PlainZIP

Joppa, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21085

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

16,171
348/sq mi
$113,714
Median income
$348,600
Median home value
31.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Joppa pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 12%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 27%
home value, US ZIPs
348
people per sq mi
84%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21085 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21085 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Joppa, Harford County, Maryland, home to 16,171 residents across 46.4 square miles, a density of 348 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21085 skews affluent, with a median household income of $113,714 (0% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $53,622. 6.9% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 3.5%. Housing costs here run $348,600 for a typical home value (22% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,734 a month; 84.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 31.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.3, and the average commute is 34 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Harford County, letting you compare 21085 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 21085

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Joppa, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21085.

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 21085, Joppa, 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

16,171

Population

46.4

Area (sq mi)

348

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 21085?

42.3

Median Age

47.3%

Male

52.7%

Female

5.3%

Foreign-Born

White 73.6%
African American 17.5%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%

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?

$113,714

Median Household Income

-0% vs state

$53,622

Per Capita Income

6.9%

Poverty Rate

3.5%

Unemployment Rate

34.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21085 ranks nationally

Joppa, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$113,714 Top 12% higher than 88% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 62.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 31.2%

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

What does housing look like?

7,169

Total Housing Units

6,801

Occupied Units

368

Vacant Units

2.54

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.0%
Renter 16.0%

$348,600

Median Home Value

-22% vs state

$1,734

Median Rent

1974

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

+8.5%

YoY Change (2024)

255

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+155%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21085 have increased 8.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +155% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.2% 180
2021 +8.8% 195
2022 +12.2% 219
2023 +7.1% 235
2024 +8.5% 255

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 294 business establishments in ZIP 21085, employing approximately 3,148 people with a combined annual payroll of $160,456,000.

294

Businesses

3,148

Employees

$160.5M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 60 20.4%
Other services (except public administration) 47 16.0%
Retail trade 43 14.6%
Health care and social assistance 29 9.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 18 6.1%
Transportation and warehousing 16 5.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 15 5.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 13 4.4%
Accommodation and food services 13 4.4%
Wholesale trade 10 3.4%
Manufacturing 7 2.4%
Educational services 5 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 1.7%
Information 4 1.4%
Finance and insurance 4 1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 1.4%

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 21085 vs 21156 →

ZIP 21085 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 21085 ranks #5 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 21085 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 21085 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
21156 Upper Falls, MD 358 2.4 mi
21087 Kingsville, MD 5,451 3.3 mi
21040 Edgewood, MD 24,420 3.3 mi
21009 Abingdon, MD 29,766 3.6 mi
21014 Bel Air, MD 36,047 6.1 mi
21162 White Marsh, MD 3,655 4.8 mi
21010 Gunpowder, MD 104 5.3 mi
21051 Fork, MD 279 5.6 mi
21128 Perry Hall, MD 12,802 5.6 mi
21220 Middle River, MD 39,199 7.5 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
21050 standard
Forest Hill, MD
Pop: 18,202

Related Areas

Harford County Joppa, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21085 in? ▼
ZIP code 21085 (Joppa) 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 21085? ▼
ZIP code 21085 in Joppa, MD has a population of 16,171 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21085? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21085 is $113,714, which is 49% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21085? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21085 is $348,600, which is 25% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21085? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21085 is White at 73.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21085? ▼
ZIP code 21085 has 294 business establishments employing approximately 3,148 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21085? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21085 are: Construction (60), Other services (except public administration) (47), Retail trade (43). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21085? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21085 increased by 8.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 155%. 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 21085? ▼
In ZIP code 21085, 62.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.2% 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 21085? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21085 is 34.2 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 21085? ▼
In ZIP code 21085, approximately 84.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21085? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21085 is 6.9% 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.