9%	12.4%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

16,590

Population

875

People per sq mi

43.8

Median age

$100,573

Median household income

$49,117

Per capita income

$323,100

Median home value

$1,488

Median monthly rent

79.8%

Home ownership

9.3%

Poverty rate

4.6%

Unemployment

5,794

Housing units

30.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

460

Under 5

488

434

5–9

460

308

10–14

327

364

15–19

386

415

20–24

440

1,092

25–34

1,160

1,064

35–44

1,129

1,229

45–54

1,305

592

55–59

629

567

60–64

601

833

65–74

884

385

75–84

408

306

85+

324

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,943	17.7%
18 and over	13,647	82.3%
65 and over	3,140	18.9%
Median age	43.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 74.4%

Black or African American 15.7%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Two or more races 2.8%

Other race 2.2%

Asian 1.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	12,773	74.4%
Black or African American	2,693	15.7%
Hispanic or Latino	578	3.4%
Two or more races	489	2.8%
Other race	377	2.2%
Asian	235	1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	23.7%	25.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	32.2%	28.0%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	35.2%	34.2%	30.1%
Over $200k	8.9%	12.4%	13.4%

Under $10k 3.8%

$10k–$15k 1.5%

$15k–$25k 3.4%

$25k–$35k 3.0%

$35k–$50k 8.3%

$50k–$75k 16.9%

$75k–$100k 12.5%

$100k–$150k 21.1%

$150k–$200k 16.3%

$200k+ 13.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.8%
$10k–$15k	1.5%
$15k–$25k	3.4%
$25k–$35k	3.0%
$35k–$50k	8.3%
$50k–$75k	16.9%
$75k–$100k	12.5%
$100k–$150k	21.1%
$150k–$200k	16.3%
$200k+	13.1%
Median income	$100,573

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.4%

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$100k–$150k 1.9%

$150k–$200k 5.1%

$200k–$300k 33.7%

$300k–$500k 48.7%

$500k–$1M 6.7%

$1M+ 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$323,100
Median rent / month	$1,488
Owner occupied	79.8%
Renter occupied	20.2%
Vacant	7.9%
Single-family detached	68.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	2.4%
Median rooms	6.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.58

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.6%
2000–2009	15.2%
1990–1999	9.5%
1980–1989	8.0%
1970–1979	17.5%
1960–1969	34.6%
1950–1959	4.2%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	3.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.1%
1 bedroom	4.0%
2 bedrooms	19.8%
3 bedrooms	41.4%
4 bedrooms	26.0%
5+ bedrooms	7.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.4%
1 vehicle	24.2%
2 vehicles	43.0%
3 or more	30.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	40.5%
Electricity	40.2%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Fuel oil	11.5%
Wood	2.2%
Solar	0.5%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,684	56.2%
Cohabiting couple	548	8.4%
Male householder, no spouse	990	15.1%
Female householder, no spouse	1,329	20.3%
Households with children under 18	1,674	25.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,111	32.2%
Average household size	2.53

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.1%	26.8%
Married	56.1%	52.4%
Separated	0.4%	0.6%
Widowed	3.0%	10.8%
Divorced	10.3%	9.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 5.2%

HS graduate 32.1%

Some college, no degree 22.6%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 16.8%

Graduate / professional 13.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.0%
Bachelor's or higher	30.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	241	8.2%
Kindergarten	112	3.8%
Elementary school	1,111	37.7%
High school	628	21.3%
College / grad school	857	29.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.9%

Professional & management 14.2%

Retail trade 10.5%

Public administration 10.1%

Manufacturing 7.9%

Construction 7.3%

Finance & real estate 7.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.6%

Other services 5.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.2%

Information 0.8%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	43.6%
Service	16.3%
Sales & office	22.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.2%
Production & transportation	8.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.7%
Government	19.0%
Self-employed	3.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.4%
Carpool	5.3%
Public transit	1.7%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	7.9%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.8

Poverty

All people 9.3%

Under 18 years 16.0%

18 and over 7.8%

Married-couple families 2.3%

Female-led households 22.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.5%
Retirement income	31.8%
Supplemental Security	4.7%
Cash public assistance	3.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.7%
High blood pressure	35.8%
High cholesterol	34.6%
Diabetes	9.6%
Heart disease	5.9%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	24.3%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	6.0%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.9%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	20.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.2%
Depression	18.3%
Fair or poor health	11.4%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	8.3%
No health insurance	9.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	68.4%
Cholesterol screening	92.6%
Teeth loss	9.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,231	9.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.5%
Under 18	4.6%
18–64 years	10.1%
65 and over	33.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	77.0%
Public insurance	34.7%
No insurance	4.7%
Uninsured under 19	3.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,642	94.3%
Spanish	236	1.5%
Other Indo-European	110	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	95	0.6%
Other languages	16	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,007	96.5%
Born in same state	15,759	95.0%
Born in different state	11,547	69.6%
Foreign born	248	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	583	3.5%
Not a US citizen	461	79.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,629	15.8%
French	1,625	9.8%
Arab	978	5.9%
English	160	1%
German	113	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	88	0.5%
Polish	59	0.4%
Irish	35	0.2%
Dutch	17	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.5%
Internet access	96.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21085

What city is ZIP code 21085 in?

ZIP code 21085 is primarily assigned to Joppa, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21085 in?

ZIP code 21085 falls within Harford County, Maryland.

Does ZIP code 21085 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 21085 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21085?

The median home value in ZIP code 21085 is $323,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 21085?

ZIP code 21085 has an estimated population of 16,590 residents, with a density of 874 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 21085?

The median household income in ZIP code 21085 is $100,573, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 21085 in?

ZIP code 21085 observes the EST timezone.