21217 ZIP Code — Baltimore, MD

Baltimore City County, Maryland

ZIP code 21217 is located in Baltimore, Maryland, within Baltimore City County. It covers approximately 2.12 square miles and serves a population of 31,634 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443.

About ZIP code 21217

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $163,400. Renters make up the majority at 68%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $36,665. Poverty affects 30% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 33% 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 34 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (18%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 21217 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

31,634

population

2.12

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21217 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21217

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21217. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Baltimore	Acceptable
Baltimore	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21201 Baltimore (1.1 mi) 21211 Baltimore (1.4 mi) 21278 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21264 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21287 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21233 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21279 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21275 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21289 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21273 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21263 Baltimore (1.8 mi) 21241 Baltimore (1.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	31,634
Population density	14,922 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	510

Geography
Land area	2.12 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	39.3075
Longitude	-76.6376
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	410/443

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.3%	46.5%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	20.3%	28.0%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	18.7%	30.1%
Over $200k	4.3%	6.8%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

31,634

Population

14,922

People per sq mi

39.9

Median age

$36,665

Median household income

$29,922

Per capita income

$163,400

Median home value

$1,051

Median monthly rent

31.6%

Home ownership

30.0%

Poverty rate

13.1%

Unemployment

10,387

Housing units

21.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

685

Under 5

702

816

5–9

836

1,013

10–14

1,037

1,002

15–19

1,025

857

20–24

877

2,375

25–34

2,430

1,853

35–44

1,896

1,951

45–54

1,996

1,065

55–59

1,090

1,407

60–64

1,441

1,664

65–74

1,703

592

75–84

606

353

85+

362

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,910	18.7%
18 and over	25,724	81.3%
65 and over	5,280	16.7%
Median age	39.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 81.5%

White 12.9%

Two or more races 3.2%

Asian 1.2%

Hispanic or Latino 0.8%

Other race 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	25,980	81.5%
White	4,110	12.9%
Two or more races	1,026	3.2%
Asian	377	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	250	0.8%
Other race	90	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	46	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.3%	46.5%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	20.3%	28.0%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	10.0%	18.7%	30.1%
Over $200k	4.3%	6.8%	13.4%

Under $10k 10.2%

$10k–$15k 14.2%

$15k–$25k 13.8%

$25k–$35k 10.5%

$35k–$50k 11.5%

$50k–$75k 14.3%

$75k–$100k 8.7%

$100k–$150k 9.2%

$150k–$200k 2.8%

$200k+ 4.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.2%
$10k–$15k	14.2%
$15k–$25k	13.8%
$25k–$35k	10.5%
$35k–$50k	11.5%
$50k–$75k	14.3%
$75k–$100k	8.7%
$100k–$150k	9.2%
$150k–$200k	2.8%
$200k+	4.7%
Median income	$36,665

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.0%

$50k–$100k 23.2%

$100k–$150k 13.2%

$150k–$200k 8.9%

$200k–$300k 8.9%

$300k–$500k 25.7%

$500k–$1M 9.4%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$163,400
Median rent / month	$1,051
Owner occupied	31.6%
Renter occupied	68.4%
Vacant	28.4%
Single-family detached	3.7%
Large apartment buildings	13.6%
Mobile homes	0.2%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.32

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	1.8%
2000–2009	2.3%
1990–1999	4.3%
1980–1989	3.5%
1970–1979	6.1%
1960–1969	5.7%
1950–1959	4.7%
1940–1949	6.5%
1939 or earlier	65.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.8%
1 bedroom	22.0%
2 bedrooms	21.9%
3 bedrooms	31.0%
4 bedrooms	13.3%
5+ bedrooms	5.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	42.9%
1 vehicle	40.3%
2 vehicles	13.2%
3 or more	3.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	63.2%
Electricity	31.0%
Propane / LP gas	2.1%
Fuel oil	2.1%
No fuel used	1.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,037	14.0%
Cohabiting couple	1,091	7.5%
Male householder, no spouse	4,967	34.1%
Female householder, no spouse	6,472	44.4%
Households with children under 18	2,786	19.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,573	31.4%
Average household size	2.10

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	62.4%	57.0%
Married	18.6%	20.0%
Separated	4.2%	2.8%
Widowed	2.9%	10.5%
Divorced	11.8%	9.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%

Some HS, no diploma 13.7%

HS graduate 36.4%

Some college, no degree 20.0%

Associate's degree 4.5%

Bachelor's degree 11.9%

Graduate / professional 9.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.4%
Bachelor's or higher	21.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	453	6.6%
Kindergarten	305	4.5%
Elementary school	2,958	43.4%
High school	827	12.1%
College / grad school	2,279	33.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.1%

Professional & management 14.8%

Transportation & utilities 9.9%

Retail trade 9.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.2%

Public administration 6.9%

Manufacturing 5.2%

Construction 4.9%

Finance & real estate 3.5%

Other services 3.5%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Information 1.2%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.5%
Service	22.8%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	3.8%
Production & transportation	17.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.5%
Government	20.0%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	50.9%
Carpool	5.1%
Public transit	23.9%
Walk	5.1%
Work from home	12.2%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.4

Poverty

All people 30.0%

Under 18 years 45.2%

18 and over 26.5%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 33.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.9%
Retirement income	16.8%
Supplemental Security	14.6%
Cash public assistance	3.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	32.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	43.3%
High blood pressure	46.4%
High cholesterol	30.9%
Diabetes	17.9%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	13.8%
Arthritis	27.9%
Kidney disease	4.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	5.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.6%
Binge drinking	14.4%
No physical activity	32.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	44.4%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	25.1%
Poor mental health	18.7%
Poor physical health	13.5%
No health insurance	16.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.8%
Visited dentist	45.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	24.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,372	5.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.1%
Under 18	6.8%
18–64 years	19.3%
65 and over	44.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	43.4%
Public insurance	58.2%
No insurance	6.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	30,247	95.6%
Spanish	576	1.9%
Other Indo-European	267	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	126	0.4%
Other languages	183	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	30,439	96.2%
Born in same state	30,146	95.3%
Born in different state	23,433	74.1%
Foreign born	293	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	1,195	3.8%
Not a US citizen	575	48.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,119	3.5%
Arab	638	2%
French	617	2%
English	87	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	75	0.2%
Polish	33	0.1%
German	19	0.1%
Norwegian	14	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.0%
Internet access	82.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21217

What city is ZIP code 21217 in?

ZIP code 21217 is primarily assigned to Baltimore, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21217 in?

ZIP code 21217 falls within Baltimore City County, Maryland.

Is ZIP code 21217 mostly rentals?

68% of occupied units in ZIP code 21217 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21217?

30% of residents in ZIP code 21217 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 21217 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 21217 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 21217?

Health data for ZIP code 21217 shows elevated rates of diabetes (18%) and smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 21217 in?

ZIP code 21217 observes the EST timezone.