21842 ZIP Code — Ocean City, MD

Worcester County, Maryland

ZIP code 21842 is located in Ocean City, Maryland, within Worcester County. It covers approximately 9.16 square miles and serves a population of 10,951 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443/667.

About ZIP code 21842

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $364,200. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 74%.

The gap between median ($68,626) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 39% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

10,951

population

9.16

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21842 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21842

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21842. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ocean City	Acceptable
Ocean City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21813 Bishopville (4.4 mi) 19975 Selbyville (6.7 mi) 19944 Fenwick Island (6.9 mi) 21811 Berlin (8.8 mi) 21872 Whaleyville (10.3 mi) 19945 Frankford (10.8 mi) 19967 Millville (11 mi) 19970 Ocean View (11.7 mi) 19930 Bethany Beach (11.8 mi) 19939 Dagsboro (13.2 mi) 21841 Newark (13.4 mi) 21874 Willards (13.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,951
Population density	1,196 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	047

Geography
Land area	9.16 sq mi
Water area	12.15 sq mi
Latitude	38.3872
Longitude	-75.1024
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	410/443/667

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.0%	40.0%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	31.1%	31.3%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	16.5%	21.0%	30.1%
Over $200k	12.3%	7.8%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

10,951

Population

1,196

People per sq mi

53.1

Median age

$68,626

Median household income

$64,880

Per capita income

$364,200

Median home value

$1,224

Median monthly rent

73.6%

Home ownership

8.2%

Poverty rate

6.1%

Unemployment

31,076

Housing units

38.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

206

Under 5

228

167

5–9

186

202

10–14

225

146

15–19

163

388

20–24

430

602

25–34

669

476

35–44

528

535

45–54

593

446

55–59

496

506

60–64

562

971

65–74

1,077

370

75–84

410

175

85+

194

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,454	13.3%
18 and over	9,497	86.7%
65 and over	3,197	29.2%
Median age	53.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.1%

Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

Two or more races 3.7%

Black or African American 3.4%

Other race 2.5%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	9,776	85.1%
Hispanic or Latino	537	4.7%
Two or more races	427	3.7%
Black or African American	391	3.4%
Other race	292	2.5%
Asian	54	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.0%	40.0%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	31.1%	31.3%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	16.5%	21.0%	30.1%
Over $200k	12.3%	7.8%	13.4%

Under $10k 4.3%

$10k–$15k 2.7%

$15k–$25k 5.8%

$25k–$35k 11.0%

$35k–$50k 13.6%

$50k–$75k 17.7%

$75k–$100k 10.2%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 12.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.3%
$10k–$15k	2.7%
$15k–$25k	5.8%
$25k–$35k	11.0%
$35k–$50k	13.6%
$50k–$75k	17.7%
$75k–$100k	10.2%
$100k–$150k	15.3%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	12.9%
Median income	$68,626

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.5%

$50k–$100k 0.7%

$100k–$150k 3.3%

$150k–$200k 7.5%

$200k–$300k 22.9%

$300k–$500k 32.1%

$500k–$1M 25.2%

$1M+ 5.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$364,200
Median rent / month	$1,224
Owner occupied	73.6%
Renter occupied	26.4%
Vacant	82.5%
Single-family detached	14.9%
Large apartment buildings	43.1%
Mobile homes	4.1%
Median rooms	3.9
Avg household size (owned)	1.91

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	2.5%
2000–2009	14.1%
1990–1999	7.2%
1980–1989	35.3%
1970–1979	30.1%
1960–1969	6.3%
1950–1959	1.8%
1940–1949	1.4%
1939 or earlier	1.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.6%
1 bedroom	14.9%
2 bedrooms	40.5%
3 bedrooms	33.2%
4 bedrooms	6.5%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.2%
1 vehicle	40.5%
2 vehicles	40.6%
3 or more	10.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	15.3%
Electricity	72.6%
Propane / LP gas	7.1%
Fuel oil	2.8%
Wood	0.5%
Solar	0.4%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,183	38.3%
Cohabiting couple	371	6.5%
Male householder, no spouse	1,151	20.2%
Female householder, no spouse	2,000	35.1%
Households with children under 18	910	16.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,366	41.5%
Average household size	1.91

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.3%	23.7%
Married	53.2%	42.6%
Separated	1.1%	6.3%
Widowed	3.0%	10.1%
Divorced	11.3%	17.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 3.2%

HS graduate 27.1%

Some college, no degree 22.1%

Associate's degree 7.6%

Bachelor's degree 24.0%

Graduate / professional 14.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.5%
Bachelor's or higher	38.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	34	2.0%
Kindergarten	25	1.5%
Elementary school	626	36.7%
High school	353	20.7%
College / grad school	668	39.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 29.3%

Education & healthcare 13.5%

Professional & management 12.4%

Finance & real estate 11.5%

Retail trade 8.2%

Public administration 7.6%

Construction 6.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.5%

Other services 2.3%

Manufacturing 2.2%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Information 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.4%
Service	28.0%
Sales & office	19.9%
Natural resources & construction	7.5%
Production & transportation	5.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.9%
Government	15.2%
Self-employed	8.9%
Unpaid family workers	1.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.8%
Carpool	4.1%
Public transit	2.6%
Walk	3.8%
Work from home	12.1%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.7

Poverty

All people 8.2%

Under 18 years 12.6%

18 and over 7.5%

Married-couple families 1.7%

Female-led households 7.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.3%
Retirement income	34.6%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.1%
High blood pressure	40.8%
High cholesterol	40.1%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	30.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.2%
Binge drinking	14.0%
No physical activity	24.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.0%
Depression	18.9%
Fair or poor health	13.1%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	9.6%
No health insurance	9.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	65.1%
Cholesterol screening	93.2%
Teeth loss	10.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	902	9.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.6%
Under 18	7.0%
18–64 years	10.6%
65 and over	29.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.2%
Public insurance	46.0%
No insurance	8.4%
Uninsured under 19	8.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,517	96.0%
Spanish	302	2.9%
Other Indo-European	155	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	101	1.0%
Other languages	37	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,924	90.6%
Born in same state	9,815	89.6%
Born in different state	5,687	51.9%
Foreign born	109	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	1,027	9.4%
Not a US citizen	450	43.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,417	22.1%
French	1,745	15.9%
Arab	515	4.7%
Polish	125	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	107	1%
Irish	77	0.7%
Norwegian	40	0.4%
German	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	52.1%
Internet access	95.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21842

What city is ZIP code 21842 in?

ZIP code 21842 is primarily assigned to Ocean City, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21842 in?

ZIP code 21842 falls within Worcester County, Maryland.

Does ZIP code 21842 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 21842 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 21842 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 21842 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21842?

The median home value in ZIP code 21842 is $364,200.

Does ZIP code 21842 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 21842 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 21842 in?

ZIP code 21842 observes the EST timezone.