21872 ZIP Code — Whaleyville, MD

Worcester County, Maryland

ZIP code 21872 is located in Whaleyville, Maryland, within Worcester County. It covers approximately 16.38 square miles and serves a population of 573 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 410/443/667.

About ZIP code 21872

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 $528,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 93%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $110,709. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with agriculture and mining as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 59% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 42% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 21872 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a high rate of remote workers.

573

population

16.38

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21872 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21872

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21872. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Whaleyville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21874 Willards (4 mi) 21850 Pittsville (6.2 mi) 21813 Bishopville (6.4 mi) 19945 Frankford (7.1 mi) 21811 Berlin (7.2 mi) 19975 Selbyville (8.1 mi) 21849 Parsonsburg (10.1 mi) 21842 Ocean City (10.3 mi) 21841 Newark (10.5 mi) 19966 Millsboro (10.7 mi) 19939 Dagsboro (11.3 mi) 21804 Salisbury (13 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	573
Population density	35 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	047

Geography
Land area	16.38 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	38.4097
Longitude	-75.2896
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	37.3%	40.0%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	40.7%	31.3%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	22.1%	21.0%	30.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	7.8%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

573

Population

People per sq mi

31.7

Median age

$110,709

Median household income

$40,403

Per capita income

$528,500

Median home value

Median monthly rent

92.8%

Home ownership

5.4%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

233

Housing units

41.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

15–19

115

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	162	28.3%
18 and over	411	71.7%
65 and over	54	9.4%
Median age	31.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	573	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.3%	40.0%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	40.7%	31.3%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	22.1%	21.0%	30.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	7.8%	13.4%

Under $10k 6.4%

$25k–$35k 8.5%

$35k–$50k 7.2%

$50k–$75k 4.7%

$75k–$100k 6.0%

$100k–$150k 56.2%

$200k+ 11.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.4%
$25k–$35k	8.5%
$35k–$50k	7.2%
$50k–$75k	4.7%
$75k–$100k	6.0%
$100k–$150k	56.2%
$200k+	11.1%
Median income	$110,709

Housing

Home values

$100k–$150k 6.0%

$150k–$200k 9.2%

$200k–$300k 6.9%

$300k–$500k 21.6%

$500k–$1M 56.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$528,500
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	92.8%
Renter occupied	7.2%
Vacant	6.0%
Single-family detached	93.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.39

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	13.6%
2000–2009	43.6%
1990–1999	10.0%
1980–1989	0.0%
1970–1979	14.8%
1960–1969	0.0%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	18.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	6.8%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	8.0%
3 bedrooms	85.2%
4 bedrooms	0.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.0%
1 vehicle	15.7%
2 vehicles	31.5%
3 or more	46.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	37.0%
Propane / LP gas	21.7%
Fuel oil	41.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	148	63.0%
Cohabiting couple	13	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	20	8.5%
Female householder, no spouse	54	23.0%
Households with children under 18	128	54.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	44	18.7%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	7.9%	30.7%
Married	74.4%	56.6%
Separated	0.0%	7.5%
Widowed	0.0%	0.0%
Divorced	17.7%	5.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 20.2%

Some college, no degree 29.0%

Associate's degree 4.9%

Bachelor's degree 35.5%

Graduate / professional 6.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.9%
Bachelor's or higher	41.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	17	28.8%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	0	0.0%
High school	20	33.9%
College / grad school	22	37.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 56.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.8%

Other services 8.1%

Construction 7.0%

Education & healthcare 7.0%

Public administration 6.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	61.1%
Service	24.6%
Sales & office	3.4%
Natural resources & construction	7.0%
Production & transportation	3.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	40.9%
Government	6.2%
Self-employed	49.6%
Unpaid family workers	3.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	35.3%
Carpool	5.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	58.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.7

Poverty

All people 5.4%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 7.5%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	18.7%
Retirement income	14.0%
Supplemental Security	0.0%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.1%
High blood pressure	37.5%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	6.0%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	26.2%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.2%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.2%
Binge drinking	15.6%
No physical activity	23.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.1%
Depression	19.3%
Fair or poor health	11.8%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	8.7%
No health insurance	9.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.0%
Visited dentist	65.9%
Cholesterol screening	93.0%
Teeth loss	10.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	0	0.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	2.4%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	3.9%
65 and over	0.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.3%
Public insurance	20.6%
No insurance	0.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	448	78.2%
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)	544	94.9%
Born in same state	544	94.9%
Born in different state	377	65.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	29	5.1%
Not a US citizen	29	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	35	6.1%
French	27	4.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	22	3.8%
German	15	2.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.0%
Internet access	100.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21872

What city is ZIP code 21872 in?

ZIP code 21872 is primarily assigned to Whaleyville, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21872 in?

ZIP code 21872 falls within Worcester County, Maryland.

Is ZIP code 21872 mostly owner-occupied?

93% of occupied units in ZIP code 21872 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21872?

The median home value in ZIP code 21872 is $528,500.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 21872?

The median household income in ZIP code 21872 is $110,709, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 21872?

ZIP code 21872 has an estimated population of 573 residents, with a density of 35 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 21872 in?

ZIP code 21872 observes the EST timezone.