21043 ZIP Code — Ellicott City, MD
Howard County, Maryland
ZIP code 21043 is located in Ellicott City, Maryland, within Howard County. It covers approximately 17.10 square miles and serves a population of 47,309 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443.
About ZIP code 21043
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $579,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.
The gap between median ($145,000) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 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%.
47,309
population
17.10
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
21043 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 21043
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21043. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Ellicott City | Acceptable |
| Ellicott City | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
21228 Catonsville (2.6 mi)
21045 Columbia (3.9 mi)
21250 Baltimore (4.5 mi)
21235 Baltimore (4.9 mi)
21244 Windsor Mill (5.3 mi)
21229 Baltimore (5.5 mi)
21042 Ellicott City (5.9 mi)
21044 Columbia (6 mi)
21046 Columbia (6.2 mi)
21207 Gwynn Oak (6.2 mi)
21227 Halethorpe (6.5 mi)
21163 Woodstock (6.7 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 47,309 |
| Population density | 2,767 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 24 |
| County FIPS | 027 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 17.10 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.07 sq mi |
| Latitude | 39.2569 |
| Longitude | -76.7917 |
| 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 | 18.4% | 17.1% | 28.2% |
| $50k – $100k | 22.7% | 22.9% | 28.2% |
| $100k – $200k | 31.6% | 34.8% | 30.1% |
| Over $200k | 27.3% | 25.2% | 13.4% |
Demographics & statistics
47,309
Population
2,767
People per sq mi
38.5
Median age
$145,000
Median household income
$64,498
Per capita income
$579,600
Median home value
$1,883
Median monthly rent
68.8%
Home ownership
4.6%
Poverty rate
3.5%
Unemployment
12,577
Housing units
65.7%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
1,229
Under 5
1,270
1,861
5–9
1,924
1,763
10–14
1,824
1,717
15–19
1,775
1,212
20–24
1,253
2,354
25–34
2,435
3,867
35–44
3,998
3,466
45–54
3,585
1,449
55–59
1,499
1,276
60–64
1,319
1,752
65–74
1,811
960
75–84
992
353
85+
365
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 12,235 | 25.9% |
| 18 and over | 35,074 | 74.1% |
| 65 and over | 6,233 | 13.2% |
| Median age | 38.5 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
48.9%
Asian
23.5%
Black or African American
11.2%
Two or more races
8.3%
Hispanic or Latino
5.2%
Other race
2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 24,398 | 48.9% |
| Asian | 11,708 | 23.5% |
| Black or African American | 5,610 | 11.2% |
| Two or more races | 4,117 | 8.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,589 | 5.2% |
| Other race | 1,370 | 2.7% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 106 | 0.2% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 18.4% | 17.1% | 28.2% |
| $50k – $100k | 22.7% | 22.9% | 28.2% |
| $100k – $200k | 31.6% | 34.8% | 30.1% |
| Over $200k | 27.3% | 25.2% | 13.4% |
Under $10k
3.7%
$10k–$15k
1.2%
$15k–$25k
2.3%
$25k–$35k
3.5%
$35k–$50k
4.9%
$50k–$75k
10.2%
$75k–$100k
11.0%
$100k–$150k
14.2%
$150k–$200k
16.7%
$200k+
32.2%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 3.7% |
| $10k–$15k | 1.2% |
| $15k–$25k | 2.3% |
| $25k–$35k | 3.5% |
| $35k–$50k | 4.9% |
| $50k–$75k | 10.2% |
| $75k–$100k | 11.0% |
| $100k–$150k | 14.2% |
| $150k–$200k | 16.7% |
| $200k+ | 32.2% |
| Median income | $145,000 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
1.2%
$50k–$100k
0.4%
$100k–$150k
0.1%
$150k–$200k
0.7%
$200k–$300k
8.1%
$300k–$500k
25.5%
$500k–$1M
61.0%
$1M+
3.0%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $579,600 |
| Median rent / month | $1,883 |
| Owner occupied | 68.8% |
| Renter occupied | 31.2% |
| Vacant | 3.6% |
| Single-family detached | 45.0% |
| Large apartment buildings | 10.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.1% |
| Median rooms | 6.7 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.91 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.5% |
| 2010–2019 | 16.1% |
| 2000–2009 | 16.9% |
| 1990–1999 | 29.8% |
| 1980–1989 | 16.6% |
| 1970–1979 | 5.2% |
| 1960–1969 | 6.6% |
| 1950–1959 | 4.2% |
| 1940–1949 | 1.1% |
| 1939 or earlier | 3.2% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.0% |
| 1 bedroom | 10.5% |
| 2 bedrooms | 23.2% |
| 3 bedrooms | 28.1% |
| 4 bedrooms | 27.4% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 9.7% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 4.0% |
| 1 vehicle | 33.2% |
| 2 vehicles | 40.8% |
| 3 or more | 21.9% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 52.3% |
| Electricity | 43.1% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.3% |
| Fuel oil | 2.4% |
| Wood | 0.4% |
| Solar | 0.1% |
| No fuel used | 0.2% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 10,440 | 60.2% |
