21286 ZIP Code — Towson, MD

Baltimore County, Maryland

ZIP code 21286 is located in Towson, Maryland, within Baltimore County. It covers approximately 8.59 square miles and serves a population of 21,142 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443/667.

About ZIP code 21286

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $373,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 62%.

The gap between median ($92,722) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 32% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 59% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 21286 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

21,142

population

8.59

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21286 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21286

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21286. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Towson	Acceptable
Towson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21234 Parkville (2.8 mi) 21252 Towson (3.1 mi) 21204 Towson (3.4 mi) 21239 Baltimore (3.7 mi) 21093 Lutherville Timonium (3.9 mi) 21212 Baltimore (4.3 mi) 21057 Glen Arm (4.4 mi) 21214 Baltimore (4.5 mi) 21236 Nottingham (4.8 mi) 21251 Baltimore (5 mi) 21210 Baltimore (5.2 mi) 21206 Baltimore (5.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,142
Population density	2,461 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	8.59 sq mi
Water area	0.40 sq mi
Latitude	39.4146
Longitude	-76.5718
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	30.4%	31.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	25.1%	30.7%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	30.7%	28.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	13.8%	9.5%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

21,142

Population

2,461

People per sq mi

41.5

Median age

$92,722

Median household income

$55,559

Per capita income

$373,500

Median home value

$1,438

Median monthly rent

62.0%

Home ownership

13.0%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

6,449

Housing units

58.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

377

Under 5

425

504

5–9

568

551

10–14

622

634

15–19

716

872

20–24

985

1,271

25–34

1,434

1,133

35–44

1,279

1,055

45–54

1,191

592

55–59

668

763

60–64

861

1,115

65–74

1,259

580

75–84

654

485

85+

548

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,710	17.5%
18 and over	17,432	82.5%
65 and over	4,641	22.0%
Median age	41.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 68.8%

Black or African American 14.7%

Two or more races 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

Asian 4%

Other race 2.8%

Group	Count	%
White	15,257	68.8%
Black or African American	3,255	14.7%
Two or more races	1,097	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,040	4.7%
Asian	895	4%
Other race	624	2.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.4%	31.4%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	25.1%	30.7%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	30.7%	28.5%	30.1%
Over $200k	13.8%	9.5%	13.4%

Under $10k 8.7%

$10k–$15k 2.7%

$15k–$25k 6.6%

$25k–$35k 5.2%

$35k–$50k 4.0%

$50k–$75k 11.4%

$75k–$100k 15.4%

$100k–$150k 17.1%

$150k–$200k 11.2%

$200k+ 17.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.7%
$10k–$15k	2.7%
$15k–$25k	6.6%
$25k–$35k	5.2%
$35k–$50k	4.0%
$50k–$75k	11.4%
$75k–$100k	15.4%
$100k–$150k	17.1%
$150k–$200k	11.2%
$200k+	17.6%
Median income	$92,722

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.4%

$50k–$100k 1.0%

$100k–$150k 1.9%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k–$300k 30.5%

$300k–$500k 30.4%

$500k–$1M 28.5%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$373,500
Median rent / month	$1,438
Owner occupied	62.0%
Renter occupied	38.0%
Vacant	6.0%
Single-family detached	36.0%
Large apartment buildings	20.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.40

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	4.5%
2000–2009	4.2%
1990–1999	6.6%
1980–1989	8.4%
1970–1979	14.0%
1960–1969	13.7%
1950–1959	32.0%
1940–1949	10.4%
1939 or earlier	5.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.0%
1 bedroom	17.5%
2 bedrooms	17.6%
3 bedrooms	39.7%
4 bedrooms	16.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.3%
1 vehicle	34.9%
2 vehicles	36.9%
3 or more	14.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	53.5%
Electricity	34.3%
Propane / LP gas	4.0%
Fuel oil	7.8%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,926	41.7%
Cohabiting couple	601	6.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,908	20.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,986	31.7%
Households with children under 18	2,011	21.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,366	35.7%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.1%	34.6%
Married	50.6%	41.3%
Separated	1.0%	2.4%
Widowed	4.6%	9.2%
Divorced	8.6%	12.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.7%

HS graduate 13.8%

Some college, no degree 19.4%

Associate's degree 3.7%

Bachelor's degree 31.7%

Graduate / professional 27.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.5%
Bachelor's or higher	58.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	218	4.1%
Kindergarten	199	3.8%
Elementary school	1,451	27.4%
High school	1,022	19.3%
College / grad school	2,398	45.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.8%

Professional & management 15.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.4%

Finance & real estate 8.8%

Retail trade 8.1%

Public administration 6.9%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Construction 4.5%

Other services 3.7%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	57.1%
Service	14.0%
Sales & office	17.5%
Natural resources & construction	5.0%
Production & transportation	6.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.0%
Government	17.6%
Self-employed	5.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.6%
Carpool	5.2%
Public transit	3.9%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	14.0%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.1

Poverty

All people 13.0%

Under 18 years 6.5%

18 and over 14.4%

Married-couple families 1.7%

Female-led households 2.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.5%
Retirement income	24.7%
Supplemental Security	3.8%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.0%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	32.8%
Diabetes	8.0%
Heart disease	5.7%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	24.3%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	4.7%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	9.9%
Binge drinking	14.9%
No physical activity	18.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	18.1%
Fair or poor health	9.9%
Poor mental health	13.1%
Poor physical health	7.0%
No health insurance	7.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.2%
Visited dentist	71.6%
Cholesterol screening	92.5%
Teeth loss	7.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,010	5.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.5%
Under 18	2.8%
18–64 years	7.2%
65 and over	26.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	80.9%
Public insurance	30.8%
No insurance	4.1%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,340	96.2%
Spanish	547	2.7%
Other Indo-European	62	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	192	0.9%
Other languages	200	1.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	19,142	90.5%
Born in same state	18,824	89.0%
Born in different state	13,238	62.6%
Foreign born	318	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	2,000	9.5%
Not a US citizen	1,486	74.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,879	18.3%
French	2,268	10.7%
Arab	1,056	5%
English	144	0.7%
Irish	117	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	85	0.4%
German	62	0.3%
Dutch	45	0.2%
Norwegian	35	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.6%
Internet access	93.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21286

What city is ZIP code 21286 in?

ZIP code 21286 is primarily assigned to Towson, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21286 in?

ZIP code 21286 falls within Baltimore County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 21286?

59% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21286?

The median home value in ZIP code 21286 is $373,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 21286?

ZIP code 21286 has an estimated population of 21,142 residents, with a density of 2,460 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 21286?

The median household income in ZIP code 21286 is $92,722, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 21286 in?

ZIP code 21286 observes the EST timezone.