PlainZIP

Forest Hill, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21050

Harford County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

18,202
247/sq mi
$125,208
Median income
$456,800
Median home value
45.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Forest Hill pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 8%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 16%
home value, US ZIPs
247
people per sq mi
89%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21050 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21050 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Forest Hill, Harford County, Maryland, home to 18,202 residents across 73.6 square miles, a density of 247 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21050 skews affluent, with a median household income of $125,208 (10% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $54,155. Local economic indicators show a 4.1% poverty rate alongside 3.5% unemployment. Housing costs here run $456,800 for a typical home value (2% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,697 a month; 89.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 45.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.1, and the average commute is 33 minutes. To put 21050 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Harford County, for a geography-aware comparison.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 21050

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Forest Hill, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21050.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21050, Forest Hill, MD · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

18,202

Population

73.6

Area (sq mi)

247

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 21050?

44.1

Median Age

49.7%

Male

50.3%

Female

2.8%

Foreign-Born

White 90.7%
African American 1.3%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$125,208

Median Household Income

+10% vs state

$54,155

Per Capita Income

4.1%

Poverty Rate

3.5%

Unemployment Rate

32.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21050 ranks nationally

Forest Hill, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$125,208 Top 8% higher than 92% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 66.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 45.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

6,497

Total Housing Units

6,422

Occupied Units

75

Vacant Units

2.69

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 89.0%
Renter 11.0%

$456,800

Median Home Value

+2% vs state

$1,697

Median Rent

1993

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+1.1%

YoY Change (2024)

251

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+151%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21050 have increased 1.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +151% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.4% 181
2021 +8.7% 197
2022 +9.7% 216
2023 +14.9% 248
2024 +1.1% 251

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 497 business establishments in ZIP 21050, employing approximately 6,206 people with a combined annual payroll of $342,969,000.

497

Businesses

6,206

Employees

$343.0M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 93 18.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 71 14.3%
Health care and social assistance 55 11.1%
Other services (except public administration) 44 8.8%
Retail trade 37 7.4%
Finance and insurance 34 6.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 32 6.4%
Manufacturing 26 5.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 22 4.4%
Accommodation and food services 20 4.0%
Wholesale trade 19 3.8%
Transportation and warehousing 15 3.0%
Educational services 12 2.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 8 1.6%
Information 5 1.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 21050 vs 21014 →

ZIP 21050 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21050 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 21050 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 21050 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
21014 Bel Air, MD 36,047 4.0 mi
21084 Jarrettsville, MD 7,652 4.4 mi
21154 Street, MD 6,464 5.0 mi
21047 Fallston, MD 11,873 4.7 mi
21015 Bel Air, MD 27,763 5.8 mi
21132 Pylesville, MD 2,634 7.9 mi
21156 Upper Falls, MD 358 10.3 mi
21087 Kingsville, MD 5,451 9.6 mi
21028 Churchville, MD 3,460 8.1 mi
21013 Baldwin, MD 4,653 7.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Harford County

21014 standard
Bel Air, MD
Pop: 36,047
21009 standard
Abingdon, MD
Pop: 29,766
21015 standard
Bel Air, MD
Pop: 27,763
21040 standard
Edgewood, MD
Pop: 24,420
21001 standard
Aberdeen, MD
Pop: 21,487
21078 standard
Havre De Grace, MD
Pop: 17,603

Related Areas

Harford County Forest Hill, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21050 in? ▼
ZIP code 21050 (Forest Hill) is located in Harford County, Maryland. Harford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/harford-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21050? ▼
ZIP code 21050 in Forest Hill, MD has a population of 18,202 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21050? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21050 is $125,208, which is 64% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21050? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21050 is $456,800, which is 64% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21050? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21050 is White at 90.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21050? ▼
ZIP code 21050 has 497 business establishments employing approximately 6,206 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21050? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21050 are: Construction (93), Professional, scientific, and technical services (71), Health care and social assistance (55). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21050? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21050 increased by 1.1% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 151%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21050? ▼
In ZIP code 21050, 66.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 45.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 21050? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21050 is 32.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21050? ▼
In ZIP code 21050, approximately 89.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21050? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21050 is 4.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.