PlainZIP

Westminster, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21157

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

36,920
186/sq mi
$104,966
Median income
$424,100
Median home value
37.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Westminster pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 16%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 18%
home value, US ZIPs
186
people per sq mi
77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21157 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21157 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, with 36,920 residents across 198.6 square miles, a density of 186 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21157 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $104,966 (8% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $49,793. Poverty here runs at 6.7%, with unemployment measured at 4.1%. Median home value sits at $424,100 (5% below the state average), median rent at $1,331 a month, and owner-occupancy at 76.8%.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 37.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.2, and the average commute is 31 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Carroll County, so you can benchmark 21157 against its immediate geography rather than a national average 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 21157

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Westminster, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21157.

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 21157, Westminster, 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

36,920

Population

198.6

Area (sq mi)

186

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 21157?

43.2

Median Age

48.1%

Male

51.9%

Female

5.9%

Foreign-Born

White 85.5%
African American 3.9%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%

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?

$104,966

Median Household Income

-8% vs state

$49,793

Per Capita Income

6.7%

Poverty Rate

4.1%

Unemployment Rate

31.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21157 ranks nationally

Westminster, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$104,966 Top 16% higher than 84% 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 67.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 37.9%

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

What does housing look like?

15,471

Total Housing Units

14,785

Occupied Units

686

Vacant Units

2.48

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 76.8%
Renter 23.2%

$424,100

Median Home Value

-5% vs state

$1,331

Median Rent

1978

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

+8.9%

YoY Change (2024)

255

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+155%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21157 have increased 8.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +155% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.7% 180
2021 +11.0% 200
2022 +9.9% 220
2023 +6.5% 234
2024 +8.9% 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 1,303 business establishments in ZIP 21157, employing approximately 20,132 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,064,700,000.

1,303

Businesses

20,132

Employees

$1.1B

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 210 16.1%
Retail trade 161 12.4%
Other services (except public administration) 156 12.0%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 153 11.7%
Construction 150 11.5%
Accommodation and food services 92 7.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 71 5.5%
Finance and insurance 62 4.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 57 4.4%
Wholesale trade 48 3.7%
Manufacturing 41 3.1%
Transportation and warehousing 37 2.8%
Information 23 1.8%
Educational services 20 1.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 12 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 6 0.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 3 0.2%

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 21157 vs 21048 →

ZIP 21157 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 21157 ranks #2 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 21157 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 21157 ranks #7 of 7 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
21048 Finksburg, MD 10,650 5.3 mi
21158 Westminster, MD 20,234 7.3 mi
21784 Sykesville, MD 37,941 10.3 mi
21776 New Windsor, MD 5,735 7.0 mi
21074 Hampstead, MD 15,084 8.7 mi
21102 Manchester, MD 11,751 11.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Carroll County

21784 standard
Sykesville, MD
Pop: 37,941
21158 standard
Westminster, MD
Pop: 20,234
21074 standard
Hampstead, MD
Pop: 15,084
21102 standard
Manchester, MD
Pop: 11,751
21787 standard
Taneytown, MD
Pop: 10,693
21048 standard
Finksburg, MD
Pop: 10,650

Related Areas

Carroll County Westminster, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21157 in? ▼
ZIP code 21157 (Westminster) is located in Carroll County, Maryland. Carroll County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/carroll-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21157? ▼
ZIP code 21157 in Westminster, MD has a population of 36,920 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21157? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21157 is $104,966, which is 38% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21157? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21157 is $424,100, which is 52% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21157? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21157 is White at 85.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21157? ▼
ZIP code 21157 has 1,303 business establishments employing approximately 20,132 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21157? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21157 are: Health care and social assistance (210), Retail trade (161), Other services (except public administration) (156). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21157? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21157 increased by 8.9% 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 21157? ▼
In ZIP code 21157, 67.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 37.9% 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 21157? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21157 is 31.0 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 21157? ▼
In ZIP code 21157, approximately 76.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21157? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21157 is 6.7% 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.