21531 ZIP Code — Friendsville, MD

Garrett County, Maryland

ZIP code 21531 is located in Friendsville, Maryland, within Garrett County. It covers approximately 61.16 square miles and serves a population of 2,014 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 240/301.

About ZIP code 21531

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $181,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $56,250. 42% 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. An above-average commute of 38 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 21531 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,014

population

61.16

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21531 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21531

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21531. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Friendsville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21520 Accident (5.1 mi) 21541 Mc Henry (6.4 mi) 15411 Addison (9 mi) 15459 Markleysburg (9.8 mi) 21522 Bittinger (10.1 mi) 21536 Grantsville (11.2 mi) 26525 Bruceton Mills (12.8 mi) 15440 Gibbon Glade (13.3 mi) 15540 Fort Hill (13.5 mi) 15424 Confluence (14.1 mi) 21561 Swanton (14.6 mi) 15437 Farmington (15.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	2,014
Population density	33 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	023

Geography
Land area	61.16 sq mi
Water area	0.95 sq mi
Latitude	39.6386
Longitude	-79.3981
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	240/301

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.0%	46.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	23.1%	33.1%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	16.0%	14.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	0.9%	6.0%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

2,014

Population

People per sq mi

49.5

Median age

$56,250

Median household income

$38,168

Per capita income

$181,100

Median home value

$759

Median monthly rent

81.1%

Home ownership

11.6%

Poverty rate

1.3%

Unemployment

1,119

Housing units

15.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

117

25–34

140

35–44

110

200

45–54

155

55–59

139

60–64

108

140

65–74

110

102

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	304	15.1%
18 and over	1,710	84.9%
65 and over	460	22.8%
Median age	49.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.9%

Two or more races 1.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Other race 0.7%

Black or African American 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	1,954	95.9%
Two or more races	31	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	23	1.1%
Other race	14	0.7%
Black or African American	12	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.0%	46.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	23.1%	33.1%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	16.0%	14.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	0.9%	6.0%	13.4%

Under $10k 3.8%

$10k–$15k 6.7%

$15k–$25k 10.9%

$25k–$35k 16.3%

$35k–$50k 11.2%

$50k–$75k 15.7%

$75k–$100k 8.8%

$100k–$150k 12.0%

$150k–$200k 11.1%

$200k+ 3.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.8%
$10k–$15k	6.7%
$15k–$25k	10.9%
$25k–$35k	16.3%
$35k–$50k	11.2%
$50k–$75k	15.7%
$75k–$100k	8.8%
$100k–$150k	12.0%
$150k–$200k	11.1%
$200k+	3.6%
Median income	$56,250

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.2%

$50k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 23.1%

$150k–$200k 16.1%

$200k–$300k 30.1%

$300k–$500k 13.3%

$500k–$1M 1.2%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$181,100
Median rent / month	$759
Owner occupied	81.1%
Renter occupied	18.9%
Vacant	23.9%
Single-family detached	81.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.9%
Mobile homes	14.8%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.09

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	4.5%
1990–1999	14.5%
1980–1989	23.0%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	2.9%
1950–1959	6.5%
1940–1949	3.9%
1939 or earlier	24.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.4%
1 bedroom	10.9%
2 bedrooms	32.4%
3 bedrooms	46.3%
4 bedrooms	7.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.4%
1 vehicle	28.9%
2 vehicles	47.5%
3 or more	21.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.5%
Electricity	18.3%
Propane / LP gas	15.4%
Fuel oil	37.1%
Wood	17.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	473	47.6%
Cohabiting couple	30	3.0%
Male householder, no spouse	318	32.0%
Female householder, no spouse	173	17.4%
Households with children under 18	220	22.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	311	31.3%
Average household size	2.03

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.0%	13.1%
Married	57.1%	63.2%
Separated	4.0%	1.6%
Widowed	3.3%	3.8%
Divorced	8.6%	18.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 6.2%

HS graduate 47.0%

Some college, no degree 17.9%

Associate's degree 13.5%

Bachelor's degree 7.8%

Graduate / professional 7.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.8%
Bachelor's or higher	15.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	17	6.2%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	117	42.5%
High school	106	38.5%
College / grad school	35	12.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Professional & management 15.6%

Construction 13.0%

Manufacturing 12.2%

Public administration 7.9%

Retail trade 7.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.4%

Agriculture & mining 4.6%

Information 3.8%

Other services 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Finance & real estate 3.1%

Wholesale trade 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.0%
Service	24.7%
Sales & office	17.4%
Natural resources & construction	12.9%
Production & transportation	18.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.9%
Government	15.8%
Self-employed	10.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.0%
Carpool	13.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	4.4%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	38.0

Poverty

All people 11.6%

Under 18 years 9.7%

18 and over 11.9%

Married-couple families 4.4%

Female-led households 22.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.3%
Retirement income	25.9%
Supplemental Security	3.1%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.3%
High blood pressure	35.5%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	29.6%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.2%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.8%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	23.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.5%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	13.3%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	9.5%
No health insurance	10.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.6%
Visited dentist	65.0%
Cholesterol screening	91.3%
Teeth loss	12.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	205	12.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.1%
Under 18	1.0%
18–64 years	17.4%
65 and over	39.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.0%
Public insurance	44.4%
No insurance	6.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,905	94.6%
Spanish	3	0.2%
Other Indo-European	3	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,002	99.4%
Born in same state	1,991	98.9%
Born in different state	1,045	51.9%
Foreign born	11	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	12	0.6%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	425	21.1%
Italian	153	7.6%
Arab	115	5.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	55	2.7%
Irish	17	0.8%
Norwegian	7	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.4%
Internet access	91.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21531

What city is ZIP code 21531 in?

ZIP code 21531 is primarily assigned to Friendsville, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21531 in?

ZIP code 21531 falls within Garrett County, Maryland.

Does ZIP code 21531 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 21531 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 21531 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 21531 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 21531 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 21531 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21531?

The median home value in ZIP code 21531 is $181,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 21531 in?

ZIP code 21531 observes the EST timezone.