21550 ZIP Code — Oakland, MD

Garrett County, Maryland

ZIP code 21550 is located in Oakland, Maryland, within Garrett County. It covers approximately 205.47 square miles and serves a population of 13,640 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 301/240.

About ZIP code 21550

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $211,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($61,824) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 21550 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

13,640

population

205.47

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21550 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21550

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21550. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Oakland	Acceptable
Oakland	Acceptable
Oakland	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21538 Kitzmiller (7.6 mi) 26720 Gormania (8.7 mi) 26717 Elk Garden (9.9 mi) 21541 Mc Henry (11.7 mi) 21561 Swanton (11.7 mi) 26716 Eglon (12.6 mi) 26705 Aurora (12.6 mi) 26764 Terra Alta (13.7 mi) 26739 Mount Storm (14.5 mi) 26743 New Creek (15.7 mi) 21523 Bloomington (16.4 mi) 21522 Bittinger (16.4 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	13,640
Population density	66 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	023

Geography
Land area	205.47 sq mi
Water area	3.44 sq mi
Latitude	39.3794
Longitude	-79.3600
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	301/240

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.3%	46.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	35.2%	33.1%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	14.1%	14.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	6.5%	6.0%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

13,640

Population

People per sq mi

47.4

Median age

$61,824

Median household income

$39,691

Per capita income

$211,900

Median home value

$677

Median monthly rent

78.5%

Home ownership

10.5%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

6,976

Housing units

26.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

350

Under 5

377

380

5–9

409

280

10–14

301

339

15–19

366

310

20–24

335

772

25–34

831

725

35–44

782

760

45–54

818

534

55–59

576

530

60–64

571

926

65–74

998

489

75–84

527

170

85+

184

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,548	18.7%
18 and over	11,092	81.3%
65 and over	3,294	24.1%
Median age	47.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.2%

Two or more races 1.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

Other race 0.6%

Asian 0.6%

Black or African American 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	13,170	95.2%
Two or more races	221	1.6%
Hispanic or Latino	190	1.4%
Other race	84	0.6%
Asian	78	0.6%
Black or African American	73	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.3%	46.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	35.2%	33.1%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	14.1%	14.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	6.5%	6.0%	13.4%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 3.2%

$15k–$25k 8.8%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 15.0%

$50k–$75k 16.4%

$75k–$100k 14.5%

$100k–$150k 14.9%

$150k–$200k 5.3%

$200k+ 7.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	3.2%
$15k–$25k	8.8%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	15.0%
$50k–$75k	16.4%
$75k–$100k	14.5%
$100k–$150k	14.9%
$150k–$200k	5.3%
$200k+	7.4%
Median income	$61,824

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.1%

$50k–$100k 10.3%

$100k–$150k 14.9%

$150k–$200k 15.8%

$200k–$300k 23.8%

$300k–$500k 19.8%

$500k–$1M 6.9%

$1M+ 2.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$211,900
Median rent / month	$677
Owner occupied	78.5%
Renter occupied	21.5%
Vacant	29.8%
Single-family detached	79.1%
Large apartment buildings	3.9%
Mobile homes	8.7%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	5.1%
2000–2009	13.5%
1990–1999	16.5%
1980–1989	12.5%
1970–1979	22.3%
1960–1969	8.3%
1950–1959	6.0%
1940–1949	2.6%
1939 or earlier	12.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	6.9%
2 bedrooms	22.5%
3 bedrooms	44.6%
4 bedrooms	16.2%
5+ bedrooms	9.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.8%
1 vehicle	31.9%
2 vehicles	36.2%
3 or more	23.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	22.0%
Electricity	25.2%
Propane / LP gas	18.8%
Fuel oil	19.5%
Wood	11.1%
No fuel used	1.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,020	52.4%
Cohabiting couple	340	5.9%
Male householder, no spouse	960	16.6%
Female householder, no spouse	1,447	25.1%
Households with children under 18	1,695	29.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,339	40.6%
Average household size	2.31

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.2%	19.7%
Married	58.7%	52.9%
Separated	2.0%	3.1%
Widowed	4.1%	13.6%
Divorced	9.0%	10.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 6.2%

HS graduate 41.3%

Some college, no degree 15.9%

Associate's degree 7.4%

Bachelor's degree 14.5%

Graduate / professional 11.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.6%
Bachelor's or higher	26.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	175	7.4%
Kindergarten	203	8.6%
Elementary school	987	41.7%
High school	558	23.6%
College / grad school	442	18.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.6%

Professional & management 10.4%

Construction 10.3%

Public administration 9.2%

Other services 8.5%

Retail trade 8.2%

Finance & real estate 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.4%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Wholesale trade 3.0%

Agriculture & mining 2.7%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.5%
Service	20.3%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	13.1%
Production & transportation	12.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	68.5%
Government	22.3%
Self-employed	9.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.3%
Carpool	6.8%
Public transit	1.4%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	12.1%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.7

Poverty

All people 10.5%

Under 18 years 13.0%

18 and over 10.0%

Married-couple families 5.3%

Female-led households 12.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.7%
Retirement income	29.6%
Supplemental Security	4.6%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.7%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	35.8%
Diabetes	11.5%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	32.2%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.8%
Binge drinking	14.7%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.4%
Depression	21.4%
Fair or poor health	15.5%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.3%
Visited dentist	61.7%
Cholesterol screening	91.2%
Teeth loss	15.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,009	9.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.9%
Under 18	5.7%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	43.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	58.2%
Public insurance	51.0%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	1.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,913	94.7%
Spanish	71	0.5%
Other Indo-European	54	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	11	0.1%
Other languages	6	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,480	98.8%
Born in same state	13,323	97.7%
Born in different state	9,115	66.8%
Foreign born	157	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	160	1.2%
Not a US citizen	127	79.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,885	13.8%
Italian	1,734	12.7%
Arab	833	6.1%
English	260	1.9%
German	74	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	47	0.3%
Irish	18	0.1%
Norwegian	7	0.1%
Dutch	4	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.3%
Internet access	88.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21550

What city is ZIP code 21550 in?

ZIP code 21550 is primarily assigned to Oakland, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21550 in?

ZIP code 21550 falls within Garrett County, Maryland.

Does ZIP code 21550 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 21550 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 21550 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 21550 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 21550?

ZIP code 21550 has an estimated population of 13,640 residents, with a density of 66 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21550?

The median home value in ZIP code 21550 is $211,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 21550 in?

ZIP code 21550 observes the EST timezone.