21797 ZIP Code — Woodbine, MD

Howard County, Maryland

ZIP code 21797 is located in Woodbine, Maryland, within Howard County. It covers approximately 43.69 square miles and serves a population of 9,034 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 443/410/667.

About ZIP code 21797

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $674,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 91%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($179,271) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with professional and management as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 41 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area. Remote work is prevalent — 20% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 45% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 21797 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a high rate of remote workers.

9,034

population

43.69

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21797 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21797

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21797. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Woodbine	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21771 Mount Airy (4.4 mi) 21738 Glenwood (5.6 mi) 21784 Sykesville (6.5 mi) 21794 West Friendship (7 mi) 21737 Glenelg (7.1 mi) 20872 Damascus (8.8 mi) 21036 Dayton (8.9 mi) 20833 Brookeville (9.2 mi) 20882 Gaithersburg (9.2 mi) 21104 Marriottsville (9.3 mi) 21770 Monrovia (9.6 mi) 21042 Ellicott City (10.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	9,034
Population density	207 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	43.69 sq mi
Water area	0.23 sq mi
Latitude	39.3526
Longitude	-77.0778
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	443/410/667

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	18.4%	17.1%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	17.8%	22.9%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	29.9%	34.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	34.0%	25.2%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

9,034

Population

207

People per sq mi

45.1

Median age

$179,271

Median household income

$68,832

Per capita income

$674,500

Median home value

$1,012

Median monthly rent

90.7%

Home ownership

4.6%

Poverty rate

5.5%

Unemployment

2,732

Housing units

45.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

280

Under 5

273

348

5–9

339

243

10–14

238

393

15–19

384

243

20–24

237

356

25–34

347

415

35–44

405

789

45–54

771

462

55–59

452

436

60–64

425

394

65–74

385

174

75–84

170

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,147	23.8%
18 and over	6,887	76.2%
65 and over	1,198	13.3%
Median age	45.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.5%

Two or more races 4.9%

Asian 4.3%

Black or African American 2.2%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	7,951	87.5%
Two or more races	444	4.9%
Asian	391	4.3%
Black or African American	199	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	56	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	0.3%
Other race	22	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	18.4%	17.1%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	17.8%	22.9%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	29.9%	34.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	34.0%	25.2%	13.4%

Under $10k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 4.3%

$25k–$35k 4.7%

$35k–$50k 5.3%

$50k–$75k 4.4%

$75k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 14.2%

$150k–$200k 13.2%

$200k+ 43.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	4.3%
$25k–$35k	4.7%
$35k–$50k	5.3%
$50k–$75k	4.4%
$75k–$100k	9.3%
$100k–$150k	14.2%
$150k–$200k	13.2%
$200k+	43.7%
Median income	$179,271

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.8%

$50k–$100k 0.3%

$150k–$200k 0.3%

$200k–$300k 1.8%

$300k–$500k 25.1%

$500k–$1M 59.6%

$1M+ 12.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$674,500
Median rent / month	$1,012
Owner occupied	90.7%
Renter occupied	9.3%
Vacant	1.5%
Single-family detached	92.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	2.1%
Median rooms	8.2
Avg household size (owned)	3.14

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.8%
2000–2009	10.7%
1990–1999	25.4%
1980–1989	12.5%
1970–1979	20.6%
1960–1969	6.8%
1950–1959	5.0%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	8.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.7%
2 bedrooms	10.8%
3 bedrooms	31.2%
4 bedrooms	36.5%
5+ bedrooms	20.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.7%
1 vehicle	9.4%
2 vehicles	39.0%
3 or more	49.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	8.3%
Electricity	50.2%
Propane / LP gas	12.4%
Fuel oil	21.0%
Wood	3.8%
Solar	1.7%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,031	68.6%
Cohabiting couple	164	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	405	13.7%
Female householder, no spouse	362	12.2%
Households with children under 18	1,058	35.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	822	27.8%
Average household size	3.04

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.5%	30.6%
Married	60.2%	55.3%
Separated	1.7%	0.8%
Widowed	2.7%	5.5%
Divorced	8.8%	7.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.1%

Some HS, no diploma 5.5%

HS graduate 22.8%

Some college, no degree 19.4%

Associate's degree 6.2%

Bachelor's degree 25.1%

Graduate / professional 19.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.4%
Bachelor's or higher	45.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	197	8.0%
Kindergarten	111	4.5%
Elementary school	946	38.6%
High school	656	26.8%
College / grad school	540	22.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 20.2%

Education & healthcare 17.9%

Construction 12.8%

Public administration 9.0%

Retail trade 8.6%

Finance & real estate 7.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.0%

Other services 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 2.9%

Transportation & utilities 2.9%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	49.6%
Service	11.3%
Sales & office	24.1%
Natural resources & construction	9.5%
Production & transportation	5.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	15.1%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.1%
Carpool	7.1%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	20.3%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	40.5

Poverty

All people 4.6%

Under 18 years 7.2%

18 and over 3.8%

Married-couple families 3.1%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	28.7%
Retirement income	30.4%
Supplemental Security	1.5%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.3%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	8.5%
Heart disease	5.1%
Stroke	2.3%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	23.2%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	5.0%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.7%
Binge drinking	14.6%
No physical activity	16.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.4%
Depression	17.5%
Fair or poor health	9.2%
Poor mental health	12.2%
Poor physical health	7.4%
No health insurance	7.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.4%
Visited dentist	73.4%
Cholesterol screening	93.8%
Teeth loss	7.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	492	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.4%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	21.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	82.7%
Public insurance	22.9%
No insurance	4.1%
Uninsured under 19	3.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,481	93.9%
Spanish	94	1.1%
Other Indo-European	6	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	16	0.2%
Other languages	66	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,612	95.3%
Born in same state	8,468	93.7%
Born in different state	5,929	65.6%
Foreign born	144	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	422	4.7%
Not a US citizen	253	60.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,966	21.8%
French	1,537	17%
Arab	358	4%
Polish	212	2.3%
Irish	51	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	32	0.4%
Dutch	32	0.4%
German	21	0.2%
English	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	32.8%
Internet access	96.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21797

What city is ZIP code 21797 in?

ZIP code 21797 is primarily assigned to Woodbine, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21797 in?

ZIP code 21797 falls within Howard County, Maryland.

Is ZIP code 21797 mostly owner-occupied?

91% of occupied units in ZIP code 21797 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 21797?

The median household income in ZIP code 21797 is $179,271, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21797?

The median home value in ZIP code 21797 is $674,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 21797?

ZIP code 21797 has an estimated population of 9,034 residents, with a density of 207 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 21797 in?

ZIP code 21797 observes the EST timezone.