| Cohabiting couple | 765 | 4.4% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 2,294 | 13.2% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 3,841 | 22.2% |
| Households with children under 18 | 7,361 | 42.5% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 4,322 | 24.9% |
| Average household size | 2.71 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 30.4% | 24.5% |
| Married | 60.6% | 56.0% |
| Separated | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Widowed | 1.7% | 6.9% |
| Divorced | 6.2% | 11.4% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
2.7%
Some HS, no diploma
2.2%
HS graduate
11.4%
Some college, no degree
12.2%
Associate's degree
5.9%
Bachelor's degree
31.3%
Graduate / professional
34.4%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 95.1% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 65.7% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 695 | 4.9% |
| Kindergarten | 817 | 5.8% |
| Elementary school | 5,787 | 40.8% |
| High school | 3,106 | 21.9% |
| College / grad school | 3,773 | 26.6% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
26.2%
Professional & management
22.8%
Public administration
10.9%
Finance & real estate
6.9%
Retail trade
6.4%
Arts, food & hospitality
6.4%
Manufacturing
6.1%
Other services
3.7%
Construction
3.5%
Transportation & utilities
3.1%
Information
2.6%
Wholesale trade
1.5%
Agriculture & mining
0.1%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 71.0% |
| Service | 9.6% |
| Sales & office | 12.9% |
| Natural resources & construction | 2.5% |
| Production & transportation | 4.0% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 72.6% |
| Government | 23.5% |
| Self-employed | 3.7% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.2% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 70.4% |
| Carpool | 5.3% |
| Public transit | 1.6% |
| Walk | 0.5% |
| Work from home | 19.9% |
| Other means | 2.2% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 29.0 |
Poverty
All people
4.6%
Under 18 years
4.2%
18 and over
4.7%
Married-couple families
2.4%
Female-led households
8.3%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 23.4% |
| Retirement income | 22.5% |
| Supplemental Security | 1.8% |
| Cash public assistance | 1.4% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 4.0% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 24.5% |
| High blood pressure | 27.6% |
| High cholesterol | 30.9% |
| Diabetes | 7.5% |
| Heart disease | 3.8% |
| Stroke | 1.9% |
| Asthma | 8.1% |
| Arthritis | 17.8% |
| Kidney disease | 2.0% |
| Pulmonary disease | 3.4% |
| Cancer | 5.4% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 9.1% |
| Binge drinking | 12.9% |
| No physical activity | 16.3% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 31.7% |
| Depression | 15.2% |
| Fair or poor health | 7.6% |
| Poor mental health | 11.3% |
| Poor physical health | 5.8% |
| No health insurance | 7.4% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 74.5% |
| Visited dentist | 73.6% |
| Cholesterol screening | 93.1% |
| Teeth loss | 6.3% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,754 | 5.0% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 7.3% |
| Under 18 | 2.0% |
| 18–64 years | 5.2% |
| 65 and over | 27.8% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 86.2% |
| Public insurance | 20.9% |
| No insurance | 3.4% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 4.3% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 44,810 | 94.7% |
| Spanish | 3,957 | 8.8% |
| Other Indo-European | 904 | 2.0% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 760 | 1.7% |
| Other languages | 2,033 | 4.5% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 35,576 | 75.2% |
| Born in same state | 34,429 | 72.8% |
| Born in different state | 20,168 | 42.6% |
| Foreign born | 1,147 | 2.4% |
| Naturalized citizen | 11,733 | 24.8% |
| Not a US citizen | 6,918 | 59.0% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 5,001 | 10.6% |
| French | 4,789 | 10.1% |
| Arab | 1,539 | 3.3% |
| Polish | 332 | 0.7% |
| German | 293 | 0.6% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Norwegian | 292 | 0.6% |
| English | 249 | 0.5% |
| Irish | 55 | 0.1% |
| Dutch | 27 | 0.1% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 36.7% |
| Internet access | 97.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21043
What city is ZIP code 21043 in?
ZIP code 21043 is primarily assigned to Ellicott City, Maryland.
What county is ZIP code 21043 in?
ZIP code 21043 falls within Howard County, Maryland.
How educated is the population of ZIP code 21043?
66% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 21043?
The median household income in ZIP code 21043 is $145,000, above the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21043?
The median home value in ZIP code 21043 is $579,600.
What is the population of ZIP code 21043?
ZIP code 21043 has an estimated population of 47,309 residents, with a density of 2,767 people per square mile.
What timezone is ZIP code 21043 in?
ZIP code 21043 observes the EST timezone.