21837 ZIP Code — Mardela Springs, MD

Wicomico County, Maryland

ZIP code 21837 is located in Mardela Springs, Maryland, within Wicomico County. It covers approximately 43.86 square miles and serves a population of 3,165 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443.

About ZIP code 21837

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $192,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 87%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,173. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 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 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 21837 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,165

population

43.86

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21837 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21837

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21837. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mardela Springs	Acceptable
Mardela Springs	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21830 Hebron (4.8 mi) 21659 Rhodesdale (7.2 mi) 21869 Vienna (8.1 mi) 21835 Linkwood (9.8 mi) 21801 Salisbury (9.8 mi) 19931 Bethel (10.7 mi) 21856 Quantico (10.7 mi) 21631 East New Market (11.7 mi) 19940 Delmar (11.8 mi) 21643 Hurlock (12.5 mi) 19956 Laurel (13.1 mi) 21826 Fruitland (13.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,165
Population density	72 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	045

Geography
Land area	43.86 sq mi
Water area	3.25 sq mi
Latitude	38.4739
Longitude	-75.7725
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	33.3%	42.5%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	36.1%	31.8%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	27.5%	21.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	3.2%	4.0%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

3,165

Population

People per sq mi

39.0

Median age

$81,173

Median household income

$35,788

Per capita income

$192,500

Median home value

$1,193

Median monthly rent

86.5%

Home ownership

4.6%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

1,111

Housing units

16.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

105

Under 5

121

5–9

130

10–14

149

15–19

110

101

20–24

116

186

25–34

214

177

35–44

203

201

45–54

230

115

55–59

133

60–64

134

65–74

153

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	740	23.4%
18 and over	2,425	76.6%
65 and over	540	17.1%
Median age	39.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 63.2%

Black or African American 24.4%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Other race 4.8%

Two or more races 1.9%

Asian 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	2,101	63.2%
Black or African American	812	24.4%
Hispanic or Latino	159	4.8%
Other race	159	4.8%
Two or more races	62	1.9%
Asian	31	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	33.3%	42.5%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	36.1%	31.8%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	27.5%	21.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	3.2%	4.0%	13.4%

Under $10k 1.3%

$10k–$15k 0.3%

$15k–$25k 5.4%

$25k–$35k 2.7%

$35k–$50k 14.1%

$50k–$75k 22.0%

$75k–$100k 15.1%

$100k–$150k 26.5%

$150k–$200k 7.0%

$200k+ 5.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.3%
$10k–$15k	0.3%
$15k–$25k	5.4%
$25k–$35k	2.7%
$35k–$50k	14.1%
$50k–$75k	22.0%
$75k–$100k	15.1%
$100k–$150k	26.5%
$150k–$200k	7.0%
$200k+	5.6%
Median income	$81,173

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.2%

$50k–$100k 2.9%

$100k–$150k 21.8%

$150k–$200k 24.8%

$200k–$300k 28.0%

$300k–$500k 12.2%

$500k–$1M 3.1%

$1M+ 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$192,500
Median rent / month	$1,193
Owner occupied	86.5%
Renter occupied	13.5%
Vacant	7.8%
Single-family detached	82.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	15.3%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.56

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	15.9%
2000–2009	19.4%
1990–1999	13.6%
1980–1989	5.0%
1970–1979	6.7%
1960–1969	10.8%
1950–1959	5.7%
1940–1949	6.4%
1939 or earlier	16.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.8%
2 bedrooms	13.6%
3 bedrooms	63.4%
4 bedrooms	16.3%
5+ bedrooms	4.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.2%
1 vehicle	13.1%
2 vehicles	39.4%
3 or more	44.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.3%
Electricity	56.0%
Propane / LP gas	23.8%
Fuel oil	12.3%
Wood	3.7%
Solar	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	601	51.4%
Cohabiting couple	153	13.1%
Male householder, no spouse	159	13.6%
Female householder, no spouse	257	22.0%
Households with children under 18	292	25.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	361	30.9%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.9%	26.2%
Married	50.8%	48.0%
Separated	1.3%	0.6%
Widowed	2.0%	8.0%
Divorced	9.9%	17.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.6%

Some HS, no diploma 5.0%

HS graduate 42.2%

Some college, no degree 25.0%

Associate's degree 8.5%

Bachelor's degree 7.3%

Graduate / professional 9.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.4%
Bachelor's or higher	16.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	22	3.4%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	346	53.3%
High school	137	21.1%
College / grad school	144	22.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.0%

Retail trade 14.6%

Manufacturing 10.6%

Professional & management 10.6%

Transportation & utilities 10.4%

Construction 9.4%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.0%

Public administration 4.5%

Agriculture & mining 3.2%

Wholesale trade 2.3%

Other services 2.0%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.6%
Service	14.3%
Sales & office	21.8%
Natural resources & construction	13.5%
Production & transportation	17.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.3%
Government	14.9%
Self-employed	4.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	90.9%
Carpool	2.0%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	0.1%
Work from home	6.0%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.4

Poverty

All people 4.6%

Under 18 years 4.5%

18 and over 4.6%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 3.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.9%
Retirement income	24.2%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	3.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.4%
High blood pressure	39.8%
High cholesterol	35.8%
Diabetes	12.0%
Heart disease	6.6%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	27.5%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.4%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.2%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	23.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.2%
Depression	19.9%
Fair or poor health	14.9%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	11.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.2%
Visited dentist	56.4%
Cholesterol screening	91.5%
Teeth loss	14.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	173	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.1%
Under 18	7.3%
18–64 years	15.0%
65 and over	31.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	75.2%
Public insurance	36.0%
No insurance	6.4%
Uninsured under 19	7.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,939	92.9%
Spanish	45	1.5%
Other Indo-European	45	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,020	95.4%
Born in same state	3,008	95.0%
Born in different state	2,285	72.2%
Foreign born	12	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	145	4.6%
Not a US citizen	96	66.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	562	17.8%
French	435	13.7%
Arab	232	7.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	11	0.3%
German	8	0.3%
Norwegian	8	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	88.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21837

What city is ZIP code 21837 in?

ZIP code 21837 is primarily assigned to Mardela Springs, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21837 in?

ZIP code 21837 falls within Wicomico County, Maryland.

Is ZIP code 21837 mostly owner-occupied?

87% of occupied units in ZIP code 21837 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 21837 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 21837 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21837?

The median home value in ZIP code 21837 is $192,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 21837?

ZIP code 21837 has an estimated population of 3,165 residents, with a density of 72 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 21837 in?

ZIP code 21837 observes the EST timezone.