21036 ZIP Code — Dayton, MD

Howard County, Maryland

ZIP code 21036 is located in Dayton, Maryland, within Howard County. It covers approximately 6.25 square miles and serves a population of 2,145 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 240.

About ZIP code 21036

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $804,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 96%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($185,195) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with professional and management as the leading industry. The average commute of 32 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 66% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 21036 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,145

population

6.25

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21036 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21036

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21036. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Dayton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21737 Glenelg (1.8 mi) 20833 Brookeville (2.8 mi) 21738 Glenwood (3.3 mi) 21029 Clarksville (3.8 mi) 21794 West Friendship (4.3 mi) 20777 Highland (4.5 mi) 20860 Sandy Spring (6 mi) 20861 Ashton (6.1 mi) 21042 Ellicott City (6.5 mi) 20759 Fulton (6.7 mi) 20832 Olney (6.8 mi) 21044 Columbia (7.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,145
Population density	343 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	6.25 sq mi
Water area	0.36 sq mi
Latitude	39.2358
Longitude	-77.0081
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	240

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	18.5%	17.1%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	7.3%	22.9%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	33.2%	34.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	40.9%	25.2%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

2,145

Population

343

People per sq mi

47.6

Median age

$185,195

Median household income

$80,265

Per capita income

$804,100

Median home value

Median monthly rent

95.7%

Home ownership

3.9%

Poverty rate

8.3%

Unemployment

770

Housing units

66.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

116

35–44

100

161

45–54

139

55–59

60–64

144

65–74

124

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	414	19.3%
18 and over	1,731	80.7%
65 and over	553	25.8%
Median age	47.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 80.5%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Two or more races 4.6%

Asian 4%

Black or African American 3.3%

Other race 2.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,813	80.5%
Hispanic or Latino	107	4.8%
Two or more races	104	4.6%
Asian	90	4%
Black or African American	74	3.3%
Other race	64	2.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	18.5%	17.1%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	7.3%	22.9%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	33.2%	34.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	40.9%	25.2%	13.4%

$15k–$25k 0.8%

$25k–$35k 5.7%

$35k–$50k 2.7%

$50k–$75k 11.2%

$75k–$100k 3.9%

$100k–$150k 20.7%

$150k–$200k 14.4%

$200k+ 40.6%

Range	% of households
$15k–$25k	0.8%
$25k–$35k	5.7%
$35k–$50k	2.7%
$50k–$75k	11.2%
$75k–$100k	3.9%
$100k–$150k	20.7%
$150k–$200k	14.4%
$200k+	40.6%
Median income	$185,195

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 0.8%

$300k–$500k 11.3%

$500k–$1M 64.9%

$1M+ 23.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$804,100
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	95.7%
Renter occupied	4.3%
Vacant	4.2%
Single-family detached	96.0%
Large apartment buildings	3.2%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	10.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.80

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.6%
2000–2009	11.6%
1990–1999	17.3%
1980–1989	24.3%
1970–1979	22.7%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	3.0%
1940–1949	1.2%
1939 or earlier	9.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.2%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	5.9%
3 bedrooms	23.3%
4 bedrooms	36.2%
5+ bedrooms	31.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.0%
1 vehicle	13.8%
2 vehicles	36.7%
3 or more	39.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	17.8%
Electricity	52.8%
Propane / LP gas	6.1%
Fuel oil	23.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	483	62.8%
Cohabiting couple	36	4.7%
Male householder, no spouse	186	24.2%
Female householder, no spouse	64	8.3%
Households with children under 18	236	30.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	383	49.8%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.9%	21.8%
Married	53.8%	61.0%
Separated	0.0%	1.6%
Widowed	14.7%	9.0%
Divorced	6.6%	6.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.3%

Some HS, no diploma 1.5%

HS graduate 11.6%

Some college, no degree 16.3%

Associate's degree 3.9%

Bachelor's degree 39.7%

Graduate / professional 26.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.2%
Bachelor's or higher	66.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	87	16.3%
Kindergarten	6	1.1%
Elementary school	175	32.8%
High school	113	21.2%
College / grad school	153	28.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 25.2%

Education & healthcare 23.2%

Finance & real estate 12.5%

Construction 11.1%

Public administration 7.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 4.9%

Retail trade 4.7%

Manufacturing 3.7%

Information 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Wholesale trade 0.8%

Other services 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	65.8%
Service	9.2%
Sales & office	16.3%
Natural resources & construction	5.6%
Production & transportation	3.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.5%
Government	16.8%
Self-employed	9.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	9.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	18.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.9

Poverty

All people 3.9%

Under 18 years 2.9%

18 and over 4.2%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 44.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.7%
Retirement income	42.4%
Supplemental Security	3.4%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.5%
High blood pressure	31.7%
High cholesterol	36.8%
Diabetes	8.3%
Heart disease	5.1%
Stroke	2.2%
Asthma	8.1%
Arthritis	22.3%
Kidney disease	2.3%
Pulmonary disease	4.0%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	7.7%
Binge drinking	12.5%
No physical activity	14.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	15.5%
Fair or poor health	7.4%
Poor mental health	10.2%
Poor physical health	6.2%
No health insurance	5.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.4%
Visited dentist	78.8%
Cholesterol screening	95.4%
Teeth loss	4.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	56	3.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.9%
Under 18	7.2%
18–64 years	12.3%
65 and over	34.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.9%
Public insurance	26.1%
No insurance	1.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,997	93.1%
Spanish	26	1.3%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	26	1.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,058	95.9%
Born in same state	2,020	94.2%
Born in different state	1,058	49.3%
Foreign born	38	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	87	4.1%
Not a US citizen	61	70.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	471	22%
Italian	434	20.2%
Arab	68	3.2%
Polish	64	3%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	26	1.2%
Norwegian	21	1%
English	17	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.9%
Internet access	96.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21036

What city is ZIP code 21036 in?

ZIP code 21036 is primarily assigned to Dayton, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21036 in?

ZIP code 21036 falls within Howard County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 21036?

66% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 21036 mostly owner-occupied?

96% of occupied units in ZIP code 21036 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 21036 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 21036 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 21036 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 21036 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 21036 in?

ZIP code 21036 observes the EST timezone.