21221 ZIP Code — Essex, MD

Baltimore County, Maryland

ZIP code 21221 is located in Essex, Maryland, within Baltimore County. It covers approximately 15.03 square miles and serves a population of 43,822 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443.

About ZIP code 21221

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $245,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 60%.

Median household income is $68,140. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 37% 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 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 21221 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

43,822

population

15.03

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21221 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21221

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21221. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Essex	Acceptable
Essex	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21220 Middle River (3.6 mi) 21222 Dundalk (4.1 mi) 21237 Rosedale (4.4 mi) 21219 Sparrows Point (4.7 mi) 21224 Baltimore (5.4 mi) 21206 Baltimore (6.1 mi) 21162 White Marsh (6.9 mi) 21205 Baltimore (6.9 mi) 21236 Nottingham (7.1 mi) 21213 Baltimore (7.6 mi) 21128 Perry Hall (7.7 mi) 21214 Baltimore (7.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	43,822
Population density	2,916 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	15.03 sq mi
Water area	6.30 sq mi
Latitude	39.2946
Longitude	-76.4357
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	42.0%	31.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	30.2%	30.7%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	24.0%	28.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	3.8%	9.5%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

43,822

Population

2,916

People per sq mi

41.4

Median age

$68,140

Median household income

$35,497

Per capita income

$245,900

Median home value

$1,210

Median monthly rent

59.7%

Home ownership

11.9%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

11,415

Housing units

17.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,086

Under 5

1,210

1,333

5–9

1,484

1,198

10–14

1,334

1,264

15–19

1,407

1,178

20–24

1,311

2,825

25–34

3,145

2,270

35–44

2,527

3,037

45–54

3,381

1,542

55–59

1,717

1,417

60–64

1,578

2,215

65–74

2,466

1,012

75–84

1,127

359

85+

399

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	9,300	21.2%
18 and over	34,522	78.8%
65 and over	7,578	17.3%
Median age	41.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 58.2%

Black or African American 29.5%

Two or more races 6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.1%

Asian 1.7%

Other race 1.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	26,297	58.2%
Black or African American	13,317	29.5%
Two or more races	2,713	6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,388	3.1%
Asian	761	1.7%
Other race	673	1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	61	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.0%	31.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	30.2%	30.7%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	24.0%	28.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	3.8%	9.5%	13.4%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 4.3%

$15k–$25k 8.7%

$25k–$35k 9.0%

$35k–$50k 11.2%

$50k–$75k 17.3%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 8.9%

$200k+ 6.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	4.3%
$15k–$25k	8.7%
$25k–$35k	9.0%
$35k–$50k	11.2%
$50k–$75k	17.3%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	17.5%
$150k–$200k	8.9%
$200k+	6.4%
Median income	$68,140

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.4%

$50k–$100k 1.9%

$100k–$150k 9.4%

$150k–$200k 20.1%

$200k–$300k 29.1%

$300k–$500k 27.2%

$500k–$1M 5.7%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$245,900
Median rent / month	$1,210
Owner occupied	59.7%
Renter occupied	40.3%
Vacant	6.6%
Single-family detached	42.0%
Large apartment buildings	4.8%
Mobile homes	1.5%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.67

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	3.3%
2000–2009	7.7%
1990–1999	10.4%
1980–1989	12.1%
1970–1979	9.2%
1960–1969	14.4%
1950–1959	24.8%
1940–1949	10.8%
1939 or earlier	7.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.0%
1 bedroom	10.4%
2 bedrooms	28.4%
3 bedrooms	38.5%
4 bedrooms	14.7%
5+ bedrooms	4.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	12.3%
1 vehicle	37.0%
2 vehicles	30.7%
3 or more	20.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	48.8%
Electricity	37.6%
Propane / LP gas	2.1%
Fuel oil	9.8%
Wood	0.3%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,693	39.1%
Cohabiting couple	1,671	9.8%
Male householder, no spouse	3,162	18.5%
Female householder, no spouse	5,577	32.6%
Households with children under 18	4,809	28.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,647	33.0%
Average household size	2.54

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.1%	33.3%
Married	46.1%	38.8%
Separated	3.1%	2.5%
Widowed	3.5%	10.4%
Divorced	11.1%	15.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.7%

Some HS, no diploma 8.8%

HS graduate 39.7%

Some college, no degree 20.2%

Associate's degree 7.8%

Bachelor's degree 11.5%

Graduate / professional 6.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.5%
Bachelor's or higher	17.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	561	5.8%
Kindergarten	372	3.9%
Elementary school	4,425	45.8%
High school	1,966	20.3%
College / grad school	2,338	24.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.2%

Retail trade 12.0%

Professional & management 9.0%

Transportation & utilities 8.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.0%

Public administration 8.0%

Finance & real estate 7.5%

Construction 7.3%

Manufacturing 6.9%

Other services 5.2%

Wholesale trade 2.3%

Information 0.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.2%
Service	18.2%
Sales & office	22.8%
Natural resources & construction	10.7%
Production & transportation	15.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.3%
Government	17.0%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.8%
Carpool	9.6%
Public transit	7.0%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	6.1%
Other means	1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.1

Poverty

All people 11.9%

Under 18 years 16.4%

18 and over 10.7%

Married-couple families 3.4%

Female-led households 16.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.8%
Retirement income	23.0%
Supplemental Security	6.3%
Cash public assistance	3.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.8%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	33.3%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	10.8%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.1%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.8%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.8%
Depression	20.7%
Fair or poor health	15.9%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.3%
Visited dentist	58.6%
Cholesterol screening	90.9%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,537	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.7%
Under 18	8.2%
18–64 years	12.4%
65 and over	37.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.1%
Public insurance	45.8%
No insurance	4.6%
Uninsured under 19	3.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	41,526	94.8%
Spanish	917	2.2%
Other Indo-European	350	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	254	0.6%
Other languages	194	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	39,985	91.2%
Born in same state	39,533	90.2%
Born in different state	31,972	73.0%
Foreign born	452	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	3,837	8.8%
Not a US citizen	2,384	62.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,104	11.6%
French	2,929	6.7%
Arab	2,841	6.5%
English	219	0.5%
Irish	198	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	93	0.2%
Norwegian	72	0.2%
German	34	0.1%
Dutch	23	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.0%
Internet access	90.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21221

What city is ZIP code 21221 in?

ZIP code 21221 is primarily assigned to Essex, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21221 in?

ZIP code 21221 falls within Baltimore County, Maryland.

Does ZIP code 21221 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 21221 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 21221?

ZIP code 21221 has an estimated population of 43,822 residents, with a density of 2,915 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 21221?

The median household income in ZIP code 21221 is $68,140, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21221?

The median home value in ZIP code 21221 is $245,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 21221 in?

ZIP code 21221 observes the EST timezone.