21561 ZIP Code — Swanton, MD

Garrett County, Maryland

ZIP code 21561 is located in Swanton, Maryland, within Garrett County. It covers approximately 101.85 square miles and serves a population of 2,517 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 301.

About ZIP code 21561

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 $325,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($72,159) 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 education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 37% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 21561 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,517

population

101.85

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21561 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21561

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21561. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Swanton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21523 Bloomington (5.1 mi) 21538 Kitzmiller (6.5 mi) 21522 Bittinger (6.8 mi) 21540 Luke (7.4 mi) 26750 Piedmont (8.5 mi) 26717 Elk Garden (8.9 mi) 21521 Barton (9 mi) 21536 Grantsville (9.5 mi) 21562 Westernport (9.7 mi) 21541 Mc Henry (10.2 mi) 26726 Keyser (11.5 mi) 21520 Accident (11.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,517
Population density	25 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	023

Geography
Land area	101.85 sq mi
Water area	3.50 sq mi
Latitude	39.4934
Longitude	-79.1979
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	301

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.8%	46.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	27.6%	33.1%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	21.3%	14.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	6.4%	6.0%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

2,517

Population

People per sq mi

56.0

Median age

$72,159

Median household income

$51,031

Per capita income

$325,400

Median home value

$623

Median monthly rent

88.4%

Home ownership

7.9%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

2,375

Housing units

36.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

108

20–24

113

25–34

124

35–44

130

45–54

101

55–59

106

125

60–64

130

295

65–74

308

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	416	16.5%
18 and over	2,101	83.5%
65 and over	806	32.0%
Median age	56.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92%

Two or more races 3.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.9%

Other race 1%

Black or African American 0.9%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	2,360	92%
Two or more races	93	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	49	1.9%
Other race	25	1%
Black or African American	23	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	16	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.8%	46.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	27.6%	33.1%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	21.3%	14.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	6.4%	6.0%	13.4%

Under $10k 4.3%

$10k–$15k 0.8%

$15k–$25k 3.8%

$25k–$35k 7.0%

$35k–$50k 15.3%

$50k–$75k 20.7%

$75k–$100k 8.3%

$100k–$150k 18.4%

$150k–$200k 12.5%

$200k+ 8.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.3%
$10k–$15k	0.8%
$15k–$25k	3.8%
$25k–$35k	7.0%
$35k–$50k	15.3%
$50k–$75k	20.7%
$75k–$100k	8.3%
$100k–$150k	18.4%
$150k–$200k	12.5%
$200k+	8.8%
Median income	$72,159

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.4%

$50k–$100k 5.7%

$100k–$150k 9.1%

$150k–$200k 12.2%

$200k–$300k 11.4%

$300k–$500k 21.9%

$500k–$1M 21.5%

$1M+ 9.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$325,400
Median rent / month	$623
Owner occupied	88.4%
Renter occupied	11.6%
Vacant	53.6%
Single-family detached	92.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	4.9%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.18

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.3%
2000–2009	20.0%
1990–1999	18.8%
1980–1989	12.4%
1970–1979	13.7%
1960–1969	9.4%
1950–1959	10.8%
1940–1949	5.2%
1939 or earlier	3.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.9%
1 bedroom	5.5%
2 bedrooms	23.6%
3 bedrooms	37.3%
4 bedrooms	17.7%
5+ bedrooms	14.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.5%
1 vehicle	25.9%
2 vehicles	55.9%
3 or more	16.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.0%
Electricity	19.8%
Propane / LP gas	33.3%
Fuel oil	28.2%
Wood	8.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	624	53.6%
Cohabiting couple	120	10.3%
Male householder, no spouse	213	18.3%
Female householder, no spouse	207	17.8%
Households with children under 18	224	19.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	496	42.6%
Average household size	2.14

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	20.6%	18.3%
Married	59.3%	64.4%
Separated	6.8%	0.0%
Widowed	5.2%	9.3%
Divorced	8.1%	7.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.1%

Some HS, no diploma 3.1%

HS graduate 37.7%

Some college, no degree 11.4%

Associate's degree 9.1%

Bachelor's degree 21.9%

Graduate / professional 14.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.8%
Bachelor's or higher	36.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	10	2.6%
Kindergarten	29	7.6%
Elementary school	165	43.4%
High school	78	20.5%
College / grad school	98	25.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.3%

Construction 17.2%

Professional & management 14.3%

Retail trade 11.5%

Manufacturing 8.4%

Public administration 6.4%

Other services 5.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.5%

Agriculture & mining 4.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Finance & real estate 1.6%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	42.0%
Service	11.2%
Sales & office	14.6%
Natural resources & construction	17.2%
Production & transportation	15.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	62.3%
Government	15.8%
Self-employed	22.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	64.3%
Carpool	23.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	12.4%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.2

Poverty

All people 7.9%

Under 18 years 14.1%

18 and over 6.8%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.8%
Retirement income	36.6%
Supplemental Security	0.9%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.8%
High blood pressure	38.3%
High cholesterol	37.0%
Diabetes	11.3%
Heart disease	7.8%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	32.2%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.1%
Binge drinking	14.6%
No physical activity	24.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	20.4%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	14.1%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.8%
Visited dentist	64.7%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	12.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	160	7.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.8%
Under 18	1.0%
18–64 years	9.8%
65 and over	35.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.4%
Public insurance	48.1%
No insurance	6.3%
Uninsured under 19	9.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,401	95.4%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,491	99.0%
Born in same state	2,482	98.6%
Born in different state	1,552	61.7%
Foreign born	9	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	26	1.0%
Not a US citizen	10	38.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	344	13.7%
French	245	9.7%
Arab	184	7.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	18	0.7%
Irish	12	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.2%
Internet access	88.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21561

What city is ZIP code 21561 in?

ZIP code 21561 is primarily assigned to Swanton, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21561 in?

ZIP code 21561 falls within Garrett County, Maryland.

Does ZIP code 21561 have an older population?

32% of residents in ZIP code 21561 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 21561 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 21561 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 21561 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 21561 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21561?

The median home value in ZIP code 21561 is $325,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 21561 in?

ZIP code 21561 observes the EST timezone.